OCTOBER VISITORS/RM ACTIVITIES

I am really slow at posting about the great APM visitors we have had for OCTOBER!

We were very busy with reunion and that weekend we also spent special time with a couple of our great Returned Missionaries.


We hiked along the Bonneville Shoreline Train with Joseph Barley...he was the only one brave enough to get up early to hike with us!  It was so good to have time to really talk!






We were delighted that Blake and his sweet wife Juliene took the time to meet us at the Provo Temple to do a session...here again, it was fairly early in the morning...and they had been driving all night to get here!  Yet they were the ones to get up and go!  Yay Heiners!

We offered to let them stay at our home to try to save some dollars so that was another treat.  They spent part of Saturday watching conference with us too...welcome to the family!

We had Nathan Wainwright and Josh Lower join us for a visit before the BYU football game one night...maybe they should have stayed longer, the game did not have a good outcome!
Seriously, it was so nice of them to come by!  We love seeing them in their post-mission lives, and the impact their missions have had on them forever.

The next weekend we had Sarah Neary and Amanda Vallejo come over after FHE for a bite to eat on their way back from going to the Phoenix Temple Open House!  We were delighted to see both of them and it was just so much fun to talk!!!

 Last weekend we had Jenny Greenwood as our hiking buddy!  We went up the Rock Canyon trail...we hiked about 5 1/2 miles or so.  It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

Here again, we love the one on one, or small groups that we get to do things with! 



 I realized how much I missed FALL LEAVES while we were in Arizona.

I was pretty excited about how beautiful the hiking area was!

THANKS JENNY, it was so much fun being with you!

Later that morning, we had Hilary Parks stop by for a visit...still had our hiking clothes on!

Oh how we had missed seeing her.  You just remember all the good and hard and special times you had together on the mission and it is so great to get together again to talk about it!

 We had our first SUNDAY DINNER CALENDAR meal!!!
We had groups of RMs sign up at the Reunion.

We hosted Breyton Barber, Tyler Starr, Joseph Barley, Wes Larsen and Nathan Wainwright.

It was SO GOOD TO COOK for more than 2 people!!! And the company was just perfect!

If you did not sign up for dinner, text me!  There are a few spots still open for December.  I will add more dates if we get new RMs that did not have a chance to sign up as well!

As this group was getting ready to leave, the WINCHELLS came for a visit!  Anyone from the Mission knew them as our TEMPLE MISSIONARIES!!  They were in town visiting and stopped by for a while!  It was so good to catch up with them and we planned another visit during Christmas when they are back!
COME SEE US! 

OCTOBER MTC DEPARTING MISSIONARIES

Some things never change...selfies with my phone happen no matter who I am with!



We sent off two more districts from our MTC branch here in Provo.

 This was a stellar group of Elders, in an advanced language group...just the nicest young men we have met! 

Left to Right:
Elders Gomez, Stoker, Coombs, us, Elders Lohberg and Lindstrom.

And this district of 8 were so ready to go!
We got really close to both of these districts but it is easy to let them go because we know what they are going to do and it is GREAT!

Left to Right: Sisters  Hancock, Sarvey, Nation and Ence, us, Elders Bushman, Hansen, Messenger and Sewell.

PHOENIX TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE-PLUS CURRENTLY SERVING SISTER MISSIONARIES!

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF OUR VISIT TO THE TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE!  WE SAW 41 of the 75 SISTERS CURRENTLY SERVING!

We had the great privilege of touring the new and FINALLY OPEN Phoenix Temple!  It was absolutely delightful to see the Griffins again and we love them even more each time we interact with them!
In all honesty, only Mission Presidents and Wives understand other Mission Presidents and Wives...so we just love interacting with all our friends who have served or are currently serving!!

Above; we are with Michael Pickerd, who was our Area Seventy when we arrived in the Mission, but who currently serves as head of the Temple Committee overseeing the Open House, Cultural Celebration and Dedication.  He is one busy, and incredibly kind man!

The Griffins encouraged us to say hello to the great Sister Missionaries of the APM who were serving at the temple the two days we attended.

 I will not attempt to name all their names, as there are about 8-10 new Sisters since we left in July.  I was delighted however, to meet new Sister Morris from Park Valley Utah, the hometown of my own father!  Not many people even know where this very small community is!  Welcome to the best mission in the world Sister!

I will show you the roles that the Sister Missionaries play in a temple Open House.
as patrons are bused to the site, they are ushered into the chapel or a classroom where Sisters like these greet them and give a short presentation.

