On Monday, March 18th, our virtual Mission Leadership Council focused primarily on one topic: The changing of the mission mindset away from transfer goals towards monthly goals. When we first arrived, we could see that missionaries were struggling with the use of goals to push the work forward, and especially goals that mattered. It wasn’t long before we, working with the Mission Leadership Council at the time, decided to move to transfer goals. It made sense to us. Missionaries are together for 6 weeks, so why not set goals around those 6 weeks which both missionaries would “own” and work towards. It seemed so obvious that this would be a better way. And so we started by just focusing on the number of baptisms each companionship would work towards in a 6 week period. We set the other key indicator goals to the side and asked each companionship to set a 6 week baptismal goal, write it on their dry erase board along with the names of those they were working with, and then stay focused on helping their friends progress. Good things began to happen. Missionaries could meet people at the start of the transfer and by the end of the 6 week period they would be baptized. The mission adopted the process and good things began to happen.

The unintended consequence was the wide swings in the weekly baptisms. Here is an actual picture of a chart showing baptisms by week over the last year. Most of the baptisms would fall on week 6 of the transfer and very few baptisms would happen the first two weeks of a new transfer. During this time, the variability seemed to increase with higher highs and lower lows. We know there are MANY factors that impact the rate of baptisms, perhaps the most critical is the average “age” of the mission, meaning the amount of time missionaries have been serving. In November and December, we sent home 40 of our most seasoned missionaries. Their residual positive impact continued and was felt in the December and January numbers as the mission experienced the two most successful consecutive months in its history. But while 40 were leaving, 40 were also coming, with minimal missionary experience and thin gospel knowledge. And so we began the process of rebuilding.

The November transfer was a 5 week transfer due the travel blackout dates around Christmas. The missionaries were wonderful and worked hard to accomplish their goals in fewer weeks. It was amazing to see what was happening. When the December transfer came, the missionaries just kept on working as through it was a 5 week transfer even through they had seven weeks. The December – January transfer was the second highest in mission history.

Knowing that the missionary department doesn’t force monthly goals, but does encourage them, and realizing our time was growing shorter and shorter as Mission Leaders, we decided to move the mission to monthly goals. We knew this would be especially helpful for President and Sister Boateng who will arrive the end of June. I don’t think we fully appreciated how difficult it would be for the missionaries to move from a “transfer mindset” to a “monthly mindset”, but like all change, there will always be those who find it easier than others. To that end, we dedicated much of our Monday night meeting to the topic, and based our discussion on a document that an outgoing zone leader, Elder Patterson, put together for us after commenting on his thought process in one of our MLC meetings. It is magnificent! We agreed that we would have the MLC send out a communication each day for 18 days with bits and pieces of Elder Patterson’s letter as well as some insights taken from the discussion with the MLC that night and quotes from Preach My Gospel. We are confident the mission will be able to fully move to a monthly mindset, but it will take a few months to figure it out.

Most of the rest of the week was spent on interviews. Monday morning I was able to play basketball with the Assistants, the Office Elders, and Elder Loveland. Good exercise for sure. On Monday evening, we had the MLC Virtual Meeting which I mentioned above.

On Tuesday morning, prior to going to the Dichemso stake center for interviews and a district council, we went over to the Mission Office and I set apart Ransford Boakye from the Penkwase Branch in Sunyani. He was supposed to come on Monday evening, but somehow the communication was confused and he told his district president that I told him I would come and get him in Sunyani. Not sure where that came from. When he didn’t show up at 5 pm, I called President Amoah and he found him and got him on his way. He arrived at the mission office around 10:30 pm so instead of setting him apart on Monday night, I did it early Tuesday morning.

After setting apart Elder Boakye, we attended the Dichemso District Council where Elder Del Campo is the district leader. The scriptures on Christ that we discussed were under the topic of “Jesus Christ, Lamb of God”. It was a good meeting.

We interviewed the missionaries in both districts, Dichemso and Krofrom. Here are the Krofrom missionaries:

On Wednesday we drove out to Effiduase and had the Asamang Elders travel the 20 minutes from their apartment to the branch building in Effiduase to join the elders who serve in Effiduase and Daddease. We then drove into Kwamo and interviewed the remaining 10 missionaries who are now serving in the new Ejisu Stake (still part of University zone).

Wednesday evening, Elder Enoch Oti Afena returned from the Nigeria Ibadan Mission. The office elders picked him up from the airport and brought him to the Mission Office around 7 pm. I had a good discussion with him about his plans and his service, extended the release and he was on his way to his sister’s house to stay the night before returning to the Kenten Branch in Techiman the next morning.

Thursday was another full day of interviews, seeing 16 of the 20 missionaries who serve in the Suame Zone. The missionaries in Agona and Mampong live out such a distance that we decided to interview them after the Suame / Obuasi zone conference next week. These were really good interviews with missionaries who are working very hard to fulfill their purpose.

On Friday, we traveled to the University Stake Center and finished the interviews with the University Zone (except for the office elders and Assistants).

After finishing the interviews, we came back home and I was able to submit the missionary application for Rosca Adoma Bonney.

Rosca has been waiting for this moment for over a year. We are thrilled she is now ready to receive a call. Because the Loveland’s and Pack’s had gone to the temple in Accra for 3 days, we joined the Samuelson’s at Piri Piri for a date night around 5 pm. Noodles and salads. Can’t be any better than that! (can it?)

On Saturday morning, we traveled the to Bantama Stake Center and interviewed 8 missionaries who are serving there. We usually don’t interview on Saturdays because it is a great day to do missionary work, but with the shorter 5 week transfer, we need every moment available to get all 171 missionaries interviewed.

On Sunday, we attended church in the nearby Daban Ward. Our mission attendant, Hannah Afriyie was speaking that day and did a great job. A counselor in the new University Stake Presidency also spoke making for a great meeting. The Priesthood lesson was completely in English and well presented and well discussed. The topic was “The Kingdom’s of Glory”. It was a good day at church.

I was grateful to have the rest of the day to work on missionary letters, and preparation for the upcoming zone conferences. There had been a number of things happen during the week that consumed time that we hadn’t planned on. One of our recently arrived missionaries from the last transfer was really struggling and in the end, it was decided by the missionary department that he should return home. Since we had a companionship of three out in Akoase in the Konongo zone, we were able to pull in Elder Eteru so that he could replace the Elder who was leaving. He was able to come in with the Loveland’s and Pack’s on their return from Accra on Saturday and then he worked with the office elders on Saturday evening and Sunday. (He is the tall missionary in the front row of the picture above). Monday morning, Alex took him to the missionary whose companion was going home and brought in the departing missionary to catch a 3:30 pm flight. These things take a lot of time, planning, and effort to get everyone aligned about what is best for the missionary.

This is the week each transfer that is filled with interviews and so much more. Sending and receiving missionaries from the Member Districts, sending a missionary home early, and taking phone calls during the week from missionaries who are seeking help adds to number of interactions. It is a joy to sit with each missionary for 10+ minutes and talk about their experiences as a missionary. I love learning from them about the scripture they have memorized. I love hearing their miracles with the people they are teaching. And I even love helping them to become better when their weakness is greater than their strength. Because we are all mortals, missionaries will always have their ups and downs. What is clear to me is that almost without exception, these missionaries are learning how to deepen their testimony of the Savior and become disciples of Jesus Christ – and in the process bring souls unto Christ. We do this with joy and gladness, Together in Ghana.