Returning letter of instruction

Dear Missionaries (and Families/Stake Presidents): We are very excited as we anticipate your upcoming return to the Taiwan Taipei Mission. This is an opportunity that we have worked hard to facilitate and have all been praying for since you left in early April. However, with this opportunity comes a GREAT RESPONSIBILITY to be obedient to the Taiwan government rules. We apologize for the length of this email, but there are a lot of important points we need you to be aware of to ensure a smooth, safe return. So please read carefully. As part of returning, you will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period. You MUST be willing to follow the rules as outlined by the Taiwan CDC upon arrival. Part of the quarantine requirement is taking your temperature daily and reporting that information. There will also be someone who will check in with you via Line, as well as potentially doing inspections. IMPORTANT: Failure to comply with the quarantine rules will result in a fine to you of up to $150,000 NTD – approximately $5,000 USD. Not only would this fine be costly to you from a monetary standpoint, but it also does not set a good example for our church/missionaries and could jeopardize future missionary arrivals. We cannot stress enough HOW IMPORTANT it will be to obey these rules for everyone’s health and safety as well as our ability to continue sharing the gospel here in Taiwan. In preparing to come to Taiwan, we would suggest the following: • Please DO NOT COME if you are sick! If you are sick, please let us know so we can reschedule travel until you are recovered. If a missionary arrives sick, they will be taken by the government and placed in isolation at a hospital. Isolation at the hospital could be longer than 2 weeks and will be far less enjoyable. Also, the news that missionaries have the virus will scare the members and hurt missionary work for as long as Covid-19 is still worried about. • We would encourage you to social distance as much as possible before leaving, to protect your health. Avoid being in large groups. If you do go out, then please, wear a mask and ensure that you frequently and thoroughly wash your hands. • Buy and bring a good thermometer – as mentioned above, the Taiwan CDC will require daily temperature checks. And you cannot share one with your companion. • For travel you MUST wear a mask. We recommend an N95 mask on the plane, in the airport and on the way to your apartment. Also disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and tissue would be beneficial. • You must bring your current ARC Card, passport, Taiwan health care Card, and Missionary Debit Card. Please have these items easy to access upon arrival. NOTE: If you do not have your Taiwan health care card, please let Sister Bement know and we can apply for another one. • A Samsung cell phone with your Line account enabled and Maas360 installed. When you arrive in Taiwan: President and I will greet you at the airport. We won’t be able to hug, shake hands, or even handle your luggage. But, we will give you a huge welcome back, our love and a SIM Car for your phone. Each missionary will have their own SIM Card. This will allow the CDC to monitor your movement and location and to call you and check in daily (see below). After arrival we will shuttle you to one of the apartments that we have set up according to the government quarantine rules (see below). Living in Quarantine: When you arrive at the apartment, there will be a supply of food that will last you during your quarantine period along with instructions for preparation on those things that require it. Upon entering the apartment, you will need to go to your own SEPARATE bedrooms. You will also each be expected to use your own separate bathroom. Each apartment has two separate bathrooms and two bedrooms, each with a made-up bed. One of the bedrooms will have a connected bathroom and a small fridge in it. That bedroom is for the person who will NOT have access to the kitchen. The smaller fridge can be used to keep personal food, leftovers, drink, etc. so that the missionary does not need to rely 100% on their companion for food. The living arrangements will be something you will need to decide between your quarantine apartment companion. One of you will need to stay in the bedroom with the connected bedroom and small fridge (for snacks and other small food items) and will not come out during the quarantine period. The other missionary will prepare food and put it at the bedroom door for you to retrieve. Missionaries should not be crossing paths or sharing the same space at any time. The other companion will stay in the other bedroom, without a fridge, but will have access to the kitchen and the living room area. Only one person will be able to have access to the kitchen. The companion who has access to the kitchen and living area will become the cook for both missionaries and the person who will need to answer the door, if and when necessary. You two will need to plan your meals as desired and work together. We will check in with you regularly via phone or video calls. We will also bring you items if necessary. We have already had two missionaries go through this quarantine and so rest assured that all will work. Additional Information via Line: At the airport we will send you a Line message with the following important information: 1. Your individual cell phone number (see above) 2. The name of your travel/quarantine apartment companion (See list below) 3. The address of the apartment where you will both stay during quarantine 4. President Peterson’s Cell number 5. The companionship names you will be working with through video calls. This will NOT be correlated to where your quarantine apartment is located. You will also be asked for some information, such as the status of your church bank card (MSF). So please monitor your Line account and provide prompt replies when needed. Missionary Proselyting Assignment While in Quarantine: Your apartment companion will not be your companion. Each quarantined missionary will be assigned to work in a Trio with a companionship that is in the field. For many of you, that will also become your assigned area after quarantine. Some of you will “whitewash” with one of your Trio companions or with a new companion into one of the 20 new areas we are opening up for your arrival! You will bring so much excitement to so many wards and to the whole mission. With your assigned companionship you will be expected each day to rise, exercise, shower, have a meaningful hour of personal study focusing on those you are teaching, and then participate via video with your companions during the day in the following activities: - Daily Planning, - Companionship Study, - Teaching appointments (you will help teach), - Member visits (you will participate and be part of the spiritual share), - Daily ministering, - End of day follow-up (DL/STL, Companionship), - Weekly Planning, and - District Councils As you can see, you will be very engaged in missionary work and your days should be busy. Your time, when not involved in video calls with your companions, should be used for eating meals, learning and preparing lessons, personal study, language study, and cleaning your areas. On the last day you will have the morning to clean the apartment, wash the sheets and make the bed (the first quarantine group). When that is completed, we will arrange for you to go to your new, or in some cases, a few week transitional area until the transfer. This will be a truly amazing time and experience. Expect miracles to occur! Below is a list of each missionary and who your quarantine companion will be and in which apartment you will be quarantined. We love you and are so excited for your return and having you once again serving the people of Taiwan. Thank you and bless you for your sacrifices. Taiwan is a truly blessed place on earth, even more evident by the stable COVID-19 situation. Let’s continue to do all that we can to keep it that way. We know that you have been prepared and called for such a time as this and so, as Joseph Smith said to the early saints, “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, (Elders and Sisters); and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad!” We will be exceedingly glad to see you soon and our hearts rejoice over each of you. With great love, President & Sister Peterson Taiwan Taipei Mission