Missionary Arrivals September 2017 ~ Our Mission in Kenya

We said goodbye to five missionaries last night and today we welcome nine new ones. All new missionaries come with very mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation. So interesting to see how eager and yet nervous they are. It's a brand-new experience for them. We give them instructions and a lot of love. It's very easy to love young men and young women who are volunteering 1 1/2 to 2 years of their lives to serve the Lord, putting aside all worldly cares.

I've put in a lot of photos of missionaries so you missionary moms and dads can copy pictures. You are certainly free to do so! Be sure to watch the videos of the missionaries singing that I'll put at the end. There's a couple that are particularly interesting -- one of two of our French missionaries singing in French and then another of everyone singing How Great Thou Art in English, French and Zulu! President and Sister Msane are Zulus from South Africa, as is new Sister Sehlako. In the videos some of the new missionaries are missing since they were having interviews with the President.

Here are the brand-new missionaries in the Kenya Nairobi Mission: Sisters Ziribaggwa from Uganda, Sister Sehlako from South Africa; Back L-R: Elder Mathemera from Zimbabwe; Elder Sunu from DR Congo, Elder Masamba from DR Congo, Elder Knight from USA, Elder Montgomery from USA, Elder Ntsomotho from South Africa, and Elder Mboyo from DR Congo. A great looking bunch!!!

Now the new arrivals are with their trainers. Back row L-R: Trainer Elder Fraga with Elder Sunu; Elder Mathemera with trainer Elder Call; trainer Elder Shongwe with Elder Masamba; trainer Elder Nyanhamo with Elder Knight; trainer Elder Gimeyi with Elder Montgomery; Elder Ntsomotho with trainer Elder Lotulelei; trainer Elder McIntyre with Elder Mboyo. Front row: trainer Sister Dhaima with Sister Ziribaggwa; trainer Sister Mbatha (her new missionary companion will arrive in three weeks); Sister Sehlako with trainer Sister Gondwe.

President and Sister Msane with the new missionaries and their trainers. They are in the yard of the mission home.

Seems that on transfer days, Sister Msane does a lot of cooking and missionaries do a lot of eating! L-R: Elder Gimeyi, Elder Ellis, Elder Nyanhamo, Elder Mwashi (standing), Elder McIntyre, Elder Sunu, Elder Lotulelei.

Sister Ziribaggwa, Sister Dhaima, Sister Mbatha, Sister Sehlako, Sister Gondwe.

Elder McIntyre and Elder Mwashi feeding their faces.

Hello Elder Fraga!

Elder Montgomery, Elder Knight, Elder Ntsomotho

Elder Mathemera, Elder Call, Elder Masamba

Elder Mboyo, Elder Shongwe

Elder Call, Elder Knight, Elder Nyanhamo, Elder Sunu

Elder McIntyre, Elder Gimeyi, Elder Montgomery

Elder Knight, Elder Masamba, Elder Mboyo

Elder Knight, Elder Mboyo, Elder Masamba, Elder Montgomery, Elder Nyanhamo, Elder Sunu

Elder Gimeyi

Elder Mathemera, Elder Call

Elder Mathemera with his bed sheets and Elder Call with no bed sheets! Sister Msane gives them all bed sheets and a pillow when they come.

Since I'm never in pictures I asked someone to take my picture with all these great missionaries. Elder Mathemera, Elder Call, me, Elder Nyanhamo, Elder Sunu, Elder Montgomery.

Hi Elder Knight!

Elder Sunu, Elder Nyanhamo, Sister Torrie, Elder Knight

And then there is the traditional singing together that we do each evening. I was tired and thought we ought to go home but Sister Msane said, "Elder Torrie, don't let Sister Torrie talk you into NOT singing tonight!" It's actually a really good way to pass the evening. Singing brings an amazing spirit. L-R: Elder Masamba, Elder Mboyo, Elder McIntyre, Sister Gondwe, Sister Mbatha. Elder Torrie at the piano.

Front and center are two of our French missionaries from DR Congo -- Elder Masamba and Elder Mboyo -- and Elder McIntyre. Elder Mwashi on left.

It's always great when President Msane joins in the singing. Because he joined the church as an adult he is just now learning the Primary songs.

Elder Sunu and Elder Mboyo are both from French-speaking DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). In front are Sister Ziribaggwa and Sister Sehlako.

Sister Mbatha, Elder Mwashi and Elder Shongwe.

Elder Fraga, Elder Knight, Elder Mboyo

Elder Shongwe, Elder Torrie (gray-haired in back), Elder Mwashi, Elder Sunu

Elder Call, Elder Mathemera, Elder Ellis

Elder Ntsomotho, Elder Masamba, Elder Montgomery

Dish-doing missionaries. Yeah!! Sister Mbatha, Sister Sehlako, Elder Mathemera.

Elder Call, Elder Fraga, Elder Sunu

Elder Masamba, Elder Mboyo and Elder McIntyre singing their hearts out.

Elder Masamba and Elder Mboyo. Be sure to check out the videos below, particularly the one where Elder Masamba and Elder Mboyo are singing French. They are looking at the English hymnbook and singing in French. I don't know how they do it!!