Because of the recent age change for missionaries, MTCs are full and the length of MTC training has been reduced. This is change week again...but not like any other change week we've seen! Usually we receive about 12-15 new missionaries, though in December we had 26 arrive. But this time, we got
42 new ones! Until a few weeks ago we were expecting 23, but then we received word that it would be 42. It was such a shock and so out-of-the ordinary that secretary Elder Estrada (seen below, right) just laughed out loud when he got the news! We only had 10 going home, so that meant a net increase of 32. The President, Assistants, office Elders and Zone Leaders have all been busy finding new apartments, beds, and assignments. The new missionaries arrived this week from four different MTCs--Provo, Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil, which was very different from the "norm." Just to make it interesting, they all arrived on different days. They usually all come from training here in Guatemala City, all arriving on a Tuesday morning. But because that MTC was filled, many missionaries had to stay in the MTC in their home country.
Nineteen of the new ones are
"visa-waiters",
which means
they have not been called to
our mission, but will serve
here until their visas arrive.
Some end up staying for so
long that their call is changed. It is
a very exciting time to be in the mission!
Saturday we
enjoyed lunch with two
Elders who were leaving
their office assignments for
other parts of the mission.
which means 