The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full report, CLICK HERE.
Thousands of reassigned missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are heading out to new assignments in their home countries following disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Young missionaries across the world returned home from their international assignments in waves this spring, when Church leaders became concerned for their health and safety when the pandemic hit.
“We have moved about 26,000 missionaries, all of them to their home countries,” said Elder Brent Nielson, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department.
Church travel employees around the globe spent sleepless nights in their offices booking flights and chartering planes to bring the elders and sisters home. Many missionaries were not given much notice before having to pack their belongings and head to the nearest airport. Some left their missions without their luggage.
“This involved many weeks of very little sleep as we coordinated flights, whether those be commercial or charter flights, wherever the missionaries needed to go,” said Nanette Sorensen, Global Travel Services manager for the Church’s Materials Management Department (MMD). “Between our staff here and the staff in the area offices, we saw miracles happen as borders opened up and we all worked together for this common good.”
To read the full report, CLICK HERE.