Hurricane Sandy Update from the Mission Home.

This is a letter to parents from the President Wilkey

DATE:    October 29, 2012

TO:         NHMM Missionary Parents

FROM: President Wilkey, New Hampshire Manchester Mission

RE:          Hurricane Sandy

As you are likely aware, we are on the cusp of Hurricane Sandy.  The hurricane is on a collision course with a winter storm and a cold front, and high tides from a full moon make it a rare hybrid storm. 
  We have been tracking this storm for several days now and it appears our mission will not be as affected as others.   However, we will not under-judge this storm and will err on the side of safety for your missionary.   We have consulted with local members and officials, the National Weather Service and media outlets.  Irene looks to produce some high winds up to 70 miles per hour and potentially some rain, but nothing like last year’s Hurricane Irene.  With the vast size of Northern New England the impact will vary, of course, by location.  There is a likelihood of power outages, a routine phenomenon in these parts.     

Embedded within our emergency plan is a calling tree wherein each companionship communicates with district leaders who in turn communicate with zone leaders to my assistants and then to me.  I will receive those “All-in-safe” reports for the next two days.  We continuously monitor any new developments and will update you in the event of any significant change in conditions.  Yesterday I instructed the entire mission to stock up on non-perishable food, water, flashlights & extra batteries etc. according to emergency guidelines in our published plan at each apartment.

At this moment, your missionary is preparing for 2:00 pm today.  That is when I have grounded the car fleet and ordered all missionaries in their apartments for the duration of the day and through tomorrow (Tuesday).  In some parts of the mission this will be “overkill” but we do this to err on the side of safety.     

At this point I am confident our missionaries are prepared well .  The only thing that will prepare them further is your faith, your prayers and your confidence in these great Latter-day warriors!  Thank you for preparing them in all ways for just such moments as this.  I feel much as did Helaman with his stripling warriors, “...they were firm and undaunted.  Yea, and they obey ...with exactness; yea and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them (Alma 57:20-21).”  With that backdrop to our present situation I am confident in their obedience and in what they were taught at home.   Therefore, they will “...be preserved by his marvelous power.”  (Alma 57:26).