Reassignment to Tacoma, Washington!

Missionary Reassignment Dear President, Thank you for your help in supporting missionaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have new information for Joshua William McKee that we ask you to provide to him.  Elder McKee has been temporarily reassigned to the Washington Tacoma Mission. He will report to the mission the week of 16 Feb 2021. The exact reporting date will be indicated on the travel itinerary that he will receive about two weeks before his departure date. The length of service in this mission is unknown, and reassignment to his original mission will be based upon conditions associated with COVID-19.  Please contact and inform Elder McKee and his family of this temporary reassignment and start date. Elder McKee has been reassigned by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and we invite you to help him feel the sacredness of his call. He will not receive a reassignment letter. Within three days of this email, Elder McKee will receive an email to his EMAIL and personal email accounts with additional information on preparing to depart. The email will direct him to visit the Missionary Portal where he will find important requirements to complete before departure. Please emphasize the importance of visiting the portal as soon as possible and to follow the additional instruction there.  Please interview and set apart Elder McKee before he is scheduled to travel. (see General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 24.8.3). Make sure that he has a valid temple recommend. One problem we are seeing worldwide is that missionaries who are completing their remote MTC experience, or on-leave, are entering the mission field and carrying COVID-19 because they are not careful with their associations while at home. Many do not show any symptoms until they arrive in the field. In order to avoid this we ask that you encourage the missionary and their family to follow these guidelines:  For 12-14 days before their departure, the missionary should discontinue as many social interactions/activities as possible as an extra precaution to avoid the chance of sending a missionary out with the virus. We want them to be ready to fly on their departure date. We ask that you encourage them to travel with a mask on the plane and in the airport and practice all social distancing guidelines. Please read the “Guidelines for Missionary Travel” below and encourage the missionary and family to strictly follow these guidelines.