Transfer week already!

Welcome to the San Pedro Sula East Mission!!

That's exactly what we said to 31 missionaries who arrived into the mission field here this past week.  With 6 trips to the airport in 4 days . . . we welcomed 31 missionaries and said farewell to 6.  I can't believe these last 6 weeks came and went so fast.

And now they are all teaching and testifying all over the San Pedro Sula East Mission!

President Klein always encourages the senior companions to get their newly arrived companions sharing their testimony in Spanish as soon as possible.  Hopefully within a day or two at the most.

I must say . . . I was awfully proud of some new arrivals!  While we were waiting in the airport for luggage to be found, what did I see but a couple of new missionaries just off the plane, giving away a Book of Mormon to a young family waiting for the arrival of their family member!

Way to go Elders!!

(These hard workers here - load our buses with 45+ pieces of luggage, fitting

everything into every nook and cranny so that it all is neat and tidy and

takes up every last bit of space we have available . . . 

all for the tip money we are more than happy to provide for them.)

One thing about here in Honduras, the people want to work and will do just 

about anything you would like them to do, as they try to provide for their

homes and families in such a difficult economy.

And . . .

of course . . . the new missionaries would get welcomed with their first torrential

downpour!  Welcome to Honduras!

Usually, we try to feed them pretty quickly,

after a long day of travel they all arrive pretty hungry!

After a long day of orientation by our office elders, the assistants and 

sister training leaders, and an interview with

President Klein .  . . 

You know you have some fine missionaries here when they all jump

up immediately and start helping put the church back into tip top shape again!

At the end of the day,  before sending them off for their

first night in the Honduras, San Pedro Sula East mission,

they get to have a nice home cooked meal with 

President Klein and myself, our sister training leaders, and assistant.

We're so grateful for Hna. Martinez and her help each transfer

as she prepares yummy food for our missionary welcome dinner.

This week our plans didn't go quite as expected due to a flight breakdown at the Guatemala airport and 14 missionaries from the CCM in Guatemala arriving a day late on a chartered flight (which was a miracle they could arrive so promptly! We were very grateful!)

Since these missionaries had to get up at 1:30 am to be at the airport two days in a row . . . I would say they are pretty happy to be here!!


Usually on the day of their arrival our missionaries would arrive from their respective CCM's, spend the day with us, meet the Assistants, our Sister Training leaders,  receive some orientation and training, their first Honduran baleadas,  and an interview with President Klein . . . . This time it was a little crazy with their flight arriving a day late,  just in time to have a quick airport welcome, load the buses with missionaries and luggage and whisk them off to the transfer meeting with the 100 or so, currently serving missionaries who had arrived that morning, from all over the mission to receive their change of location or companion . . . that was getting ready to start.

Hehehehee - usually, once transfer meeting has concluded missionaries take their new companions and immediately head off to all their various new areas.  Some of which are far away.  Many Senior companions didn't understand their new companion had just BARELY arrived and still needed an interview with President Klein, needed their missionary funding cards and a little orientation, we had to literally run after them and find them all, retrieving them from taxi's and buses as they were "ready to get to work!"


This transfer we said goodbye to one Assistant who will be opening a new area his last transfer, said goodbye to two sister training leaders, one who will be training in her new area, another leaves to return to home in Utah, and of course . . . welcomed one new Assistant and two sister training leaders.  We are so grateful for the example, dedication, hard work . . . and did I say example of all these experienced leaders.  They truly make a difference in the mission, to missionaries, members, investigators, church leadership in every opportunity they have to serve.  Thank you immensely!








Through the prayers of one very patient missionary here in Honduras, an Hna. who received her mission call to serve in Costa Rica almost a year ago . . . 
And the inspiration for one mission president and one stake president . . .
Miraculously, we have a lovely sister missionary joining us while she continues to wait for her visa to come through to Costa Rica.
We had some pretty tender moments as we met her family and participated with them as their beautiful daughter and sister was finally set apart as a missionary!

Our sisters are amazingly adept at getting things accomplished at the last minutes.  Fixing up a professional nametag while they are waiting for an official one to arrive - is on their list of many talents.


Six missionaries going home . . .
The most we have said farewell to at one time since our arrival. Some have served as assistants to the President and Sister Training Leaders.
We stand in awe at their wonderful examples and dedicated service here.
It kills me to go to the airport . . . 
I'm not sure I can do it any more :(
"They will understand what they and this work are all about, and they will be up and about their Father’s business. As the sons (and daughters) of Mosiah, they will  teach ‘with power and authority of God’ (Alma 17:3)” -- (Elder D. Todd Christofferson