We had a 90 day tourist visa when we first arrived in Cyprus; Just enough time to get going on all the requirements for a Visa. Unbeknownst to the Church Travel Department, Cyprus changed their rules for Visas starting August 2025. So, it was a steep and expensive learning curve.
The most difficult hurdle was that Cyprus no longer accepted the Church’s monetary guarantee that protects Cyprus businesses from any illegal debt we may incur while on our mission. No. The new requirement is that each Senior missionary couple in Cyprus must open a local bank account and fund it with $12,000 and another $2,000 for two letters of guarantee. The letter of guarantee ensures that, upon our death, our bodies would be shipped home. Crazy, I know!
We did a fair amount of scrambling to come up with that lump sum, exchange it for euros, and wire it to our new bank account.
Lucky for us, that bank account was only frozen for two months. We were able to start using those funds for our mission starting April 7. Now, you see why we took this photo. The Visa is an ordeal, a process and, at the end, a Triumph!
Needless to say we are not extending:-)
However, this Senior Mission is still a positive experience. Especially when you consider who you are serving with – the young missionaries, the Mission Leaders and your very own companion!
Big Disclosure Here: Missions are a great way to bond even closer to your spouse!
Combined with all the wonderful people we meet and the amazingly beautiful scenery, Missions are the best for bringing life’s true priorities to the fore!
I live for FaceTime visits with kids and grandkids, opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and service that Elder Hofhiens and I can do together.
The 10th grandbaby boy is Asher, born February 15, 2026 and his picture is coming!
krhofhiens.com 