4-22-15 New Arriving Missionaries!

Our first arrivals: seven new Taiwanese missionaries from the Philippines MTC!

And 23 new missionaries from the Provo MTC!

All are safely arrived!

Next morning for a traditional Taiwanese breakfast:

After a morning of introductions to the mission, gathering again at the mission home for lunch:

Then an afternoon of orientation and training:

Including translation by our Operations Manager for our new Taiwanese missionaries:

Practicing newly learned contacting skills:

Getting ready to leave for dinner, and their first contacting experience on their walk to the restaurant:

Their first Taiwanese banquet:

Up to Sis. Blickenstaff's duck brain challenge:

And fish eye challenge:

After their first Dan Jones Experience, reviewing the night's success:

Overcoming fears of speaking the language, being understood, understanding others...

…and not to mention rejection!

Nonetheless, about 100 contacts were obtained that expressed interest in meeting with the missionaries!

A successful but tiring evening!
With 30 missionaries to interview, a half dozen still needed to wait for their time with President.

Next morning, up early for exercising. Stretching before the mile run:

Ready, set, GO!

Buddha claps afterwards:

This Australian elder (BYU shirt) came back to join this group for orientation. When he arrived, he was the only elder from his MTC group to receive his Taiwan visa, all others had been re-assigned to missions across the United States. This morning, he led the pack and kept up his 5-minute mile from his first morning on island six weeks ago!

He also happens to be from the same city where this stster's parents' are presiding as mission president and wife! She learned about this elder from her parents, who told him he had been called to serve in the same mission where their daughter was serving. She also happened to join us for exercise time this morning, while waiting for her companion to arrive from another area. Serendipitously, she finally met the Australian elder her last Friday on island. She'll be traveling to Australia this coming week, and we will miss her so much!

After meeting their trainer is and finding out where their first area is, we all had lunch together at the church:

Then back in the chapel to close with the mission song:

Our newest missionaries and their trainers!