Another Interesting Week...

We had our second transfer day this past week, and it definitely helps knowing what to expect. (Seemed smoother to me, but it was probably just me knowing the dance.) Transfers are always on Tuesdays. On Monday afternoon, the new incoming missionaries come in at LaGuardia Airport. Sister Williams and I meet them there in a bright yellow rental van and pick up all their luggage (except an overnight bag).  We take the luggage back to the church, and all the new missionaries go to the president’s house for dinner and a devotional, and they spend the night at the mission home.  Tuesday morning back at the church/mission office, the new missionaries meet their new companions, pick up their luggage, get fed pizza (Diane’s job), and then head to their areas by around noon and are supposed to go right to work and not unpack until they come in for the night.  The second wave (everyone else affected by the transfers) gets to the church at noon, gets fed pizza (Diane again), meets their new district and zone leaders, finds out their new companion and area (and sometimes car), and then heads out to their area by 3:30 PM.  Lots of people and luggage filling the building! During the afternoon, we load the out-going (going home) missionaries’ luggage in the van and lock it up for the night.  They all then go to the mission home for a meal, devotional, testimony meeting and to stay the night.  The next morning, we meet them at JFK Airport (~0730), unload their luggage and participate in all the hugs and goodbyes.  (Pretty emotional with all the love and good friends separating for maybe the last time!  Usually not a dry eye, even mine!!)  The Diane and I then fight the rush hour traffic back to the office, return the van, and then start trying to straighten out all the records to show the new locations, companions and vehicles for the next six weeks.  That is transfers in a nutshell!  TMI, I know…

We went to the 9/11 Memorial and museum yesterday, and I thought it was outstanding!  I had definitely forgotten most of the detail, and being reminded made me a mixture of sad, angry and proud!  I didn’t see any middle-eastern people at the memorial, and it isn’t fair but I can see why.  I had mostly forgotten about the pentagon plane, and also learned for the first time (I think) that 4^th plane was not successful in reaching the capitol building because it was delayed a while before take-off, and as people called friends and relatives they learned of the other 3 hijackings, so they recognized their subsequent hijacking for what it was, and took matters into their own hands to attack the hijackers.  There were definitely lots of heroes that day and the next few days!!  The memorial and museum are underground around the bedrock foundations of both towers, and the reflecting pools with surrounding waterfalls are in the exact locations of the twin towers.  We really enjoyed it, although we were ready to get off our feet after three hours there!  I’d love to go and spend another several hours there to see everything we skipped over, but I may be too cheap to pay another $92 for the two of us.