SOLDIERS PASS January 2014

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This month we were able to join the Cottonwood Zone for a Monday Preparation Day Activity.

We met in Sedona at the Sisters place and all drove to:

SOLDIERS PASS

 This is our group at the bottom of the trail.  You can see that in January even up north in Sedona, the weather is very reasonable!

 One of the first natural wonders we came upon was this sinkhole.

I have to admit, I did not go up above to see the view of how deep it was and how dangerous it looked from there.

It was really beautiful!  When you saw all the rock that had fallen into the hole...it made you not want to get too close to the edge!

 Our daughter Breanna moved back in with us this month and loves to hike as well, so she joined us for the day.

The next natural wonder was the 7 mini pools that were formed in the rock.  Some were shallow and others much more deep.  They were really interesting as well!

 We had planned on finding some natural arches in the area, but could not find the correct trail to those...instead, we found some really neat natural benches of rock and just a beautiful hike!

It did not matter where we went, we were just enjoying how incredibly gorgeous it is in this area, and that we could be together enjoying it!

The Cottonwood Zone: Front: Sisters Seaman and Coleman, Elders Zayas and Blackburn. Back:  Elders Barlow, Taylor, Canny, C Johnson, T Peterson and Rigby.

TRANSFERS January 2014

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Transfer Day is so exciting!  We are holding our TRAINER TRAINEE MEETING simultaneously with a LEADERSHIP MEETING in the same building.

In Trainer Trainee Meeting, all the trainers get together on one side, the Trainees on the other and President Taylor introduces them to each other and tells who will be companions with who.

With 6 sets of Sisters and only 1 of Elders, it was pretty obvious that Elder Jackson would be with Elder Enkhjargal.  The rest was like magic watching to see how the Lord paired them up!

We let them have about 15 minutes together to talk and then they are trained on the 12 Week Training Program and on the Adjusting to Missionary Life Program both put out by the Church's Missionary Department.
They are great resources that make this transition so much easier...OK, in all honesty, we know that a mission is the hardest thing in the lives of these young people to date, but the resources help them be much more resilient with tools to handle the tough times.

 After the training meeting, we lead the new missionaries into the chapel where the rest of those being transferred are waiting.

Each New Missionary is introduced by their trainer, and they share a brief testimony of the Savior.
Then we sometimes share a few comments or testimonies before announcing the transfers.  It is always a special meeting and we feel the Spirit and there are many witnesses that the Lord's hand is in the details of their lives!

This was another of those special days where we knew that the Lord knew them.

 After transfers, it is delightful chaos!  Friends getting to see each other and visit for a bit, luggage and packages everywhere, and happy missionaries going places!

When I saw a group of 4 missionaries with suitcases all looking very much like  "The Beatles" I could not resist taking this Abbey Road shot!  They look great, right?

 It looks like a mess, but somehow it all sorts itself out and lots of happy missionaries take themselves to their new areas and get to work!

 When we see companionships like this inspired one...we KNOW the Lord is working overtime!

Good luck Elders Laititi and Shin!!!

And we caught President out in the parking lot today as well.

Here he is with our own ward Elders, Merrill and Zaugg.  Welcome to the ward Elder Merrill!

This is the work of the Lord in all the business and organization and meetings and just EVERYTHING...it is His work.
We know without a doubt that this is His organization on the earth at this time and we are delighted and honored to serve the Lord in this spot in His vinyard.
May we all "GO TO" and till and dig and prune and plant and care for and rescue His plants in all their varieties and shapes and colors and ages and sizes!  ~Sister Taylor

ARRIVING JANUARY 2014

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We were DELIGHTED to get such a small incoming group for a change!  It has been a marathon the past year as we went from 160 missionaries to about 250 at this point.

This time of year, it is mainly Sisters available to serve, as many of the potential elders are still in high school.

 So, Elder Enkhjargal was VERY BRAVE and joined 6 Sisters in his group coming to the Arizona Phoenix Mission this month!

We could not resist borrowing the signs from a family waiting for a returning home missionary at the Phoenix Airport...it works, right?

THEY ARE HOME!!!

 Our little parade outside was pretty small...and the weather was delightful!  It is the perfect time to come to this area.  In a couple months this weather will be a dream when we hit 100 again!

We loaded up this great group and first took them to the Mission Office for an orientation and paper work by our great mission staff there.

Then it was off to visit the Phoenix Temple site where they got to see the progress of this temple which was bare ground when we got here 2 1/2 years ago.

 Welcome to Sisters Collett, Wardle, Messick, King, Meyer and Young, and Elder Enkhjargal.

We have been waiting for Elder Enkhjargal from Mongolia for over 2 years!  He was on our list when we first came to the mission, but had to wait a while to come, and had visa problems for a long time too.  FINALLY he is here and is learning English rapidly!

The missionaries were delighted to go outside and pick oranges from our 2 trees in the back.  We have 2 orange and 1 grapefruit trees.  We had fresh sqeezed juice for breakfast thanks to them and President Taylor!

