Let me explain, my TBM sister has a separate apartment, over the garage, from her house, that she rents out to the church as missionary housing. Generally, I get along OK with the missionaries, I feel sorry for them and everything. However, my sisters back porch overlooks the spot the Missionaries must cross every time to get to their little apartment.

It started when I created a very large pair of water balloons, one day while visiting her, because she had a package of balloons sitting out, and I wanted to see how large I could make one. Turns out you can get a couple of gallons into this particular brand. So I of course talk my nephew into placing them on the balcony, and dropping them on the elders as they returned from a long hot day of riding bikes in the Florida heat, while wearing church clothes. Ever since then, it has become their tradition to welcome every new elder with a water balloon bombing.

I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Works even better if you put them in the freezer overnight first.

Drop it in front of them....not on them. That is just unkind. Altho the cool water should make them feel refreshed, they would look at it like a kid looks at bullying.

um, sounds like battery, not a fun game.

I throw questions at them. It is more productive.

My favorite tactic: "Oh, I can't interact with Mormons because of the restraining order."

A bad idea on just about every level. Do you enjoy meeting with the police and going to court?

It's a cute children's movie based on one of Beverly Cleary's books.

Two neiborhood families have rib-roaring fight with hoses, watering cans, sprinklers and more. They end up in pales of laughter and a sweet little engagement scene. I've never heard of arrests and prosecutions over anything like this ever, ever, ever.

Beverly Cleary writes the sweetest little non-controversial chapter books you could imagine for kids ages about seven to ten. If a silly kid/teen/adult water fight is a happy plot device for her, it's good enough for me and for any normal nineteen year old in need of a cool down. But are morg mishies "normal." Only those who've met them can say.

Anyone who doesn't know me and wasn't engaging in a consensual water fight who doused me and possibly ruined my clothes or injured me and at best forced me to go home and change, thus wasting my time would not be appreciated at all.I would not be amused or take it as a joke.I probably wouldn't press charges but others just might.As others have said , legally it is assault.

If it escalates into something less than pleasant, what then?

Because teaching children to disrespect the physical boundaries of other people always helps make them such good citizens.

And if the kids carried this over to any of the schools in my district, they would likely be suspended.If an adult encouraged my kid to do this, I would be angry because it is immature and encouraging kids to misbehave and possibly get into trouble.

Don't you think they won't do it! They'll find the incriminating water residue on your fingers and haul you off to jail.

There could be legal ramnifications to it, if/when the elders get tired of it and decide to involve the mission president or local ward leadership in the matter.


But I would not do it for a more basic reason -- it just isn't right to attack somebody -- even if it is only with a water balloon -- unless you are involved in a water balloon fight with opponents who are willing participants.


At girls camp on 90 plus degree heat days, our girls relished the opportunity to engage in water balloon fights. Even alot of the adult leaders joined in. It helped cool us off in that blistering, hot, southern sun. But even so, if a girl didn't want to participate, her wish was respected.


In your situation, though, there is no water balloon fight going on involving only willing participants.


You are attacking elders who have not attacked you.


That is just wrong.

Make sure the missionaries are armed before anyone fires one of those aqueous shots...

You are suffering from residual DMIS.

Disrespectful Mormon Idiot Syndrome.

It's when Mormons think they are entitled to act in childish, immature ways and behave badly, but feel they should be allowed to get away with it because: "We are soooo special."

You are an exmo. Get over the DMIS s&&t.

Whether that should be encouraged or not, it's hardly a criminal act.

Yes, very wrong. These poor young men are just as much a victim of the tscc as any one of us. If you want to do a solid for any one of them, bring them in, feed, and show them love. What a shameful, hateful act.

Yes. You never know what sort of psychological state a young mishie might be in. Being a mishie is not a happy-making experience for many. While some might enjoy the childish joke, for others it might be one insult too many after a long, hot, miserable, discouraging day. You don't want to be the one who sends a young man over the edge.

It's also not very fair to your sister. She needs the income from the renters. Don't abuse her tenants.

Have the kids greet them with a glass of carbonated lemonade instead (i.e. San Pelligrino Limonata.)

I wouldn't think the nieces and nephews who live there would be trying to seriously torment their boarders. That makes little sense. Their mom, the landlady, is in charge of knowing about her kids and the needs of the renters.

As for water fun and games, many people pay for high priced tickets to go on water slides and participate in cool off water sports at fun parks.

When I taught kindergarten, we sometimes had a water fun day at the end of the school year. Kiddies wore swimsuits to school and took turns at play-stations including a wading pool with water toys, a sprinkler to run through, squirting toys, water balloons, and bubble blowing. All great fun for a hot day end of the year partytime. Then everyone wrapped up in towels and ate watermelon or ice cream before school dismisal.

I think most mishies would probably love being included as part of the family and playing get-me-if-you-can games with the kids in a hosting home setting.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2012 05:27AM by Cheryl.

I wouldn't blame them if they decided to go and live somewhere else. Perhaps the missionaries are rich and can afford to change their clothes often?

Also, knowing the power of water, it really can injure and even maim.

To me, it sounds like a dreadful 'accident' waiting to happen.

Briggy