Many missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have returned to their home countries or are in the process of doing so, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A March 20, 2020 letter from the First Presidency of the Church begins, "We take very seriously the health and safety of our missionaries and of those they teach."
It goes on to say, "In the coming weeks, based upon world conditions, substantial numbers of missionaries will likely need to be returned to their home nations to continue their service."
- Elder Jeff and Sister Judy Brock have returned home to Georgia, USA from their mission in Kiribati in the South Pacific. They are still serving as Humanitarian missionaries and on Easter, they helped clean up after a tornado, April 2020.
- Sister Brock, with school children in Kiribati.
- Emma Dil encourages others to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
- As a missionary in the Australia Adelaide Mission, Emma Dil and her companion put a Book of Mormon with their phone number inside whenever they came upon one of these mini libraries.
- Awanui Morris enjoyed his two weeks in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah before returning to New Zealand. He continued his language studies from his home, March 2020.
- Alyse Fitzpatrick, center left, with some of her missionary friends in Peru, 2020.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
A mission is something many plan and save for, for many years.
Latter-day Saint children sing, "I hope they call me on a mission when I have grown a foot or two. I hope by then I will be ready to teach and preach and work as missionaries do."
Many senior couples have a long term-goal of serving a mission after retirement. There are opportunities for senior missionaries to serve around the world in such areas as humanitarian aid, self-reliance, education, family history, Church historic sites, healthcare, legal counsel, congregation support, Church communication, and many others.
Most missionaries serve for a period of 18-24 months, at their own expense and without pay. However, that mission length was suddenly cut short for many, due to COVID-19.
Sister Judy Brock, who was serving in the South Pacific along with her husband, Elder Jeff Brock, wrote, “Leaving Kiribati after serving just ten months was heart-breaking. Our humanitarian work as senior missionaries was just hitting its stride, when COVID-19 unleashed its fury. After two weeks of quarantining back home in Atlanta, Georgia, an Easter tornado destroyed one of our local communities. As humanitarian missionaries, still serving remotely, we were asked to help rally the troops and were blessed to serve alongside 100 of our stake family members, cleaning debris and finding personal effects. For now, all we can do is continue to serve where opportunity presents and look forward to the day when they ask us to return!”
In reflecting on cleaning up after the Easter Sunday tornado, Judy Brock wrote, "It’s a different type of Sunday service when you find yourself wearing work gloves and hiking boots. Pews are replaced with tractor seats and pickup trucks, and preaching is silent and reflective."
The Auckland YSA 2nd Ward (congregation) of young adults recently held a virtual gathering, via Zoom. Eight very recently returned missionaries shared some of their experiences and photos from their missions.
They ranged from Emma Dil who completed all but the last three months of her mission in the Australia Adelaide Mission, to Awanui Morris, who spent just two weeks in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah in preparation for serving in the Philippines Tacloban Mission.
Awanui noted, "The thought of not being able to be in the Philippines as soon as expected was hard. I have grown heaps of love and excitement to serve the people over there."
Another missionary who recently returned is Alyse Fitzpatrick, who served in the Peru Trujillo North Mission for 13 months. Before reuniting with her family, she spent 14-days in quarantine in an Auckland hotel after 5 weeks' quarantine in Peru.
Alyse had to leave behind many friends in Peru without getting to say goodbye and did not feel like her time there was complete.
"I didn't feel like I was finished in Peru. I am definitely sad I came home early. I want to travel back to Peru. I want to go see everyone. I will miss meeting new people there and getting to share the Gospel as a missionary."
Many of those who have returned to their home countries have been temporarily released and will be reassigned. With the recent announcement that missionary reassignments are underway, hopefully it will not be long.
Awanui Morris speaks for many others when he says, "I can't wait to be a missionary again."