HALLOWEEN TRANSFERS 2012

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
We celebrated with TRANSFERS and a surprise
TRUNK OR TREAT!








This is how we feel about coming to transfers...

..OK, not really...I made them frown for the camera.  In reality, we were super excited although nervous!

Our 20 new missionaries came to find out who their trainer would be and to be oriented together.

 New missionaries on the right...

 And Trainers on the left!



It was a powerful and incredibly spiritual experience to be in this meeting with them!

 As you can see, there were matches made in heaven!

When Sister Anderson walked in wearing a teal sweater, coral shirt and brown skirt...and her new trainee was wearing a dress in all three of those exact colors, it was EERIE!  But, yes, it is HALLOWEEN!  And the SPIRIT did direct the companionships!

 So, did it direct Elders Denny and Meredith to wear the same brand of tie, just in different colors?

Inspiration does not just come to Sisters!

 After a great training meeting, we sang "Called To Serve" as our new missionaries were escorted into the chapel.

 And after a great transfer meeting, we all filed outside for a surprise TRUNK OR TREAT with our Senior Missionaries!

 How fun is that???

 120 missionaries got to trick or treat in broad daylight!
And they all chose the SAME COSTUME!!!
The BEST ONE EVER!

 We had superhero tags hiding inside suits...mini costumes for amazing super-missionaries!

And darling missionary couples dressed up just for fun!


The Kings

 Sister Turville, The Rodgers and Sister Taylor.

The Williams






The Kiggins

The Lyons.

We have the most fun missionaries ever!!

 Elders Burden and Baldree...modeling the ties they MADE FROM A DISCARDED COUCH!

They really looked good!  Creativity in elders never ceases to amaze me!






The massive amounts of luggage all over the place at transfers never ceases to amaze me either...


But it all works out!

 We did see some festive Sisters and Elders wearing lots of orange and black and purple today.


Elders Peterson and Campbell modeling their orange and black special ties!

And old friends united in the same mission!

Elders Bangerter and Moore are old friends, so excited to end up in the same mission!

How great is that?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE APM!

May the SPIRIT be with you always!

INCOMING October 2012

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 Tuesday morning we welcomed in 20 wonderful missionaries to the #1 Mission in the World!











They came on a totally different airline than usual, and in a different terminal...hence some new shots of escalators and a great photo op by the new mission car...JK

 We took them to the Mission Office to meet our wonderful office staff...to fill out paperwork and to have lunch at the office instead of at the Mission Home like we usually do.  Worked out great!

 From here, we drove to the temple site to show them the construction of our temple here.  It is so exciting to see that a few new panels are added on each day to the outside of the temple!

Here are the latest and greatest additions to our Mission Family!
Front:  Elders Holmes, Thomas, Dickson, Parsons & Leonhardt.
Middle: Sister Baumgartner, Elders Rushton, Fenton, Eames, Meredith, Blackburn, Dart, Livingston, Nicholas, Pres & Sis Taylor.
Back: Elders Graybill, Moore, Arave, Keene, Westlund & Bouvang.

Back at the Mission Home, it was time for orientation by the Assistants, then NAPTIME so they could really listen later on.

 After naps, it was time for car and bicycle safety, signing the mission flag and quilt, letters home, and of course, cooking with Sister Taylor!  We split in three groups to accomplish this, and got three great breakfast casseroles and a taco salad dinner prepared with all these helpers!

Since it was Halloween Eve...we got out President Taylors pumpkin he carved with the Mission Logo...pretty sweet!

And here is the fearless crew ready for their morning walk or run.  It was a perfect morning in Arizona!
WELCOME TO THE #1 MISSION FOR YOU!!

DEPARTING October 2012

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 Six weeks has rolled around much too quickly and another 14 of our dear friends have completed this phase of their lifelong missionary service.

Front:  Pres & Sis Taylor, Elders Wood, S. Anderson, Boothe and Cava. Middle:  Elders M. Young, Roberts, Rivas, Waynick.
Back: Elders Budge,  Beeston, Pugsley, Bush, Pearson and Labrum.


We stopped over at the temple site to see the progress there...they are starting to put on panels now, looking different every day.

We had a great departing dinner!  Good food and better company and best testimony meeting and life-skills discussion with the Mission Presidency.

 Then it was FHE with song/ lesson/ game and family prayer.  As usual, the game was our favorite: DON'T EAT PETE!  A first...no one in this group had ever played this game!


Banana splits for dessert and the evening was complete!
WE LOVE THESE FAITHFUL MISSIONARIES FOR WHO THEY ARE AND WHO THEY ARE BECOMING!

WELCOME ELDER & SISTER KING

Change is inevitable...especially in a mission.

We love our friends serving in the office so very much and are blessed to constantly have the very best!

We welcome Jim & Becky King as a new office couple!
The Kings live in our Peoria Westwing Ward, so we already knew and loved them!




Elder King is the new Secretary in the Mission Presidency and will be fantastic serving with Presidents Taylor, Morris and Zayas.



He brings his laptop and is READY TO SERVE.

He is joined by Sister King who serves as my secretary, newletter producer, luncheon coordinator and all around extraordinary help to us in the mission!

She works super hard to help me keep up on SO MANY THINGS!

 You can see, we put her right to work at our leadership meeting in September...

...and speaking in our Music Specialized Training as well.

We welcome the Kings with open hearts!
They are experienced returned senior missionaries, having served in Canada; working with Chinese members and investigators there.

They bring a wealth of experience and love to our office and to us and we love them so much already!

Mission Family Reunion 10/12

Got my camera back from its extended stay in Utah...so here are some pics of the Missionary Family that got together...


Front: Natalie Dayton (COMING IN FEBRUARY!!!), Brooke Zollinger, Holly Moody and her FIANCE.
Back: Nicole Okeson, Breanna Wells, Thomas Buttars, Richie Vaughan, Matt Trussell, Karalee Glenn and her Mom, Heather Belnap.

Some things NEVER CHANGE!  The dietary habits of missionaries...COOKIES ARE AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN!

 We were treated to a FLUTE SOLO by the soon-to-be-world-famous Nicole Okeson...and MAN IS SHE GOOD!!
Thanks Nicole!

 Hanging out with a few other missionaries that came...Clark Keele, Garrison Nuttall,, Breanna Wells, Claire Jeanfreau...and you can not see, (SORRY), Hayes Carter.

 The traditional Sisters Pic.

The not-so-traditional-for-me Sisters Pic.

 I put both shots here because someone has their eyes shut in each of them...so find the one  you like best!

The "Men" stayed to play some FIFA with Braden for a while.
Front:  Thomas Buttars, Richie Vaughan, Matt Trussell, Matt Bruening.
Back: Garrison Nuttall, Dan Farnsworth, Clark Keele, Blake Northrup and Eric Turner.
Oh...and President Taylor via SKYPE!

 It was heartwarming to see our returned missionaries in action.  You all love each other and care for each other just like a family should.  THANKS FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE!!!