Our first day was spent at the Mission Home in orientation, vehicle and bike safety videos, in a long nap (YAY) and then signing the mission flag and quilt, cooking with Sister Taylor and having an interview with President Taylor.
We also do a little FHE to get to know each other better.  It was great having such a small group.
We had all our meals in the Mission home and for the first time, we had the Elder sleep in the bedroom and Sisters sleep on the couches and floor of the living and dining room areas!  (OK, we have nice camp pads, it is not that bad!)

The next morning, we get up and run or walk together, we have breakfast, we have a morningside and then get ready to go over to the Stake Center nearby for our training with the new Trainers.  Then it is time for "Transfer Meeting."

One of the things we do right before we take them to these meetings, is to give each one a letter from a departed missionary with their advice and encouragement for their mission.  This has been a sweet tradition we love.  Each of those letters represents a mission from someone we know and love, who loved and served the people here in Arizona.

We welcome your son or daughter to the best mission in the world for them!  It truly is an honor to serve with them here!

DEPARTING JANUARY 2014

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We had several "departings" this month.

We had our one Visa Waiting missionary, Elder Bunnage, receive his Visa to head to AUSTRALIA  so we lost him to that great country!  We were blessed to have him for 6 weeks so he will be an honorary APM Missionary forever as he was trained by our Elder Thompson!



We were blessed to have Sister Woo with us for about 10 months before some health concerns made it better for her to return home.  Oh how we love her and know that she will continue to do awesome back home with her family and ward.  They are SO LUCKY to get her sweet missionary spirit in their lives!  We treasure up the times that we got to spend together!


Sister Morrison also headed home this week and we will miss her so much!  She was one of our technology specialists and is super talented as a teacher and with the iPads.

We love our missionary daughters and sons so much and follow their lives with great interest after they return home as well as while they are here with us!

Our regular scheduled departing group left this week as well.

Elder Finklea
Elder Knobbe
Elder Zayas
Elder Knabe

We took them to the Phoenix Temple Site for an update and special meeting there.

 This was the smallest group we have had leave other than in-between transfer groups.  It was nice to have special time with them and we were able to relax a bit more...yes, and play with the owls and bunnies on the back patio!

 We like the look of the Mission Hoodies...they are pretty sharp!

We had our traditional mock Cafe Rio pulled pork salads tonight along with a special testimony meeting and meeting of sharing advice with the entire Mission Presidency here at the Mission Home.  It is one of our favorite times...very bittersweet, because we really miss these dear children, but so sweet to hear their testimonies of the Savior and why they have been so happy serving Him.

 We finish the night with a Family Home Evening complete with game...DON'T EAT PETE!!!


We get them to bed by the mission rules and get them up on time to run the next morning with us.

They are focused right up until the end!

This is how we remember Elder Knobbe after his morning run two years ago...doing dips into the pond area in the front yard!  He had to prove he could still do it!

We thank you for these incredible people.  They have made and will continue to make a difference for good in the lives of so many just as they have for us!   CONGRATULATIONS ON A MISSION SERVED SO WELL!  Well done, thou good and faithful servants!  We love you with all our hearts!

JANUARY VISITORS 2014

 It is not far into January yet, but we have had a few visitors in the Mission Home!

We were delighted to have Dax Gerber stop in again...this time with most of his family.  How fun to meet his Mom and three of his four brothers and his Sister.

They were excited that the oranges were ready to be picked.

We spent some time picking oranges and also seeing little sister perform some gymnastics on the lawn!

Next we had Kyle Bradfield stop in for a while.  He was joined by his buddies from back home, who hit the road with him to check out AZ in the wintertime...best time ever!!

 And yes, he found his name on the flag!

 It was a "prep day" for us, so we were in our workout clothes and comfy at home!

 The next day we were visited by two returned Sisters, Jennica Anderson and Maria Garcia, joined by one of their sweet converts, Kim.
Kim was sealed in the temple to her parents that day, so it was great to see her again after her baptism!
And...SO GOOD to see our sweet Jennica and Maria again!!!

One of the SWEETEST visits we have ever had here, was someone truly coming HOME to the Mission Home!
We were delighted to have Sister Debra Beck stop in for a visit while she and Paul were here on business.  They were the President and Wife who served here in the APM before we did and who were instrumental in creating the culture of obedience that is part of this great mission.
We talked about how hard it was/will be to leave this place.  How no one but another Mission President/Wife can really understand the journey that we have been on.  We thank the Becks for who they are, and how they blessed this mission.  They are part of our journey and we, like the Becks, are so grateful for every day we have served here!

We have had another visitor to the Mission Home this week...Jordan Freeman made the trip back to visit.  It was SO GOOD to see him.
He is doing wonderful!

 We finished the month with a couple more special visitors.
First we had Ben Burden and his Dad meet us to hike over at Thunderbird Conservation Area near the Phoenix Temple.  We met at the temple before our hike...the temple is really coming along with landscaping added every week.





We did our loop over around the hill north of the temple and enjoyed visiting with Ben and his Father.  They enjoy being out and about, so this was a good excuse to have some extra time with them.









