Transfers!

This week was transfer week, and it was a big transfer! We had 21 outstanding missionaries return home, and received 11 great new missionaries from the Madrid CCM. Pte. Hinckley conducted 11 hours of exit interviews with those returning home. This is always a sweet experience with many mixed emotions.

Leaving the mission home

In the metro station headed for Plaza Catalunya

"Canto de los ángeles" - singing for the angels

Returning missionaries at the Plaza

Boarding the bus for the airport at 7:00 a.m.

On board the bus!

Last foto: at the airport

After completing the exit interviews on Monday, Tuesday began with a trip to the train station to pick up our 11 new missionaries.

At the train station

Arriving at Montjuic

Climbing up to the ramparts of the castle

First view of the Mediterranean

On the ramparts

We are excited to have these great new missionaries serving in El Faro. The Hinckleys had a chance to meet them briefly in Madrid last Friday, and they are a great group! Unlike the last group we received, most of these are from the United States. Only Elder Haikola is from outside the U.S. - he is our first missionary from Finland!

After picking up the nuevos, serving them lunch, and conducting brief interviews we each of them, they went out to work with temporary companions while the Hinckleys and had dinner, testimony meeting, and singing for the angels with the departing missionaries.

Then on Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. the departing missionaries and the Hinckleys took a chartered bus to the airport (we have enough mission cars for the missionaries but not for their luggage!) and bid farewell. We will miss them! From the airport, we returned directly to Barcelona Barrio 2 chapel to assign the nuevos to their trainers. After a couple of hours of initial training, everyone left for their assigned areas - which stretch across the mission from Menorca to Burgos to Benidorm!

The complex logistics of all this was made possible by a phenomenal office staff. Our four office elders and two Ayudantes were incredible! The written plan for the transfer logistics was 10 pages long! Great work, Elders Tyler, Reeves, Garces, Middleton, Keeler, and especially Elder Fica who coordinated the plan and all the details. Next project: put a satellite into orbit?


SLIDESHOW OF RETURNING MISSIONARIES

SLIDESHOW OF ARRIVING MISSIONARIES