Every mission is different, we find ways to train and help missionaries to adjust to their new surroundings and be prepared to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.
Each area of the world is different, so the first day in the mission is different for each missionary.
In my son's mission they had a scavenger hunt. The were given a list of items and it was their task to find each location, eat some new foods and talk in Korean to as many people as possible. It wasn't easy but it gave them a little overview into the culture of Korea.
Our first moments are spent waiting…this is the welcoming party,
the office elders, the President and I…notice one extra this time,
Elder Dow was on his way to MachuPicchu with his parents after completing his mission.
The moment arrives and the missionaries come off the plane. We are always so excited to see them. This time the Esperanza Ward was there to pick up a missionary, so everyone cheered when our missionaries came out of the airport.
We try to gather together, but it is hard to heard 29 missionaries!
We hopped on the bus and rode to a Huaca near the temple grounds. We all hiked up to the top of the Huaca (an ancient Chimu, burial temple from 200-400 A.D.)
This is the land of the forefathers of the people of the Book of Mormon, we want our missionaries to understand, who they are teaching, and as they look over to the temple, they are able to see the reason we are here, to bring souls to Christ and have them understand where they need to go to received the saving ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The temple of the Lord, where we hope all will come and learn more about Christ and his teachings.
A look around the land, the fields, the City of Trujillo and the people they will teach.
President Marler shared with us his testimony of the Prophets of the Book of Mormon, and the importance of this book to the people who live here in South America. This scripture testifies of Christ and his teachings to the people of this, the American continent.
We took a picture here on the Huaca with the temple in the background.
It was a beautiful day, look at that blue sky.
After the Huaca we drove to the mission home and listened to a mini concert by Elder Miller.
We then enjoyed a Peruvian Lunch at the mission home.
In the evening, we all gathered together to meet the new companions (which you saw in the last post) and had time to plan with their companion their activities for the week.
We love to watch the missionaries work together with their new companions. This group was wonderful, they cheered as they met their new companions, and each was excited to finally meet the person they would be sharing the next 6 weeks with.
What a wonderful day, and a great beginning to the next two years!
