President and Syster Davis take new missionaries to Stockholm's Vasa Museum on the day they arrive. We got to go along too. The Vasa Museum houses the only almost fully intact (95% original) 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged. It sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage, having gone only a few hundred meters out to sea. It was too top-heavy with twice as many guns as it should have had and 500 heavy wooden sculptures. The king, who didn't know anything about engineering a ship, instructed the builders to build it like he wanted it. They were too afraid to point out that it wouldn't float like that. Many lives were lost when it sank.
In the business world, the Vasa syndrome refers to problems in communication and management as had happened in the building of the Vasa ship. President Davis encourages his missionaries to speak up if they see a problem and to listen to other people's opinions. We don't need the Vasa syndrome in our mission!
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After more than 300 years at the bottom of the Stockholm harbor, the Vasa was raised and restored. It was once painted in bright colors. Must have been quite the picture when it first set sail. And it definitely was quite the picture when it slowly listed to the side and tipped right over!
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The very cold water of the Baltic Sea helped preserve the wood. 95% of the wood is original. It was amazing. When I can get the pictures off my phone, I'll post them. I've got some good ones.
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| Back at the mission home after the Vasa Museum, three very tired new missionaries are trying to stay awake while we orient them. |
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Just a few papers for the missionaries to sign and a few words of council about money from Elder Torrie and then the missionaries can have dinner and go to bed. It's been a very long 36 hours for them. As you know, all missionaries pay their own way, usually with help from their families. The money is put into one fund which Elder Torrie administers, giving missionaries money from that fund every two weeks.
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