Self-Reliance Center Volunteers–March 7, 2014

When we moved from our postage sized office into our new larger quarters we were able to use more volunteers.  The first addition to our office was Elder Singh.  Elder Singh broke his ankle at the MTC and has not been able to move into missionary work until it is completely healed.  After some discussions between the mission president and our office we volunteered to have him come work with us until he was ready to go out into the field.

He came into the office about 3 weeks ago on his crutches.  We were his “senior companions”, and someone had to go with him everywhere he went.  Enter Elder Tukuafa.  Elder Tukuafa was stuck in the patron housing waiting for his visa from the American Embassy to come through.  So we talked him into coming in everyday to be our volunteer and Elder Singh’s companion.  They hit if off instantly.  And they were both delightful to have around.

They worked together every day and after they were told Elder Singh needed to walk they quickly figured out they could take “field trips” down to the Institute and have a couple of games of pool and it was considered “exercise”.  They took more and more field trips as Elder S’s foot got stronger and stronger.

And Friday Elder Tukuafa was notified that his visa came through and he will be leaving this week-end to fly back to Tonga where he will leave next month for his mission in Birmingham England.  And we also found out that Elder S has passed all the doctors tests and now it is up to the mission president when he will be added to the field.  It shouldn’t be long.

And along the way Rex discovered how much fun they were having and volunteered to help as well.  The term “help” is all relative, but if laughing, joking and making the whole office happier is “help” these three have done it.  So Friday we took our farewell pictures.  And Rosa our “actual working” volunteer took our pictures – she even took a picture of all our feet just to prove that Elder S’s foot was “normal”.

We will miss our two jokester, pool playing, do anything they were asked with a smile, HUMBLE, missionary volunteers.