DEPARTING MISSIONARIES MARCH 2014

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT!

Well, the time was at hand for yet another incredible group of missionaries to complete their service here in the APM and continue on in the great mission of LIFE!

We had 9 sons and daughters over last Monday night to celebrate their service here!
I put them right to work planting wheat grass for centerpieces for our upcoming Sister Training next week...check that out in about a week now!

 They all love to come and see their square on our NOW COMPLETED QUILT in the Mission Home.  I will post later about that one...it is a beautiful memory!

Elder Skalka "found himself" here in the Mission Home!

 We take our departing missionaries over for a special view of the Phoenix Temple site...as you can see, the upper windows are now complete, and much of the landscaping is going in.  We are looking at a October-November Open House and Dedication we believe.
The light shining through the windows from behind was stunning!
We have the temple couple at the little visitor center in the meetinghouse tell them what is going on in the construction, so that is always a highlight!
Elders Belnap, Cardoso, Skalka, Bangerter, H Peterson, Pehrson, Scott and Sisters Baumgartner and Vallejo.  INCREDIBLE GROUP!

 Back at the Mission Home, they got to choose a funny and a serious photo op.

 They were proud to be the first ever to do handstands as part of their picture.  We are SO PROUD!

And, in the midst of their "SERIOUS" photo, President Taylor totally photo bombed them!  It was SO FUNNY!
Check out the link for the rest of the photos of the day/night/day!

 That night, the two Sisters, Vallejo and Baumgartner, showed up with hobo packs all ready to leave the Mission Home...they just wanted to stay in AZ!!!
Can't say that I blame them...I feel the same way!

 We had our traditional Cafe Rio dinner, our wonderful testimony meeting and council time with the Mission Presidency and Wives, and then it was time for Family Home Evening.

They chose "Book of Mormon Stories" for the opening song!

 After a short lesson, we played our game...
DON'T EAT PETE!!!

Very fun times!

 The next morning, they were up promptly at 6:15 in order for us to be able to be obedient and get our exercise in before we had to leave early for the airport...daylight savings skips AZ, so we needed an extra hour to pick up early arriving missionaries from Salt Lake.



The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  It is as simple as that.  There is NO WAY that over 80,000 missionaries around the world could do what they are doing at this age, and do it so well if it was not founded on CORRECT PRINCIPLES based on the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST  himself.
They know it, they live it, they love it and they follow the Holy Ghost in knowing, living and sharing it!

WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

And here we all are in the transfer van headed for the airport.
We cannot even begin to tell you how much we love these young people!  We have a history with them, and it is ALL GOOD!
Each one is going somewhere great, and we are honored to have them in our family!

WE LOVE YOU!!! Welcome home and we look forward to interacting with you in the future!