Fun to Get New Missionaries

It's always fun to get new missionaries.  They come excited and scared, happy and nervous and all emotions in between.  So here are pictures of the new missionaries and their trainers.  And a fun video at the end if I can make it work.

New missionaries, Elder Mayekiso and Elder Somniso, being trained in mission protocol by Sister Msane.  She prepares mission booklets for them and trains them with that and then talks to them about medical issues.  LeRon (Elder Torrie) trains them in financial matters and I make copies of their passports and do other secretarial-type things.

Elder Noel will be a trainer.  His name is No'-el but everyone calls him No-el' (as in The First Noel).  Drives me crazy that people can't say his name right.  But I'm a stickler for names.  For years people called me "Caw-leen" whereas my name is "Co-lleen" with a long "o".  So I'm very particular about people's names.

Elder Harrott is our British missionary.  We think of him as our cousin since Canada was once part of the British Empire; Queen Elizabeth is still our queen.  There again people can't say his name right.  It is "ha-rot" not "hair-ot."

And here is Elder Estheimer, another trainer.  He was with the first group of missionaries that we processed when we were brand-new in the mission.  He came in on the last transfer just before President and Sister Hicken were released.  A group came in two days after our arrival but we had Elder & Sister Maxwell there to help us.  So Elder Estheimer's group was the first one we did by ourselves.  Pretty stressful.

We get to work closely now with Elder Ellis as he is now one of the Assistants to the President.  He and Elder Hales do much of the training at MLC and Zone Conferences.

Hmn. . . not sure what Elder Estheimer and Elder Harrott are up to.

Who is winning at dominoes?  Missionary work is not all work; there is sometimes play!  I think Elder Estheimer and Elder Harrott are going to knock those dominoes down.

Elder Ochieng (on left) just got in from the Ghana MTC so he's a bit tired.  He's serving in our mission while he waits for his visa to Zimbabwe.  He joins Elder Somniso and Elder Mayekiso as our newest missionaries.

Our musicians:  Elder Ellis, Elder Thomas, and Elder Rasmussen.

Sister Msane is glad for Elder Noel's help in the kitchen.  Many of the missionaries help, which is great.

And here's Elder Hales, the other Assistant to the President.  He helps a lot in the kitchen too.

Sister Msane likes to laugh and when you're around her, you can't help but laugh with her.  She says it's easier to laugh than to frown and she is right.  We have a lot of fun with her.

New missionaries, Elder Mayekiso, Elder Somniso, and Elder Ochieng with President and Sister Msane.

New missionaries with their trainers:  Elder Mayekiso with trainer Elder Estheimer; Elder Somniso with trainer Elder Noel; Elder Ochieng with trainer Elder Harrott.

Sister Msane always likes a fun photo.  She livens things up.

Now Sister Msane is off to visit a missionary in the hospital.  But before she leaves she gives the new missionaries their pillows and sheets that they are to carry with them whenever they are transferred.

With the Msanes gone, Elder Ellis and all the missionaries gathered around the piano to sing together.

LeRon can never resist a piano and the missionaries love to sing.  Elder Somniso, Elder Mayekiso, Elder Harrott, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Thomas.

And on the other side out of reach of my flash:  Elder Ellis, Elder Hales, Elder Estheimer, Elder Noel, Elder Ochieng, Elder Somniso, Elder Mayekiso, Elder Harrott, Elder Rasmussen.

After they sang all their favorite hymns, they wanted to sing Primary songs.  Elder Ellis, Elder Noel, Elder Hales, Elder Estheimer.

Elder Ochieng, Elder Somniso and Elder Mayekiso weren't as familiar with all the wonderful Primary songs as were the western missionaries but they were happy to learn.

Elder Harrott and Elder Rasmussen love to sing the Primary songs too.

Some of the Primary songs have actions and I managed to capture an action from "Book of Mormon Stories."  Elder Hales and Elder Estheimer were quite dramatic.  So nice to hear the deep males voices singing "Given this land, if they'd live . . . righteously!" The video follows (if it worked).  Sorry that I make you so dizzy at times.  I'm not accomplished at videoing.  If you're on Firefox and it doesn't work, try going on to Chrome.