 There are small rooms throughout the building so many groups can be oriented at once to what a temple is and why they are important to the Latter-day Saints.

 President Taylor got in on some photos with us as well.  It felt so good to hug these wonderful Sister Missionaries!  With our assignment at the MTC, we continue to work with missionaries several times a week, so this just seems normal and natural!

 The APM has 2 sets of Temple Coordinating Sisters to schedule all the companionships and make sure things go smoothly.  They are there to trouble shoot; as they are doing in this change of printing tape on the photo booth.
No problem!  They have things under control!

 After a tour of the temple hosted by local Church members, visitors then get to come to a couple locations just outside the temple grounds, one is a photo booth where they can get a photo taken and also emailed to them.  We had fun with that.

 And there is a hosting tent with several stations.


One is learning about what goes on inside the temple.

Another is learning about Family History.


The beautiful Sisters of the Arizona Phoenix Mission are doing a wonderful job introducing people to the blessings of the temple of the Lord.

Here is where we want to be.
The temple is the house of God.
We can learn more about what he wants us to do by serving within these walls.
We are empowered to be able to live in a difficult world as we keep our temple covenants.
I add my witness that the Lord is bound if we do as he asks us.  He will bless us in ways best for each of us individually!
If you have not gone to the temple, go visit a temple, go to an open house, ask for a testimony of temple work and then get yourself in a place where you can get a recommend to attend a temple!
If you already have a temple recommend, use it.  The promises are sure!
WE LOVE THIS TEMPLE AND THOSE WHO WILL SERVE AND ATTEND INSIDE THESE SACRED WALLS!  The Lord IS hastening His work!!!  Love, Sister Taylor

APM MISSION REUNION FALL 2014

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR OVER 100 PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT...and send me some to add if you took any good ones!

We hosted our FIRST MISSION REUNION!

And it was so much fun!
It was just like old times having the Williams with us to help set up...and trusty, helpful missionary sons and daughters!

We transformed the cultural hall into an APM paradise!

HUGE THANKS TO OUR COMMITTEE who met over dinner last month to help plan a vision for what we wanted to happen this night!
And THANK YOU HEATHER BELNAP for about singlehandedly (Not a real word?)  taking on being photographer extraordinaire and food restocker and whatever needed done!!!YOU ROCK!

We were delighted to meet up with missionaries we had not seen in a long time.   And others who we saw when we spoke in our ward just 2 1/2 months ago.

This is the "I am really short" photo!

 Other returned missionaries began coming about 6:00, as many had other places to try to get with other reunions and the BYU game.

There were stations where you could watch the transfer video of when you arrived in the mission...or a Christmas video, or bike video, whatever!!

 There was memorabilia...and sign ups for "APM DINNER CALENDAR" with the Taylors for one Sunday a month til next conference.

 We LOVED having President and Sister Beck join us this fall!  We just love these dear people and can relate in a way no one else quite can to the experience we both share.

We now have MISSION BABIES to hold like Trevor Ward's little guy all dressed up in his tee shirt with a tie on the front!

We felt like we were in the most huge ZONE CONFERENCE ever...surrounded by family!

This includes the Williams who just jumped right in and loved and supported all the missionaries like they always have!

 We played a "Finding" game, well, a few broke away from talking to humor me...THANKS NOLAN for your enthusiasm!!  He was the winner!

 Got this great shot of the Becks with missionaries that we shared...and a few that served before our time.

 Trevor shows his little guy Daddy's signature on the mission flag.

Taylors and Becks...a great legacy in the APM!
We feel SO BLESSED for the opportunity to be a part of witnessing the hand of God in the lives of so many wonderful sons and daughters!

 Ping Pong was a good outlet for some.

And, we got to witness firsthand a couple of NEW ENGAGEMENTS!


Congratulations to Maria Garcia!!! 

 And Jennica Anderson!




It was great to see how much it meant to everyone just to be together.  That was really all we needed was a place to meet.  The decorations, games, food, etc were totally secondary.  It was all about catching up with people who can relate to a very special part of our lives.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING!  And we know we missed a few with late flights, horrible traffic, things that came up, so we will catch you next time!
WE LOVE YOU!  President and Sister Taylor
(Missionaries ask what they should call President Taylor...and I tell them "He will ALWAYS be your mission president!"  President Beck, President Taylor, President Griffin.  It works!