ARRIVING MISSIONARIES JUNE 2014

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

WELCOME NEW ARIZONA PHOENIX MISSIONARIES!

These wonderful young missionaries arrived this week to the BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD...for them!!!
Seriously, we have a bad case of righteous pride here in the APM.  We love this place so much!  Is it perfect?  No.  But we are all trying to follow the Savior and are learning how to practice what we preach!  We preach following the example of Jesus Christ, and obeying his commandments!

 We gathered by the top of the escalator at the Phoenix Airport before heading down to get our luggage.
Don't they look excited??

And they were really good sports as I went ahead to take some "coming down the escalator" photos of them.

WELCOME TO THE HEAT!!

 Back at the Mission Office, we met up with two temporary assigned missionaries from Mesa.  I got to see Sister Waddoups put on her missionary tag, a real privilege!

In the office, they all filled out a clipboard of information, then all our great office couples introduced themselves and told them how they will be supporting them in their office callings.
We have the best office couples ever!  They love these missionaries so much!



We took them all to the Phoenix Temple site.  This beautiful place has been under construction our entire mission...from bare ground to the amost complete temple!  Look for a fall open house and dedication!

 Elders Sumsion, Oakes, Gardner, Miller, Osai, Clark, Sisters Adams, Rasmussen, Johnson, Fleener, Barton, Bennion and Waddoups in front of the Phoenix Temple!

Elder Karl taught us some history of the construction of the temple and showed us some of the beautiful natural materials used to build and decorate it.
Each new missionary left with a poem about GOOD WOOD and a piece from the construction of a wood called SAPELE from Africa. This wood just glows in a "catseye" sort of shimmer, just beautiful!  Elder Oakes shows off his wood and poem for me.

 Next we drove the 5 miles to the Mission Home, where we took  group photo, photos of us with each missionary, and then inside I took their transfer board photos.

Oh Google+...how creative you get with the photos I upload...yes, they add special effect photos sometimes like this one.

Seems a bit like our lives here on the mission...like everything is in fast motion and just will not slow down!
Seriously, it is like each week is a day serving a mission as Mission President and Wife!

Our great Assistants did a brief orientation with our very tired missionaries, we fed them lunch...

...then we put them down for NAPS!
Even our local missionaries were tired enough to fall asleep...it is exciting to go on any mission!!!

 When I woke them up, we put them through some stations to get things done, some car and bike safety vidoes, and yes, I have them all help me prepare some breakfast casseroles and dinner prep.   They are the best helpers ever!
We had a great night of more orientation and a get to know you Family Home Evening.
Then it was off to bed!  Sisters in a couple bedrooms and all over those floors, and Elders in the Family Room on the couches and floor!  We do have some great sleeping pads, so its not that bad!

 The next morning, it is up and at it BRIGHT and EARLY.  Always tougher to get up the new missionaries compared to the old ones...
...but they are good sports, running or walking in what seems hot to them, and not too bad to us natives :)

We ate our wonderful breakfast, got ready to go meet trainers, and then had a "Morningside" with the "Passing of the Baton" with letters written from departed missionaries to each new missionary.  Pretty special tradition!

I then shared the story of "THE QUILTMAKERS GIFT" with them about a woman who shares what she has with those who need it most, and a king who learns how to find joy in the service of others.  It works pretty well for what these amazing young people are embarking on doing with their lives for the next 18-24 months.  We admire and love them so much!  Thank you for helping them prepare for this great experience!  It will be the hardest thing they have ever done in their lives...but no really great thing is easy.
They have the opportunity to experience more joy than they know is possible as they learn to turn outwards, forget themselves and go to work!
As they are exactly obedient, learn to laugh every day, and trust in the direction of the Spirit, they will be successful missionaries!
WELCOME TO THE GREAT APM FAMILY!