It seems as though in only a few days we go through a full cycle of all activities and it goes by in a flash!
We said farewell to some amazing missionaries, four in this group. Oh how we will miss them. All four had links to Korea. One elder is from Korea, two sisters have mothers who are Korean, but live in the US. The final elder's father served in Seoul 22 years ago. There is no shortage of love for this wonderful country and the experiences here!
This sweet sister had a talent we had not known she had. We knew she had unique skills, but this one really caught us by surprise.
This is the first time that each missionary had family members come pick them up. We are hoping the younger brother, here on the far right, will join us when he gets his mission call shortly.
Mom, grandma, uncle, great friends all came to pick up this sister.
A little surprise was in store for this elder as the younger sister came along unbeknownst to him.
Mom and a dear friend came to pick up this sister. It is so hard to say goodbye!!!
A few minutes after saying goodbyes to the above families we loaded up and headed to the airport to pick up four more missionaries! We hate saying goodbyes, but we never tire of welcoming the energy and enthusiasm of new missionaries!
This fine elder has been in the mission home for the past six months serving as an Assistant. He has accepted the assignment to return to the field to train one of these incoming missionaries.
The three young men in the front row and the sister to Sister Turner's left arrived with energy and a desire to work.
This is the first group I remember where none are from Utah or Idaho! This sister is from Korea.
This elder is from Henderson, Nevada.
This elder is from Mesa, Arizona.
This elder is from our home state of Indiana!
A little video clip introducing the group.
We had a day of preparation for the weekend and conducted our Mission Leadership Council (MLC) with the zone and sister training leaders. Many are new and we're excited for their enthusiasm and desire to serve others.
Recognize all the various heart symbols, there are three to find...
In this MLC we actually had them come in and learn about the desire to be successful. We played a game you may find familiar...
We have also had two weekends of great work as three baptisms were conducted with amazing people. This woman found the Church ten years ago, but due to family issues and a move she lost track of the missionaries. However, many others showed great examples and she found the church.
One young man met a member of the Church during his mandatory military service and appreciated his good example. He came to the church building looking for missionaries. This young lady was a referral for English studies and found a new love for the Savior when she met the missionaries. They were baptized in the same ward on the same day.
One Sunday we had a "True to the Faith" fireside at the mission home. We invited a number of recent converts to speak to a few who are considering baptism. We had special music, messages, and socializing time. What a great evening!
We had a few other fun events during the week, we had a birthday in our mission home since she serves in our area.
I got to run with the two Assistants. I think they felt like there was an old trailer connected to them. The last mile I unhooked the trailer and let them run off without me. These are great future leaders of the Church.
Finally, Spring truly is upon us! This weekend we hope to catch a number of good photos of the Cherry Blossoms. During my morning run today I had just a flavor of the beauties (before the allergies kick in!).
Again, we are amazed how much occurs in such a short period of time. This upcoming week we'll have pictures of all our missionaries as we hold zone conferences. April is set aside as a month of consecration. Be sure to ask your missionary how they're doing with their efforts. We appreciate all your support and prayers. We are surrounded by amazing young men and young women! Is it possible we could be happier? Maybe only if our own kids and grandkids were here sharing the experiences!
