Welcome to Guadalajara!

We welcomed 7 new missionaries this past Monday. We were so happy to have them arrive, but sad that we are missing 10 others who didn't get their visas. It seems that God is sending more missionaries out, but Satan is trying to close the doors. So we are praying the doors will be opened again and our missionaries can arrive on time.

But . . . here are the Wonderful Seven who joined our ranks this week, standing in front of our "Tree of Life".

They first come to our house where President Wagner interviews them and I feed them breakfast. When they come from the MTC (CCM) in Mexico City, they usually have to get up around 3 in the morning so when they arrive they are both tired and hungry. (But mostly tired.)

While one is in the interview, the others get to relax in the living room.

Following breakfast we go to the office for training. The trainers arrived at the same time and everyone looks around to try and guess who might be their companion.

After President Wagner trains the trainers and the assistants and I train the new missionaries, we meet together for the companionship assignment. This is alway my favorite part. Not only do they get to meet their companion, but they also find out where they will be working.

 All the new missionaries line up on one side of the room . . .

 And their trainers line up on the other.

Then President Wagner reads off the names of the companionships. 

Who meet in the middle with a hug. 

Followed by some "getting to know you" time.  This missionary on the left below has only been in the country six months but this is his second time to train. Add that to his own training and he will have at least nine months straight studying the 12 week training program. 

Then it is pictures, bank cards and pizza time . . . 

 Wait!! Who is that sneaking into the pizza? :-) Actually that is our beloved Elder Call who doubles as a pizza delivery man.

We then load them all up into taxis and send them to the bus station. That always makes me a little nervous because I know that all of them will spend a good part of the next two weeks missing their homes and families and yearning for better living conditions. We will be doing zone conferences in two weeks though, so we will be able to check on them then.