Currently, foreigners must leave the country every 90 days to renew visas. Because we have missionaries from all eight Russian LDS Missions (our mission has about 70 missionaries) this is expensive and inconvenient for us: airflight, housing costs, etc. Meanwhile, the companionships here are disrupted and need rearranging. The Office Elders here make all the flight arrangements, being careful not to over-burden any one city or embassy with too many missionaries.
Unfortunately, problems have increased. Now the missionaries sent out are not getting their visas back in time. Their return airflight is wasted, and they are left stranded until the powers-that-be give back their passports/visas. We have six missionaries who were supposed to be back from Stockholm six days ago, and they're all waiting. Other missions have more missionaries who have waitied much longer.
On the upside, this is good for Temple work in Sweden! The missionaries generally do two sessions a day.
6 comments:
So will you guys have to leave after 90 days?
Concerning problems: I read in the newspaper that there is some friction between the orthodoxe church and the roman kath. church. Rom. kath. doing missionary work in the orhtodoxe field. Is there any friction between LDS an orthodoxe ch.?
Robin,
Yes, we fly out every 90 days. Various cities have been used: Prague, Madrid, Stockhom, etc.
Kaibert:
First of all, is this my Salzburg-born-and-raised "cousin"? Sondra? Karin?
I can't personally document any "friction" between churches. As you know, the LDS Church encourages us to be respectful. When we walked through the large Pravaslavik (Russian Orthodox) complex and cemetery, we take off our name tags.
What a pain. I bet it's nice to spend some time at the temple though. Love you.
I love all these posts, it is so interesting and such a great journal of your mission.
We sure love and pray for you!
Thanks for the comments, all of you. BTW, today is Oct. 29 and our missionaries are still stranded--and more must leave soon for their visa renewals.
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