Mission Update again!

2 Updates in the same day...

Dear parents and leaders of the Nebraska Omaha Missionaries,
 
I am sure that you have read the press release today announcing that missionaries serving in the US may be released after serving for 21 months if their normal release date is on or before September 1,2020.
The following statement from the Missionary Department to Mission Presidents should  clarify the reasons for these possible releases and I hope it will help all to understand the conditions as they currently exist. 
 
" The press release that went out this morning indicates that some missionaries “MAY” be released up to 90 days early in the US.  Presidents, that decision will be made by the missionary department, not by parents or missionaries as the time comes to make that decision.  We MAY need to do so in order to accommodate the evacuation of thousands of missionaries from other parts of the world as this corona virus is responded to medically and politically by various countries."
 
If  parents insist that their son or daughter return home right now, they can do so but it will be a release under their “ own insistence” and this means that the release would not be an honorable release. This type of release requires coordination with the home Stake President, the Area Presidency, the Mission President, the parents, the missionary and the Missionary Department. As a mission president, I strongly recommend against any missionary returning home because of their “own insistence” but will certainly cooperate with any missionary wanting to do so.
 
These times are challenging because of the unknown, however, I don’t feel that we need to fear the unknown, just because it is unknown. There are many great things that we can learn from these current challenges and blessings to look forward as we face the future with Faith and courage.
 
You as parents and our missionaries are in our daily prayers,
 
 

James N. Ence
President, Nebraska Omaha Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Cell:  402-980-4365
jimence@churchofjesuschrist.org