Transfer week - January 31, 2012 New Arrivals

 It felt like Spring on this arrival day - giving a false impression to these new missionaries that winter in Washington DC is always like this.   It isn't.  But perhaps Mother Nature was just showing the excitement we felt at having 10 new missionaries arrive from the MTC.

This is the gate the missionaries usually walk through.

This is very clearly marked as to where we should wait. 

And here they come through the doors - pretty wide awake even after taking the red-eye.

Next everyone locates their luggage.

Then we go to the temple. It is not very visible in the background because of the positioning of the sun.

Left to right: Elder Flores, Mexico; Elder Jelitto, Centerville, Utah; Sister Gros, France; Elder Bates, St. George, Utah; President Matsumori; Elder Anderson, Powell, Wyoming; Sister Matsumori; Elder Moore, Sandy, Utah; Sister Wankier,  Logan, Utah; Elder Synelnikov, Ukraine; Elder Picon, Peru; Elder Livengood, Portland, Oregon.

Next is everyone's favorite stop - breakfast at IHOP  (International House of Pancakes).

Elder Bates and Elder Anderson are happy to get their meal.

Elder Wright and Elder Moore get a little something to start the morning. 

Clockwise around the tables from the left: Sister Gros, Sister Wankier,  Elder Picon, Elder Jelitto, Elder Hatch, Elder Flores, Elder Synelnikov, Elder Livengood.

Just a few hours later, these missionaries are ready for dinner at the mission home.

Left to right: Elder Bates, Elder Hatch, Elder Moore, Elder Picon, Elder Livengood - peeking through, Elder Wright, Elder Picon, Elder Jelitto. 

President Lorenzana, the firs counselor in the mission presidency sits by Elder Anderson.

Left to right: Elder Picon, Elder Hatch, Elder Bates, Elder Jelitto, Elder Moore, President Matsumori,  Elder Livengood and Elder Synelnikov. 

Elder Anderson with his back to us sits with Sister Bleak, from the office; and Sister Gros and Sister Wankier.

One last food picture:  Elder Livengood, Elder Synelnikov, Elder Flores, Elder Picon Elder Hatch and Elder Bates.

Before sitting down for a testimony meeting, we get everyone's blood pumping a little with some ping pong.

When everyone's in the game we can't even see the table - so we're down to Elder Anderson and Elder Bates and whoever is out of frame.

Getting ready for testimony meeting: Elder Jelitto, Elder Anderson, Elder Picon and President Lorenzana.

Sister Wankier and Sister Gros get the soft chairs.  In the back are Elder and Sister Bleak who serve in the office. 

The next morning we wake everyone by 6 so they can get to the Visitors Center by 8:30 when they are introduced to their new companion - their trainer.

Front row left to right: Elder Synelnikov, Elder Bates, Elder Moore, Elder Willliams, Elder Jelitto, Elder Anderson.
Second row left to right: Elder Kinne, Elder Cameron, Elder Livengood.
At the back left to right: Sister Gordon, Sister Welch, Elder White, Elder Christensen and Elder Wright at the very back.

Front row left to right: Elder Jelitto, Elder Anderson, Elder Hatch.
Second row left to right: Elder Kinne, Elder Cameron, Elder Livengood, Elder Furugen, Elder Flores and Elder Picon.
Third row: Elder White, Elder Anderson, Elder Christensen, Sister Wankier and Sister Gros...and Elder Wright in the back.

The new missionaries line up on one side of the room:  Elder Flores, Elder Picon, Elder Wright, Elder Moore, Elder Anderson, Elder Bates, Elder Livengood, Elder Synelnikov, Elder Jelitto, Sister Wankier and Sister Gros.

The trainers line up on the other side of the room: Sister Gordon, Sister Welch, Elder Williams, Elder White, Elder Anderson, Elder Christensen, Elder Cameron, Elder Furugen, Elder Kinne, Elder Pon, Elder Standings and Elder Hatch.

 Left to right: Elder Williams, Elder White, Elder Anderson (have you noticed we have two Elder Andersons in this group - one as a trainer, the other as a trainee), Elder Christensen, Elder Furugen, Elder Pon and Elder Standing.

It's not too hard to figure out some companionships.  For example, Elder Livengood was the only missionary coming in who spoke ASL - so it was a good guess as to who his trainers would be.  There were only two sisters - so it narrowed the possibilities.   Here are the remaining 5 missionaries who are in the English speaking program.  They are:  Elder Moore, Elder Anderson, Elder Bates, Elder Synelnikov and Elder Jelitto.

And here are the 5 English training elders: Elder Williams, Elder Anderson, Elder  Furugen, Elder Pon, Elder Standing.

Names are read and they greet each other - some with great restraint like Elder Christensen and Elder Flores.

Some are very excited - like Elder Picon with Elder White. Thankfully Elder White is strong enough to support the weight.

Some try to duplicate the handshake the assistants demonstrate - like Elder Pon and Elder Moore.

Even if everyone doesn't show their love like Elder Williams does to Elder Anderson, they all mean it. 

And Elder Standing and Elder Jelitto also try the handshake.

After the meeting, everyone gathers in the lobby where currently serving missionaries wait to meet the new missionaries. They also gather to say good-bye to those who are leaving that day.  This is a time to take pictures.  Here are a few I snapped as well.

Missionaries are introduced to their roommates.

In the middle is Elder Valdetano.  He trained Elder White on the left who is now training Elder Picon on the right.

Here is the trio of ASL elders: Elder Cameron, Elder Livengood, Elder Kinne.

This is what the missionaries call a posterity line.  Left to right:  Elder Moore is being trained by Elder Pon, who was trained by Elder Greiner, who was trained by Elder Grant.  This is also Elder Grant's final day in the mission so they were fortunate to capture a four generation training posterity. 

These two elders show the international flavor of the mission. Elder Anderson, from New Zealand, is training Elder Synelnikov from Ukraine.