as to "the mission trash" -- as we referred to the rumors/stories/legends/gossip that floated around our mission --
let's face it, this stuff is golden. you're denied movies, TV, radio and any books other than the missionary library and the scriptures. story-telling becomes an art in the field.
you all know who (a) knows the good stories (b) who tells them the best and even (c) your favorite characters/exploits/stories to hear about. in fact, i bet we were all much better storytellers as missionaries than we are now.
this is how great amazing legends and even religions were born. people sitting around campfires in pre-literate societies swapping yarns. the good story-tellers became famous as did the stories and characters. they took on lives of their own.
the mission trash is quite a phenomenon. some of it is true, some based in truth, most of it is not true (or at least mostly not true -- maybe adopted from something with different people, in a different mission and severely distored) -- i noticed that the legendary, long-departed Elder West took over a growing number of stories in my mission, even though people hearing the story might know it was actually someone else who had done whatever deed.
at the end of the day, 19-25 guys and also the sisters too, do some crazy things. out of 100, X will turn out gay, Y will go inactive, Z will [bad thing] as a missionary. some missions are out of control -- other more in control. but almost as sociological fact, you're never gonna have 150 or 200 kids someplace all doing the right thing--even if they all start out with good intentions.
but the telling and re-telling of the stories is an experience unto itself. and it results in folk legend and later a bunch of: "no way! hot tubs in Gs with sister happened in my mission too!!!" or "no, no, no . . . that was in mission. i knew a guy that was companions with that guy!" from people who believe everything they hear.
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