NEW FACES

Every six weeks a new group of missionaries arrives to replace those who are leaving.  However, because of the huge influx of new missionaries having applied to serve missions throughout the world our mission is receiving more missionaries than are leaving.  During the month of February we will receive 36 and only have 5 leave.  Soon we will have 250 young men and women - and us two old ones - serving in San Pedro Sula - the most dangerous city in the world.  This week we received nine new ones.

From left: Elders Parada, Jordan, Valdez, Hernandez and Tax

These five young Latin American missionaries come with such hope and excitement.  Some like Elder Tax come from a family where every person in the family is a member.  Others like Elder Jordan were basically raised on the streets of Nicaragua alone.  His father was murdered when Elder Jordan was just a child and his mother died of cancer when he was twelve.  He just survived on the streets since then.  Somehow he found a "family" in being a member of the church.  Because they are native Spanish speakers they aren't nervous or afraid.

Elder Shuga and Elder Stewart

Sister Bayles and Sister Carpenter

Elder Shuga, from Arizona, and Elder Stewart, from Draper, Utah, are a different story. Neither had spoken Spanish before coming here and so for a few months they will always feel lost.  Elder Shuga's story is similar to so many of the young missionaries of these days. He is the only member of the Church in his family.  He got interested in the church through a girl friend but refused to join it just for her.  After she left to attend BYU he studied, prayed and found that personal witness of the church that he needed.  He has only been a member a very short time.  Elder Stewart is a long-time member from a solid background.  They will both be great missionaries.
Sister Bayles and Sister Carpenter are our two new sister missionaries. Sister Bayles is from Nevada and Sister Carpenter is from Wyoming.  They both arrive with energy and wisdom.  They represent two of the last group of young women who needed to wait until they were twenty-one years old to serve a mission.  Those who will be coming later in February are those who were able to apply for missionary service at the age of nineteen.

Upon arriving to San Pedro Sula the new missionaries are rushed through a full day of instruction and training. LaRae will teach them about the postal service and what we call the "ruta." It is a little supply store of teaching materials that she operates.  Wayne will teach them about their money.  Right now they receive $195.00 per month. It's actually interesting to note that most of them, or their parents, will pay $400 per month for them to be in the field. They are actually supporting themselves and another at the same time.  It truly is a testimony of their desire to bless the world.  The other secretaries and assistants to the President will train them in other very specific rules. For example: when robbed, don't resist.  Give all that you have and then walk quickly away.  Never ride in the back of a pick-up truck.  Remember to take your anti-parasite pills. etc.

Then their new companions come to town to whisk them away to parts unknown.  The "old guys" are excited, the new ones are nervous.  A few words of encouragement from President Veirs and they are on their way!  Today, three left for home and nine new ones came.  It is a continuous cycle.  The wisdom and experience of the "old guys" gets passed on to the new ones who very soon will train an even newer generation. Each group does their best to serve a little bit better than those that came before them.  The missionary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does more to bless the world than people can comprehend.  It spreads the message of hope across the world.  It changes lives every day.  And certainly, the ones who are changed and strengthened most are those who come from so far, leave their families and friends, sacrifice their time, their money and their talents - yes, the missionaries!  We are so grateful to be a part of them at this time in our lives.

(Elder Tax, Elder Cannon, Elder Chen)

These missionaries come in all shapes and sizes, but they love the Lord, each other and those they serve.