INCOMING MISSIONARIES AUGUST 2013

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT.  100+ photos!

WELCOME TO THE #1 MISSION IN THE WORLD!

We had a unique experience welcoming in an amazing group of missionaries to the ARIZONA PHOENIX MISSION on Tuesday.

For the first time ever, we had some of our Spanish speaking missionaries come to us from the new Missionary Training Center in MEXICO CITY!

This meant two flights for us to meet along with sending off departing missionaries from two terminals all at the same time...but WHY NOT?

 We were up and down escalators, we sent the Kings from the office to pick up the first flight, and we actually missed seeing the second flight arrive as they came into the terminal because the monitor said it was delayed, and then they arrived about on time.

 All in all, we had 25 wonderful new missionaries come.
Don't they look great?  They look professional and well...tired!  They get up really early to make their flights, but they are enthusiastic and ready to serve!

 We looked rather like a train waiting to board as we got ready to load the transfer trailer.

 Our first stop is at the Mission Office where our fantastic Office Couples introduce themselves and tell what they do to serve the missionaries.  They learn about debit cards, apartment and housing expectations, fill our medical histories and get LOVED by these wonderful couples!

 Next stop is at our upcoming PHOENIX TEMPLE SITE.  The temple should be completed within the next year, so these missionaries will be ready to bring those that they baptize to the temple!  It is a beautiful addition to our mission boundaries!

Front:  Sisters Clark, Welch, Barlow, Elders Shurtleff, Z. Jensen, A. Cook, Dodd, T. Jones,  Hamilton, Safford, Sisters Harris and Moore.  Back:  Elders Salas, Taylor, Searle, S. Larsen, A. Hall, Wolfgramm, J. Cook, Luke, Stulen, Burton, Madsen, T. Peterson and Rusk.

Incoming missionaries get to spend about 24 hours with us at the Mission Home and part of that includes some cooking time with Sister Taylor.  Here are our Human Salad Spinners getting ready for taco salads!
Nice jobs Elders!

I had to break out the hot stuff for this group...no fear for Elder Salas and his habanera sauce!

 When it is so hot out, we have had to bring in another table in the living room to fit us all in.  We find that after living here a while, we get more accustomed to the heat, and our new guests are definitely more sensitive.
90 degrees is heaven for us!  100 is a really nice day!  110 is normal! 120 is hot!
It has been around 106, so it is really not so bad.

When it comes time to sleep, we also manage to fit a lot of bodies in the Mission Home.  Our Sisters get the two bedrooms, and elders are wall to wall...and even under tables!

The next morning we are up early to walk or run to start our day right!

Parents, you can be very proud of your wonderful children.  They are excited to share the happiness that they feel from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They know who they are and have desires to serve.
Thank you for preparing them.  May we all follow their example and share the Gospel with everyone we have contact with!
May the Lord bless you as you support your missionary!