The new missionaries are good sports. They tolerate the training, the food and the ping pong. What they really want to know is where they will be serving and who will be their new companion. Can't blame them.
So on day two, we arrive early at the Visitors Center and the new missionaries take a few minutes to look around before they go into the meeting to meet their companions.
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| Elder Winkler, Elder Lanham, Elder Vaterlaus and Elder Peterson listen to President Matsumori about the value of using the Visitors Center. |
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| Elder Wright watches Elder Seo and Elder Wery who try to locate temples throughout the world on a computerized display. |
Typically the trainers are there well before we start the meeting. However, this time some trainers who came up from the southern part of the mission were late. They were riding in with a member, who was running late. While it makes for some anxious moments for the new missionaries, we just appreciate the members who help in so many ways - including providing rides for the missionaries.
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| The new missionaries sit on the front row - from right to left: Elder Branning, Elder Wery, Elder Peterson, Elder Seo, Elder Lanham, Elder Winkler, Elder Vaterlaus, Elder Moss, Elder Centeno and Elder Long. |
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Front row left to right: Elder Long, Elder Centeno, Elder Moss, Elder Vaterlaus, Elder Winkler and Elder Lanham.
Back row left to right: Elder Mullins, Elder Miles, Elder Lambert, Elder Bigelow and Elder Benke. |
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| President Matsumori speaks to the group. |
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Front row left to right: Elder Seo, Elder Peterson, Elder Wery, Elder Branning and Sister Lin.
Left to right in the back: Elder Lowry and Elder Benke and Sister Chan's hair. |
The moment of truth - new missionaries on one side, trainers on the other and then the announcement.
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| Left to right: Elder Pierucci, Elder Branning, Elder Wery, Elder Peterson, Elder Winkler, Elder Seo, Elder Vaterlaus and Elder Lanham. |
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| The rest of the line left to right: Elder Seo, Elder Vaterlaus, Elder Lanham, Sister Lin, Elder Moss, Elder Centeno and Elder Long. |
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| And looking across the room are the trainers left to right: Elder Wells, Elder Lowry, Elder Gillespie, Elder Bigelow, Elder Benke, Elder Lambert, Elder Mullins, Elder Miles, Sister Chan and Elder Hatch. |
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| The rest of the trainers left to right: Elder Cottrell, Elder Wang, Elder Wells, Elder Lowry, Elder Gillespie, Elder Bigelow, Elder Benke and Elder Lambert. |
The president announces companions and they joyfully greet each other. (Sorry about the blurred photo. I forget I'm not taking video!)
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| No surprise here - Sister Chan and Sister Lin are companions. |
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| Elder Benke and Elder Branning try the handshake that was demonstrated. |
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| Elder Lambert meets his companion, Elder Lanham. |
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| And Elder Wells shows his enthusiasm at meeting Elder Seo. |
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| Elder Miles enthusiastically pats Elder Vaterlaus on the back. |
After the meeting the new missionaries meet many other missionaries who have come to the Visitors Center.
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| Here are the Spanish missionaries left to right: Elder Branning and Elder Benke are companions. Elder Bigelow will be training Elder Long (on the far right). And Elder Lee has snuck into the picture. |
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| Elder Centeno will be trained by Elder Wang. |
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| Left to right: Elder Wery, Elder Watson, Elder Gillespie (Elder Wery's trainer), and Elder Miles. |
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| Left to right: Elder Peterson will be trained by Elder Cottrell. Elder Fisher joins in to check out the pictures. |
