A New Beginning

03-10-2015

Transfer week again!

Another 9 gone (including 1 sister) and 12 more arrived. My 4th set of companions departed for their new cities (Alkmaar as ZL and Den Bosch as DL and trainer) and the 5th and final set are now flying solo. The training wheels are off. The flotation devices are gone. The-... You know what I mean.

For the first days of the week, Monday to early on Wednesday, my old companions were still around to continue training the new guys and help them with various stuff for transfers. But after that, they were on their own.

We discussed everything concerning transfers with President on Monday and prepared everything that day and the morning of the next. We also prepared the conference room to do the orientation there. The largest group we have ever had at the office. That evening, President and Sister Bunnell went out to eat with my old companions and I went with the new guys, by bus, to our dinner appointment in Wassenaar, with one of my favourite families. We had a good time there.

The next day, the greenies arrived not long before midday and were brought back to Leiden by train. After lunch at Oudt Leyden (also the biggest group there, I believe), they headed down to Rijswijk for legality and the back for interviews, orientation and a nap. I ate with my old companions at a member's house, while the other guys ate at the hotel with the greenies. We then went to the church for the YSA activity. About a dozen YSA (both member and not) were there, which was surprising, but good of course.

Wednesday, transfer day. The training for the new missionaries, as well as for the trainers, continued at the hotel and a lot of the rest of the mission gathered in the four main stations, as usual to get new companions or go to a new city.

The rest of the week was very busy for my companions, so it was hard to get out much to do missionary work, but we squeezed in a few hours where we could. Over time, they will get into the groove and things will not be so busy. 

This morning, we played football and I enjoyed it. I think I am still getting better at it, luckily. We then took the bus back to Leiden and showered, shopped and will probably go have a look around the centre, since it is the 3rd of October, day of Leiden's liberation from the Spanish in the 17th century.

"You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity." - Thomas Wolfe