"..a time to laugh" - Ecclesiastes 3:4

In order to entice the missionaries into sending me photos, I promise them that I'll automatically include every baptismal picture in the DVD presentation at zone conference. The rest of the photos I choose for the DVD are things that I like for one reason or another.

That's a tall order for a missionary. I mean, how does a 19 year old young man or a 21 year old young woman figure out what an oldster like me might find appealing?

Well, here are some of their guesses. I hope they will brighten your day as much as they have mine.

This grouping is what I call - circumstantial evidence that humor is at the core of every missionary.

Elder Johnson - whose roommates have discovered a new Halloween costume for him.

Elder Krugman gives the thumbs up for this repair truck.

Elder Carver at Sports Day.  His zone was the "blue" zone that year.

Elder Faundez and Elder Vea display what happens when you can speak with the workers at Chipotle Grill in their native tongue. They order exactly the same item - but because Elder Faundez does it in Spanish, well, you can see the results.  (Guess they don't speak  much Tongan, Elder Vea.)

Elder Hsiung is supported by Elder Teuscher and Elder Fowles while Elder Opeda watches.

Sister Chan, Sister Silva, Sister Gomez, Sister Wightman, Sister Clark and Sister Hazen express their love.

Elder Carver and friend.

The Chevy Chase ward's baptismal font had problems with the hot water.  Yuck.  Luckily the missionaries discovered it in time to bail out all of the water before the baptism....and refill the font with cold water.  (It was winter. And yes, the baptismal candidate still went forward with great faith and courage.)

Celebrating Thanksgiving together:  Pilgrims Sister Muthuswamy and Sister Wightman.

Sister Pinales, who apparently wasn't very cautious.

Sister Luthi tries to interest Mr. Franklin in the  Book of Mormon.

Elder Krugman celebrated his birthday at a leadership meeting.  Fortunately/unfortunately - his  mother had arranged for a cake to be delivered to the meeting.  The Spanish elders help him celebrate in traditional Latino way.

Sister Krugman - these are the Spanish missionaries who were responsible for this:  Elder Stewart, Elder Bates, Elder Krugman, Elder Nielsen and Elder Edwards.

At a training meeting we used a pinata for fun.  Sister Clark gets to take a swing.

Here's another birthday celebration - for both Sister Chans.  Their birthday was on the same day - only a year apart.  So their two districts helped them celebrate. 

Elder Rodriguez is photographed by a "chalk talk".  This is one finding technique used by the missionaries to start conversations with those going to the mass transit areas.

Elder Edward's attempt to help the White House get some Heavenly guidance.

The missionaries prepare a substitute for one of their investigators. 

Sometimes providing service means doing a lot of sitting around.  Waiting to unload the truck from left to right: Elder Tomlinson, Elder Rodriguez, Elder Smith and Elder Cameron.

At a training just for the Spanish missionaries,  Elder Austin Lee connects with the pinata....and...

....ends up making a basket.

Elder Fowles, Elder Opeda and Elder Teuscher.....you write your own caption here.

Elder Dillon demonstrates his magic trick ability to President Matsumori

Cameras left sitting around, including my camera,  are fair game for self portraits.  The other pictures are just ones of faces I think you'd enjoy.

Elder Sheffield

Elder Matthews, Elder Thompson, Elder Hawkes, Elder Buford and Elder Castillo

Sister Crowfoot, Sister Wightman and Sister Staley.

Elder Hawkes and Elder Vea.

Elder Spittle, Elder Rodriguez and Elder DeKlerk.

Elder Dillon and Elder Danner with their baptismal candidate.

Sister Gordon, Sister Pinales, Sister Lorenzana and Sister Gonzales.

OK, so maybe it is hard to tell Asians apart.  After all, here is a 20+ year old Chinese Sister Chan with a much older Japanese Sister Matsumori.  There could definitely be a relationship.  (Notice there was no age listed for Sister Matsumori - and you won't see one as long as I'm managing the blog.)

But then again, maybe the whole Asian theory is wrong.  Here are the three Chinese Chans  (sounds like the name of a children's fairy tale, doesn't it?).  Yet these sisters are all very different.

At the Dougalls home:  Elder Dougall, Elder Luk, Elder Vodoratskiy, Elder Kerby and Elder Wang.

On the day Elder Tolman was leaving, he and former companion Elder Shigeta mug for the camera.

Elder Shurtleff puts on his happy face.

Sister Gordon and Sister Miller get ready for Thanksgiving.

Elder Tomlinson and Elder Rodriguez with Elder Koyle as referee.

Elder Aru and Elder Tolman.

Elder Wright and Elder Teuscher.

Training meetings (zone conferences, district meetings, leadership meetings and the like) can run from two hours to six hours. Sometimes there needs to be something to lighten up the mood and to teach something in a fun way.

The assistants enlisted the President's help in one of the first trainings.  I'm not sure he knew he was getting himself into when he agreed. 

Chief Elder Edwards and the tribe that makes up the district:  Elder Hatch, Sister Menendez and Sister VanTassell.

President uses Elder Janmohamed and Elder Waite as examples during this training meeting.   (Oh, yeah, they did get help from someone they trusted to guide them through the maze.)

Elder Robinson for district meeting training...this is not his usual attire.

The Anacostia district practices correct baptismal form.  They tell me it's easier in the water when there's some buoyancy.  No word on how many elders were dropped during this practice. 

Pirates:  Elder Pearson and Elder Greiner show how giving clear directions help others find the "treasure". 

We have missionaries from many countries and backgrounds, but clearly the most easily visible difference is in height.  Here is the tall and short of it all....

Sister Menendez with Elder Edwards and Elder Nielsen.  

Sister Shannon and Elder Lee.  Elder Pound observes from the back.

And from behind,  Elder Gremillion next to Sister Fehlman. 

You have heard return missionaries express how much they've changed on their mission. Well, here's visable proof.

This is Sister Lewis and Elder Stewart pre-mission photos.  Someone said they could be sisters.  :-)

Now here they are again a few years later. 

What you look like as a 16 year old on your driver's license certainly isn't the same as....

...a few year's later on your mission.

And Elder Palmer discovers that not only do your grooming standards change....

...but so does the company you keep. (OK, I didn't dare show faces of the other missionaries here for fear of comparisons with the previous picture.)

The missionaries have a wide range of talents.  Most of their talents take the form of character traits such as compassion,  kindness or being outgoing - things that are difficult to capture in this medium.  But here are a couple of talents that can be shown.

Elder Williams, bottom right hand corner, started this drawing of his roommates. You can decide how good it is by comparing it to the following photos.

Clockwise from the artist, Elder Williams in the bottom right....Elder A. Lee, Elder Stallings and Elder Croft. 

Sunrise pictures bring out the athletic talents of sisters....

and elders.

This string quartet is made up of all missionaries:  Left to right:  Sister Pack, Sister Welch, Sister VanTassell, Sister Miller, and Sister Wong.

Elder Gillespie and Elder Lindsay display their cooking talents.

District meeting excitement  is shown left to right:  Elder Shigeta, Elder Christensen, Elder Vanaa, Elder Valdetano, Sister Withers, Sister Bleazard, Sister VanTassell, Sister Holt, Elder Krugman.

Finally, here are some pictures that I just love.

Elder Aru received his US Citizenship while on his mission.  We all celebrated by singing the National Anthem to him when he returned.

And here's a reminder to CTR (choose the right).