Social Missionaries

With so many missionaries in one place we have many opportunities to socialize with each other. When we come into the mission we enter as a group.  Our group had 5 couples and 3 single sisters and a few young elders.  There are about 90 young elders in our mission and most, if not all, have difficulties of some kind (emotional, physical, mental, etc)  A great number have high functioning autism. This mission gives them an opportunity to serve.  We love our young elders!  They are smart, smart!  And funny, kind, interesting and usually very straight forward.  Also very talented.

FCHH Mission Young Elders

The Young Elders have their own activities while we Senior Missionaries (doesn't that make us sound old??) socialize in our groups, plus.  We nicknamed our group the Snow Birds because we came in at the beginning of the year; winter time.  We get together twice a month for Family Home Evening and once a month for a larger activity of some kind.  Last month the MacCabes arranged for our group to take a tour of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum.  If you come to SLC that is a MUST. This month we got together at the Brigham Apartments for a March Madness activity.  The Hutchings arranged for us to eat game day food, tour the Brigham Young Memorial Park next door along with some interesting facts about Brigham....did you know he left specific directions for his casket including that it should be a bit roomy so he could turn to the right or the left if he was so inclined?

We played a great game called Telestrations, and a couple of the guys played ping-pong, but mostly we just relaxed and enjoyed each others' company.  Here are some pics:

Elder Thomas dishing up.

Elder Thomas and I went to Deseret Industries (Good Will) to find our game day shirts.  Unfortunately no one else did and so we were slightly under dressed.  But, with Robyn's help, we had a great time choosing....lots of laughs.

Elder Thomas's Game Day Shirt!

Elder and Sister Sanderson

Elder MacCabe and Sister Hutchings

They call this the 20# Mission.  I am determined NOT to gain 20lbs while we are here!  But look at that food table....and Girl Scout Cookies were the dessert....how can I resist?

Suffice it to say, we are having a great time.

Where In the World?

 Elder and Sister Thomas at the MTC in Provo pointing to our mission a time honored tradition when you are at the Training Center.  Of course we weren't going anywhere exotic but we were excited anyway!  This photo was taken back at the end of December.

 Every month there are new missionaries coming into our mission.  The ones that come in on odd months, like us, attend the Salt Lake 2nd Branch of the Salt Lake Stake.  The building is across the street from the north side of our apartment building.  Easy walk to church.  We have a "Hail and Farewell" dinner every other month to celebrate the new missionaries coming in and to recognize those that are leaving.  This photo and the following one are of the H&F dinner when we were newbies.  There is a wonderful meal and then some kind of entertainment.  That's what's going on up front.

 Here is Elder Thomas enjoying the entertainment at the Hail & Farewell in January when we were new missionaries.  If you could see S Thomas you would see that she was listening with only one ear and enjoying the piles of desserts that were brought to the dinner....:)

 Occasionally we get company and we love it!  Here are Brian, Jess and the girls, Taycee and Myla enjoying the sights on Temple Square.  I do believe Myla was trying to climb into the fountain...

                                           Brian, Jess, Taycee, and Myla Thomas at Temple Square

 This is one of our favorite missionaries, Sister Appell.  She lives in SLC now and has been serving on the International Floor for about 5 years.  She is so much fun.  When we were talking about post-war Germany after WWII she told us of being so very, very hungry and being so excited when President Ezra Taft Benson, president and prophet of our church at the time, brought loads of food over to the displaced and starving German people.  She said she remembers getting some peanut butter, taking it to her room and eating it all.  She is a treasure!

In our last post we talked about going through training in the first two weeks of our mission here. This is Sister Litchfield, Elder Thomas's trainer.  She is one of the best trainers in our zone!  I'm sure I don't know whose finger got in the way of the pic!  This is now E Thomas's work place.