WELCOME TO THE AZ PHOENIX MISSION!
Tuesday we dropped off 5 of our dear departing missionaries and received 12 great new missionaries to take their place! And how great it was to only get 12 instead of the usual 25-30 we have had all summer! It felt doable.
The only awkward thing was that because of Christmas, the Gilbert Mission was also there meeting their dozen new missionaries, so we were sorting missionaries as they came off the walkway! I just took photos of all of them and sent the ones of their missionaries to that President and Wife...they are friends of ours!
got our luggage and headed towards the mission office for an orientation there.
At the office all new missionaries fill out paperwork about health, driving records etc. and the office staff introduce themselves and tell what their responsibilities are in the office and how they support the missionaries.
If the new missionaries did not feel loved by the time they left that office, someone was not doing their job! But, no worries...they all felt loved!!!
If you look on the weblink for the other photos, you will see that there are now windows being placed in the outside. Now, if they could only get the artglass for the ceiling of the celestial room, this temple would be done before we leave late June...but, we think it will be dedicated next fall. And these missionaries will be here for that! How exciting!
The Assistants did a training with them before lunch, then it was NAP TIME! Believe me, they sleep as long as I let them! They usually get close to 2 hours, so it really helps!
We want them to be able to stay awake when we train later on that night.
We switch off so everyone gets to do everything. President is conducting interviews this whole time to get to know them and their testimonies.
It was a wonderful evening with these faithful and very prepared young people. They are just amazing!
We get up at 6:30 AM just like every morning of a mission and exercise. We walked or ran about 2 1/2 miles before getting ready for the day and having the breakfast casseroles that we prepared the day before. YUM!
They all got a letter from a departing missionary telling them their feelings and advice for the mission. They are very sweet letters.
I tell them the story in the book "The Quiltmakers Gift" because it reminds me of the gifts they are giving as well as creating as they serve God's children all over the world.
Parents, these are special young people. They are not perfect, neither are we, but we all have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in common and a desire to serve our Lord.
We pray that you will feel the strength that comes from having a missionary serving. I promise that as you make efforts to share the Gospel yourself, you will understand better what they are experiencing. Ask them how you can help them as they serve. Make commitments to invite others to anything related to the Church so they can learn who we are and what we believe.
We were all issued the challenge by Elder Ballard to invite someone by the end of the year...so, it is not too late! May the Lord bless you in your family as your sweet daughter or son is serving here. There is no place that we would rather be, nothing we would rather be doing! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Taylors
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