posted
If someone came into my house, sat down, and lit a cigarette, I'd be pretty angry. My wife would ban that person and then get everything cleaned.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
I already have an elder friend, actually. We're the only two "just called" ones to have signed up on our mission homepage, and we go into the MTC on the same day, so we've been emailing excitement back and forth.
Of course, I am also five years older than most of the elders, so perhaps interactions will be a little weird. To say the least. I think the only thing freakier than a bookish, tall sister missionary is a bookish, tall sister missionary who's Really Old.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
This is so weird... a Mormon missionary came to MY house today too... and I live near Washington, DC!
Could it have been the same guys...? They hinted at special spiritual powers they could offer me, maybe that's what they're talking about...
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posted
There are two Mormon missionaries from my podunk little town currently in DC. Wouldn't that be weird if one of them was the one who came to your house and we just made ourselves a really small Kevin Bacon circle?
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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kat:"Oh, you were that elder! The one that gets along with the sisters."
Yes, I was. I got along famously with them. That's because I'm a Nice Guy. I was a District Leader for most of my mission (never a ZL or AP), and for most of that time my district(s) consisted of my own companionship and a set (2 or 3) of Sisters. Twice, the most famously annoying sister missionary was put in my district, and except for one occasion when she punched me in the gut, we got along great.
I never understood why so many Elders (especially DLs and ZLs) were annoyed by the Sisters. They seemed to think they were whiny and useless, which I never found to be true at all.
One of my companions was a brand-new Zone Leader, and the most deadly earnest missionary I ever knew. You could always see this strenuous look on his face that showed he was constantly trying to Be the Best He Could Be. He couldn't unbend. One Sister who was about to finish her mission loved to tease him. One night, we were talking about what she planned to do when she got home. Dating came up, and whether she had any prospects. She teasingly suggested that she could marry my companion. He sputtered and said he couldn't do that. So she asked me. I thought the whole thing was hilarious, and I accepted her proposal. (During a later, similarly-themed conversation, my companion tried to give this Sister a pep talk, and mentioned that there were many fish in the sea. Standing in the next room, I heard this comment and piped up with, "Yes, but I am the shark." She cracked up at this, and ever after she called me El Tiburon.)
Later in my mission, I would repeat the story to other Sisters, and at least two or three of them "proposed" to me as well. On one occasion, two of them did so at the same time. It was all in fun, but at the same time I was very flattered at all the attention.
Sister missionaries are the best.
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posted
I'm glad to hear that, Lawguy. I've heard a lot of mean-spirited teasing about sister missionaries, and it always makes me feel better to hear someone with positive things to say.
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posted
Why on earth would the elders not like the sister missionaries?
I was, last fall, in about the same place as St. Yogi. I was interested in learning about the church, but not in converting. I had a pair of funny, kind, and intelligent sisters visit me, and we had some wonderful talks about both LDS and Catholicism. They had to leave suddenly, though, and I really wish they'd been able to stick around. I just wasn't as comfortable with the elders who took their place. I still wish I could talk to the sisters, since I still have questions and such. (Out of curiosity, why DO the missionaries get switched around so much and so suddenly?)
Actually, I felt really not at ease with any of the elders I met (I met a few when I attended a service on Sunday). Definitely, having sister missionaries is important.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Yes, I was. I got along famously with them. That's because I'm a Nice Guy. I was a District Leader for most of my mission (never a ZL or AP), and for most of that time my district(s) consisted of my own companionship and a set (2 or 3) of Sisters.
My first district leader was like this. Elder Watson - Watty! He was absolutely darling. He somehow managed to be patient and caring without doing the raging, uncomfortable flirting that a lot of elders do. I adored him, and was completely spoiled for the rest of my mission. I thought all DLs were like that.
I was probably one of the difficult sisters, but that's because I was kind of fragile and not very indulgent. Also, I didn't (still don't) take direction particularly well, although I did try. The fact that I was trying to take direction at all was a huge change from pre-mission Katie.
I was the Fragile Sister, because my mom died right before I left on my mission. My mission prez, bless his heart, would transfer the elder instead of me if there were problems. *sigh* I'd probably be a much easier sister now, but at least we were usually obedient and did well. At one set of interviews, Prez told our DL that they'd do better if they followed the sisters' example. Made us feel great, although it didn't do much to improve relations.
posted
The sisters in our mission had a much lower tolerance for laziness than the elders did. I always thought it ironic that time spent baking treats for investigator dinners were called 'sister hours,' since, inevitably, only elders wound up doing that particular activity.
