Visa Waiters

We have a phenomenon in our mission called Visa Waiting. The noun for that is a Visa Waiter. It is a missionary who is called to a mission other than the Utah Salt Lake City Mission, usually some mission in Mexico or Brazil. The governments in those countries are not always that speedy in processing the visas for LDS missionaries, so often an Elder or Sister will complete their MTC training - and have nowhere to go. We gladly take the poor orphans in, and adopt them as our own. We call them Visa Waiters, and it is a term of endearment. At least it is a term of endearment to us. We LOVE Visa Waiters! They are always eager to leave the confines of the MTC, excited about doing missionary work, well prepared to teach the gospel, happy to be here and great to give us extra help in our labors. To some of them, however, Visa Waiter is almost a four-letter word. It means that they could be here for hours or days or weeks or months, they never know if or when their visa will come through, and they are sort of in a state of limbo. Many times they began to learn a language in the MTC that they cannot practice now, because not only do we not speak that language, but we want them to learn a third language instead! For all the challenges that visa waiters have, they sure work hard along with all the other missionaries in our mission, and they contribute a great deal - with a smile on their face and a positive attitude. Earlier this week, we had five visa waiters in our mission, but on March 18th, the MTC sent us eleven more! We're happy to have them all, and appreciate all that they do!

Elder Watson

Sister Tirrell

Elder Heaton

And a bus load of new Visa Waiters, with their luggage, fresh from the MTC,

being introduced to our mission,

being introduced to Sister Winn's camera....

and Sister Winn's breakfasts....

and finally, being introduced to their new and extremely serious companions-

NOT!

Sister Morris, Sister White and Sister Bates

Sister Boyles, Sister Goodwin and Sister Zazueta

Elder Reese, Elder Pereira and Elder Whiting

Elder Santiesteban, Elder Thomas and Elder Gomez

Elder Fuentes, Elder Presley and Elder Thomas

Elder McElwee and Elder Riggers

Elder Shokes and Elder Nunez

Elder Judson and Elder Hernandez

Elder Flaquer, Elder Tracy and Elder Homer

Sister Picuasi, Sister Averett and Sister Bliss

Sister Miller, Sister Berrett and Sister Greenwood