We are excited to welcome our single sister to the mission.  She will be our mission nurse, and has already been busy.  Sister Bangerter is originally from Haiti but has been living in Texas for the last few years.  She has a son on a mission and a daughter at BYU.

 This last week we had our largest group of missionaries so far.  We received 26 missionaries in 3 days.  The first 3 live in France, they have been at the Provo Mission Training Center.  They arrived Wednesday night about 11:00pm.  Our 1st trip to the airport this week.

 The second group of 13 missionaries are from the French Polynesia Islands. 2 Sisters and 1 Elder are from our Ward here in Tahiti. They have been to the New Zealand Mission Training Center prior to returning for their missionary service.  They arrived in at 12:30am Friday morning.

 Our next group of 10 missionaries arrived at 4:30am Saturday morning.  They arrived from the Provo Mission Training Center. It was a short night for us and a long flight for them.

The sisters in our Ward (Papeete 1) made all the lais for us to greet the new missionaries with. Thanks so much for all the help and support you are for the missionaries.

This is lunch with the new French Missionaries and their trainers and a couple extras.  Some love to clown around and others like to hide, but they all love to eat.


It is customary to remove your shoes before entering a home here in Tahiti.  We arrived at the Mission Presidents home just after the Tahitian Missionaries arrived for Breakfast. 

The sisters shoes on one side of the door, and the Elders on the other side of the door.  All fresh new clean shoes.

Later in the day.  The missionaries that have been assigned to be the trainers for the new missionaries arrive at the mission home.  They are so excited to get in the door.  This is the scene.

Now with 26 new missionaries comes a bit of luggage, trunks, bikes, back packs and others stuff.  One of the members of the FAAA Ward (yes it has 3 A's) works for the tour company.  He sent a bus over for the 13 arriving Friday morning and the 10 arriving on Saturday morning.  We still don't know how we would have moved them all. Thank goodness we only had to go from the airport back to the Temple Apartments / Hotel.  Until after breakfast and interviews with the President and training.  Then we used all the mission vehicles and all available drives plus a few more vehicles and drivers to get them to the area they will serve in on the island of Tahiti.  If they have assignments on other islands that is whole different story.  We'll get back to that one.  The next few photos are about everyone's stuff.

 Thank you Tahiti Nui Travel.

 Elder Honey waiting to load the rental truck with all the luggage that needs to go to other islands.

 Elder Honey, Elder Abner boy are we glad to see you.  Elder and Sister Jean and Elder & Sister Hemming. (in between photos).  Yes all of this plus the stuff in the office has to go to the boat that goes from island to island.

  It is amazing that they get this stuff without any problems.  We mark it LDS Church, a missionaries name and location like Bora Bora, Mauipiti, Tupuai.  We tell the missionaries to go to the boat in a day or 2 when it arrives at their island.  And voila they stand in line and point to the stuff that belongs to them and someone hands it to them. As long as we have been here I don't know of any missionary
not receiving the items we sent to them.  Brand new bikes, luggage, metal trunks, boxes and of course cookies from Elder and Sister Hemming.

Who's luggage is this? Where is she going?  Where is her companions stuff?  Oh my, it has started to rain.

No, maybe not yet.  Elder Jean was just praying for rain.  It is hot this morning.  Sister Jean,  I think this is the last one that needs to go today.  The boat out to Tubuai is full so we have to wait until the 15th to send the luggage there.  I hope those 2 listened and packed their carry on luggage with necessities. Its going to be several weeks before they get the rest. 

Well that is all for now.  After we get all the bank accounts opened, travel cards and other paperwork completed and purchased things might settle down a bit until January when we receive another large group of missionaries.  We have 72 now and hope to have over 100 early next year.  We don't have very many opportunities to teach the Gospel  but we try to support all the missionaries called to teach.  We love to hear their stories and see their photos.  We have attended several missionary activities where they invite members to bring their friends and let them ask questions and set up appointments if they so desire.  We stay busy and are tired at the end of the day.  Aside from missing family and friends we are enjoying our service here in Tahiti.