Most of my friends in high school were girls, so I didn't find getting along with the sister missionaries very difficult. Or, at least, I'm not aware that I was difficult to get along with.
:props to le Sorelle:
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posted
I don't know whether the sisters in my districts took direction well, because I didn't give them directions. I had weekly planning meetings with them, and helped them with investigators when they needed it (e.g. with single men), and did baptismal interviews, and we generally spent our P-days together.
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posted
I have a friend who was a sister missionary there, but I'm thinking she got back in 99. So she probably missed you. What mission were you in?
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I served in Chivasso, Cuneo, Settimo Torinese (Torino Monterosa branch, I think), Milano Ortica, Milano Loreto, and Milano Turro (Milano II Ward). My companions were Paul Benson, Gene Nielson, Steve Spigarelli, Derek Jones, Paul Phillips, Donald Sandberg, Jeremy Hanna, Jeff Hodson, Mike Grummert, Matt Clonts, Spencer Wooley, and Kent Roper.
Any connections? I'm dying to know who you are!
Sorella Stovell, hmm. . . the name rings a bell, but I don't know. I've got a roster with all the missionaries and their pictures from '96, but I don't see any Stovells. Sorry, Annie!
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posted
Scott! I taught Jeremy Hanna in the MTC! I taught a Sandberg, too, but I don't remember his first name.
Posts: 1068 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Okay, I'm chiming in = number 3 this week! Yep, I just had a visit by a pair of elders. My first thought, "oh man they're so YOUNG!!!!!" One of them was at least aware of Hatrack (I suppose it helped that I had Shadow Puppets in hand when I answered teh door?) but didn't seem to be familiar with us. Cute kids too. =)
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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>>Scott! I taught Jeremy Hanna in the MTC! I taught a Sandberg, too, but I don't remember his first name.
NO WAY!! (Hanna and Sandberg were in the same group) I served in the same city (Settimo Torinese) with both of them-- Hanna after Sandberg. Sandberg was so completely, totally, utterly neato. I love that guy. Which is completely odd, since we're polar opposites. He was very fiery, very blunt, very direct, and MAN, was he a workhorse! He'd talk to everyone, do anything. . . He was inspiring.
Hanna was very different than Sandberg, and we got along well, too, I think. Hanna was really sharp-- I think he empathized very well with people. He was quiet, and contemplative, and he understood "things." I've got a great photo of him at a citofono in the pouring rain.
Ah, freakin' COOL!
I went back and read through my mission journal-- man. I'd forgotten how much I loved being a missionary, and how much I loved PEOPLE in general. It makes me reevaluate the person I am now-- because the man who wrote those things is a guy I've discovered I miss.
Kick in the head, ain't it, to find out that you are not who you were, and you rather liked the guy you were a bit more than who you are. . .
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posted
I was one of those sister elders as well. I spent my whole mission serving with them. I was the Problem Solver and the Shoulder to Cry On.
I have always thought sisters were the best missionaries in the mission. I loved to serve with them. I can't understand how some elders just couldn't get along with them.
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So* the Mormon party I just went to... they didn't have jello! Green or otherwise! I complained, and they agreed that jello is very important, but for some reason they hadn't made any for this party!
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Did they have a casserole with chopped up spaghetti noodles, cheddar cheese, black olives and a hard-to-identify shredded meat? I've seen that one pop up at Mormon potlucks across the nation.
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<-- was Anziano Duckworth. I knew a few of your companions. Sorella Stovall also is a familiar name, but I was only around a few sister missionaries. I served in Torino Campidoglio, Vercelli, Busto Arsizio, Piacenza, and Torino Monterosa.
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Torino Monterosa was my favorite branch! I was in the branch for about eight months. My companionship had Settimo Torinese and a HUGE swath of wilderness (including the very beautiful Ivrea). I wound up being the elder that closed Settimo . It hurt-- a lot. I could have easily and happily spent the rest of my mission (had about 6 months left) there.
In total, I think I served in Settimo Tse for about 8 months.
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. It hurt-- a lot. I could have easily and happily spent the rest of my mission (had about 6 months left) there.
