3-22-20 First Update From Pres. Higgins in regard to Covid-19's impact on the FIji Suva Mission

John Higgins shared a link.

Conversation Starter · March 22 at 2:20 AM

To families of missionaries currently serving in the Fiji Suva Mission. Tomorrow (P-Day Fiji time) your
missionary will receive information which I am also sharing with you to keep you updated with the rapid
changes that are effecting our missionaries and their sacred work here in the Islands of Fiji. Please freely
discuss the counsel and instructions with your missionary and encourage them to follow these
recommendations.

Bula Vinaka Sisters and Elders,

My dear fellow servants: “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called
of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life”. (3 Nephi 5:13).
This scripture is a powerful reminder to us in the Fiji Suva Mission of whom we serve, who’s message
we share, and what He desires for each of us. As events change dramatically day by day let us trust in
the Lord and His servants, moving forward with great faith to accomplish our purpose as disciples of
Jesus Christ in an ever changing world.

Sister Higgins and I have a great love for each of you, we are thankful to serve alongside you, in the
Fiji Suva Mission. As you know Fiji has now experienced its first few cases of Coronavirus. As a
result rapid changes have been made by the government concerning travel and borders being closed
to stop any further transmission of the virus. We are blessed to receive constant updates and instruction
from the First Presidency and local direction from our Area Presidency regarding how we move ahead
to fulfill our missionary purpose at the same time staying safe and keeping others safe.

I will outline below the directives we should follow immediately and carefully:

• Due      to ongoing travel restrictions related to COVID-19, your urgent attention     
• is needed.

The U.S. Department of State has requested that all missionaries who are U.S. citizens immediately
register for STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). This program allows the State Department to
know where U.S. citizens are located and to help us arrange homeward travel if necessary.

We ask mission presidents to ensure that every missionary from the United States in their mission
register with STEP as soon as possible by visiting https://step.state.gov. Please reply to this email by
Tuesday, March 24, to confirm that all registrations are completed.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this request.

The Missionary Department

Clarifications as you register online, see below instruction:

• Please ensure you “enroll a trip” for each individual U.S. missionary, whether before or after registering.

• When contact information is requested, please provide the mission office phone number and address.
Please do not use the missionary’s current residence or their U.S. home contact information.

• The emergency contact section is optional and does not need to be completed.

• Please do not provide any health information for the missionaries.

• Please ensure all U.S. missionaries are registered (young missionaries, senior missionaries, mission
leaders).

Please let me (President Higgins) know in your letter today that you have completed the STEP
enrollment!

The Area Presidency met and discussed question recently submitted regarding missionary work.
They asked that I share with you their responses, highlighted in Bold:

• Mission Leadership Council, held every six weeks: Discontinue
• Zone Conferences, held every six weeks:Discontinue
• Interviews, conducted every six weeks: Continue
• District Councils, held weekly: Continue
• Baptisms: Continue, minimize attendance where possible
• Confirmations, and if required priesthood ordination, at the baptismal service: Approved
• Investigator needs to attend church meetings: Currently attending with a family who is having      a family sacrament meeting on Sunday will meet this requirement for baptism.
• What are the 14-day self-isolation options for new missionaries?: The missionary department      sets the policy on this. The current understanding is if a 14-day self-isolation is required, the missionary will return home for the      isolation period. He/she will then be assigned to the local mission until conditions allow for travel to the permanent mission.
• Does the mission president authorize his missionaries to administer the sacrament to each 
• other, or does the bishop/branch president where they reside?: The mission president or
• the bishop/branch president may authorize missionaries to officiate the sacrament.
• Missionaries would normally participate in the      sacrament as companions but may
• meet as a group, no larger than a district, so the sisters can be accommodated. The
• sacrament should be partaken at least monthly.
• Do the missions continue with English as second language classes: Discontinue

Each missionary will receive a One-time Payment, for you to purchase emergency food items that may
be needed, if the Coronavirus increases in intensity and missionary confinement becomes necessary.

Each of you received last Saturday 20th March additional funds on your support cards, this was
authorized by the Area Presidency with the following instructions regarding how these funds are to
be spent:

1. Food items purchased should be generally nonperishable yet nutritional.  (Follow the guidelines I
sent to you last Monday)

2. The missionaries should be instructed to use the purchased items only if an emergency
confinement period is mandated.

3. Missionaries will not be emergency funded again if they unnecessarily use or consume the purchased
items. If that were to occur, they would need to acquire and use personal funds to replace the items.

4. Mission Presidents transfer missionaries and not food, and will therefore need to determine the
best way to ensure that emergency supplies and food are in

each apartment when a transfer is made.

Notice:

Date: March 20, 2020

To: General Authorities; General Officers; Area Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents;
Bishops and Branch Presidents

From: Missionary Department

Subject: Further Adjustments to Missionary Service

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes very seriously the health and safety of its
missionaries and of those they teach. In response to the rapidly developing travel advisories and
restrictions that are emerging around the world and that present significant logistical and other
challenges, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have approved the following
temporary adjustments:

• In the coming weeks, based upon world conditions, substantial numbers of missionaries will likely
need to be returned to their home nations to continue their service. This will be done in a systematic
way based on the urgency of travel restrictions, level of COVID-19 concern, and other considerations.
Mission presidents will inform stake presidents if a missionary is returning home. When travel plans are
certain and when missionaries are ready to leave the mission, stake presidents will be notified by the
area office or the Missionary Department. Stake presidents should notify the missionary’s family as
soon as he receives information.

• In missions where non-local missionaries are critical to maintain the presence of the Church, the
Area Presidency may recommend other accommodations.

• Returning missionaries will go through a 14-day period of self-isolation and then may be assigned
to serve within their home country, based on local

conditions.

• The term of service for missionaries returning to or serving within the United States will likely be
reduced to accommodate the large number of missionaries returning from around the world.

• MTCs worldwide will not receive new missionaries. MTC training for missionaries will take place
through technology, and missionaries will be sent to their assigned mission as soon as possible.

• Mission presidents and their families will continue to serve in their mission unless they have serious
health concerns that make that service inadvisable. These issues will be raised through the
Area Presidency.

As changing conditions are evaluated, further necessary adjustments will be made.

This site is managed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites
should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

STEP.STATE.GOV

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

This site is managed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State. External links to
other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

This site is managed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet
sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.