December New Missionaries!!

Always great to meet the new missionaries.  They come with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation.  Joy and fear.  Scared to death, yet wanting to serve the Lord.  All missionaries have these feelings to one degree or another.  President and Sister Msane met the 8 new missionaries at the airport and then we all welcomed them here for a dinner of pizzas and salads.  The next day they met their individual trainers and spent a day with the President learning their duties.

Singing Christmas carols while waiting for dinner.  Elder Mortensen, new Elder Tucker, Elder Hales.

Elder Tucker, Elder Wood, Elder Jameson, Elder Coombs, Elder Card singing carols.

Elder Hales, Elder Mortensen, Elder Tucker singing their hearts out!!

New Sister Bamutesiza from Zimbabwe with her trainer, Sister Njoroge.

New missionary, Elder Jack (seated) from Zimbabwe with his trainer Elder Muthiani.

Elder Wafula, why are you making that face?!  Is your lemon juice sour?

Elder Torrie on the keyboard accompanying the singing missionaries.

Sister Msane and Sister Torrie singing Silent Night in Zulu for the missionaries.  The problem was that I didn't have the words in front of me so I had to listen hard to Sister Msane's words.  The Zulu words are lovely.

New missionary, Elder Barnard helping Sister Msane in the kitchen.  Great job helping!

Sister Msane and Sister Torrie working in the kitchen.

Elder Hales, Elder Tucker, Elder Wood, Elder Jameson singing with Elder Torrie.

That night we hosted two of the trainer missionaries in our flat.  So good to have Elder Merritt and Elder Lotulelei with us. They are both Americans.  We had happy visits and good laughs.  They slept on mats in the living room. 

Elder Lotulelei said this was the first Christmas tree and probably the last that he would see this Christmas.  It's a Charlie Brown Christmas tree to LeRon and me but the missionaries and our neighborhood grandchildren love it!!

President and Sister Msane with new arrivals Elder Tucker, Elder Card, Elder Coombs, Sister Bamutesiza, Elder Barnard, Elder Wood, Elder Jack, and Elder Jameson

Missionary work CAN be FUN!

Another shot of the fun missionaries!

Now here are the missionaries with their trainers.  Back L-R: Elder Wood with trainer Elder Muthiani; Elder Otieno; Elder Barnard (his trainer is Elder Limu); Elder Jameson (his trainer is Elder Otieno); Elder Limu; Elder Le Cheminant with trainee Elder Tucker; Elder Rasmussen with trainee Elder Jack; Elder Mugele with trainee Elder Coombs.  Kneeling in front Elder Agesa who is training Elder Card.  Seated: Sister Njoroge; President & Sister Msane; Sister Bamutesiza.

All the missionaries having fun!  Or maybe it's just the end of the day and everyone is getting their second wind!