Missionary Interviews

Every three months the Mission President interviews all of the missionaries to see how they are doing. Last Saturday marked the three month anniversary of our arrival in the mission. So, I have begun my second round of interviews. On Monday I interviewed the 34 missionaries in Resistencia. Tuesday I interviewed the 16 missionaries in Corrientes. Wednesday I interviewed the 32 missionaries in Formosa. This weekend I will be in a District Conference in Ibarreta and will take time to interview the 8 missionaries there and on and on!

Among other things, I ask about the missionaries' health. I have asked them what they eat during a typical day. Now, remember, these are 19-25 year old single adults...here is the most common response.

Breakfast: Cereal, milk or yogurt and fruit. Best breakfast mentioned...pancakes and eggs with milk and juice.

Lunch: Most eat at the home of a Church member. A caserolle of pasta and chicken with a sauce, or other days potatoes or rice with meat or chicken and juice or water. This is the big meal of the day. The food that missionaries mentioned the most as either loving or hating...polenta.

Dinner: Very few sit down to eat dinner. They are home around 9:00-9:30pm, so it is generally milk and cookies, crackers or bread. Sometimes a light pasta dish. Only one set of missionaries said that it regularly has a sit down dinner at night.

Of course during the day they manage to eat cookies, bread, alfajores, ice cream and soda, etc. I encourage them to eat healthy because they are very active and outdoors and burn a lot of calories.

Then we talk about the hot season, which has just begun! I tell them to buy one of these:



Use plenty of this:



Make sure this is working in their pension:



And to keep out the bugs to have these in their windows:



There are a few, and only a few who have these little units in their homes:



But most of all to eat plenty of these:



And drink mucho, mucho, mucho of this:



Because for the next 6 months or so, they will be in this:



And we want them to feel like this:



Not this!



They are amazing and adventurous and upbeat. I always leave these interviews feeling impressed and optimistic. If you ever want to be reassured that the future will be in good hands, spend some time with young men and women of this age group and just listen to what they think, observe and do...as we say here, "impressionante!"