arrived in Lansing

Dear parents and family of Sisters Duffin, hart, Hogge, Mangum, and Waite, and Elders Bennion, Blackwell, Crookston, Hall, Hatch, Kemp, Kunz, Meacham, Neilson, Olsen, Robinson, and Shelton:

We are pleased to report that at about 8:15 p.m. your missionary daughter or son arrived at the Lansing Airport, after flying here from Salt Lake City (through Detroit).  Each is a bit tired, having gotten up early this morning in Provo, but they look happy and pleased to have made it to Michigan.  We usually take pictures at the airport when the new missionaries arrive, but things were a little chaotic tonight, so we took a few shots of the missionaries eating dinner a few minutes ago at the mission home.

After dinner, we will review with them a little bit about the mission and its culture, will show them a few required driver safety videos, and I will conduct a brief, preliminary interview with each them to help me get to know them – this will assist me in finalizing assignments to their training companions.  Tomorrow we will have a more thorough orientation.

I have carefully selected some of our very best missionaries to serve as training companions.  Your son or daughter will met his or her training companion tomorrow, just before lunch.  We expect that your missionary and his or her training companions will arrive in their areas late tomorrow afternoon or evening, and hopefully will start missionary work right away.  Our mission’s preparation days are usually on Mondays (excepting once every six weeks, like this one, which we call “transfer week,” when preparation day will be on Tuesday).  You can expect to get an e-mail message, call, or text from your missionary then, in which he or she can give you more details about their companion, area, and address (attached is the communication policy we have provided for young missionaries).  We also will send to you in a couple of days another e-mail with a picture of your missionary and his or her training companion, as well as a picture with Sister Brennan and me.

We are so grateful to have your missionary with us here.  We will do our best to help each missionary feel welcome and loved, as well as successful.  Missionary service is demanding and requires the very best of each young missionary.  Although pleasing and rewarding (see Alma 26), it is hard work.  There typically is an initial period of adjustment, which can be more difficult for some.  But we have every hope and expectation that your missionary will find joy and satisfaction in this divine labor. 

As I explained in a letter that we sent to you several weeks ago, when you communicate with your missionary please be positive and upbeat, always encouraging them to be their best. 

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

All the best,

Sterling & Annette Brennan