Hotel Oliver

Our two bedrooms can now hold 8 missionaries but not their luggage.  It is pretty tight to get 4 missionaries in a room.  When we had eight new missionaries our living room was full of their luggage.  This week we only had four zone leaders and they had only brought a minimum for a one night stay.  They each slept on a bottom bunk with the window and door open.  Since they were from Pasto,over 8,000 ft elevation, they thought it was hot here in Cali.  (Average daytime temp in Pasto is 60° F., nighttime is 48°F.  Since it is almost on the equator it is always cold in Pasto.)  Pasto is also a 10 hour bus ride away from Cali.

The room across the hall is our room.  We sleep with the door shut and the fan on when we have extra missionaries staying with us.  We usually sleep with all the windows and doors open.  We have three bathrooms with showers and a half bath with mirror (good for shaving) off the living room. 

The mission was slow to utilize our extra bedrooms because of the space issue.  The Torgerson have been hosing missionaries for some time but their apartment is much bigger.  It was the assistants who finally said to Sister Prince why can´t we open Hotel Oliver that started the ball rolling.  In the last transfer Torgerson´s and Oliver´s were full and the mission still had to rent rooms for 3 new sisters in a nearby hostel.  Previously the overflow house was across town and left the mission with logistic challenges.  From Oliver´s and Torgerson´s the missionaries can walk to the Mission Home and the Mission Office. They even roll their suitcases down the street to the Mission Home

We really should have taken a picture of the apartment full of luggage.  We will get another chance as the next incoming group will also be more than 20.