We had them come back over to the house so we could meet Sister Burden as well.
We feel like we know the parents of our missionaries just from what great kids they have...and we just knew how great the Burden family was from our interactions with them and with Ben on his mission.  What a sweet experience to come back to visit your mission with your family!



Ben was not alone in that idea this weekend.
Austin Bartleson was also back with his Mom for the weekend so we had a double visit from him and his sweet Mom.  We had seen them for a bit at the mission office on Thursday, but they took time to come back to the Mission Home on Sunday as well!
How great to see how happy Austin is as well.  When you are living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and working hard, you will be happy.
THANK YOU FOR THE VISITS!
WE LOVE YOU!

OUT WITH SISTERS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER/JANUARY

 I realized I have forgotten to blog about going out with Sisters the past couple months!
I did take sort of a needed break a few weeks ago, as I was incredibly busy (like that is anything new) but I do not want you to miss seeing your sweet daughters that I have been out teaching/working with.
I may have missed some photos...I will try to look back and see...but for now, here we go.

In November I went out with Hermanas Santana and Dayton...they were not actually companions, but Sister Santana was there for the night on exchanges, so that was a treat!  I love teaching in Spanish, and we ALMOST got to teach in Spanish...but the truth is, both lessons that night, the family wanted in ENGLISH!  It is a fact of teaching in the United States in Spanish...some children so not speak Spanish in the home, and some parents prefer hearing it in English as well.

Anyways, it was a great night with these two wonderful teachers!


I hope you saw the blog post about going out with Brother Scow to learn about picking cotton!  This was all arranged by Sisters Ratto and Barnett who live with the Scow family.
We had a blast being with them for the afternoon and sharing dinner with them and the Scow family.  I get to go back out to Buckeye this month to teach a lesson with them!  Can't wait!

In December I also went out with Sister Training Leaders Sister Vallejo and Probeyahn.
We visited two families, yes FAMILIES and taught the Gospel.


Parents, if you could hear these people tell how much they love your daughters, it would warm your heart!


They tell how much it means to them to have the Gospel in their lives and how grateful they are for your children that helped them understand and feel the Spirit in their lives as they make changes to either join the Church or return to Church.
They get to see people make changes in their lives.  We heard the young man in one family pray for the first time at our lesson!

Last week I went out with Sisters McCoard and Barlow.
We had SO MUCH FUN!
Hard to believe it, but teaching is really such a spiritual boost, we are blessed as we follow the Spirit and teach what we know, from the heart!

Here again, we taught a FAMILY!  They will be baptized soon, and each shared what the Doctrine of Christ meant to them in this lesson!


Later this week I went out with Hermanas J Turner and Jenson!  And this time we DID get to teach in Spanish!  I love sharing what I can in this language.  We met a wonderful FAMILY yet again...our Sisters are doing a great job!
We talked to the sweet Dad and helped him see that he has the desire for an eternal family.  He now has the desire to be baptized to help make that happen, and he prayed for the first time with us!  Tender and beautiful experience!



This week I was busy going out with Sisters yet again!
Hermanas Woo and Welch invited me to go with them to a lesson in Spanish with a woman they had just been referred to, and when we got there, the husband also joined us and we had a wonderful discussion in Spanish with them teaching them about the Book of Mormon as another witness of Jesus Christ.
When people take time to listen, they realize that they already believe many similar principles that we do...and we have common ground to start with.  This was the great experience we had today!  GREAT TEACHERS and their Spanish is getting so good!

I FINALLY got to go out with Sister Stanley after trying to for about 3 months!  She and Hermana Baumgartner serve way out in the middle of what they call "PAULDEN USA!"  It is a rural community that they just LOVE!  It was really a blast to go with them to a dinner appointment with one of the Spanish Sisters in the ward...oh my, the BEST chili rellenos ever!!
Then we went to do some service and a message for a newly returning member who just had a baby, then to try to report to the RS President and then to meet the Stevens family to teach a message to them also about the Book of Mormon and how it can bless our lives even when things get tough.
They loved showing me the muddy, deep rutted roads, how the dirt got on our skirts and the tumbleweeds grabbed onto the hem of mine!

Can you just see the joy that they bring into the homes of those that they love so much?  It is really contagious!

These young Sisters LOVE the people they teach, they LOVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ and know how it blesses us to be happy as we obey the commandments.  They are selfless and serve others with full purpose and THEY HAVE FUN DOING IT!

I finished up this month...(I think) back out with Sisters Barnett and Ratto out in Buckeye area.  I had been trying to get out with Sis. Ratto in a teaching appointment for a long time, and was so glad to teach with them.  They are loved so much by their investigators, and you can see the joy in their faces as they love what they do!  It was a joy to be with them!

What we teach is true.  We encourage you to go out with missionaries in your area.  Invite people into your home to hear a message.  Get involved however you can in  your ward missionary efforts!  The blessings of sharing the Gospel are very real.  I promise you will be blessed as you follow the example of your sweet daughters and share what makes you happy.
THANK YOU FOR THE BEST DAUGHTERS EVER!  You have done a wonderful job raising them!