WELCOME OCTOBER 2011 INCOMING MISSIONARIES!

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We welcomed 8 new missionaries to the great APM on Tuesday Oct. 18. You will see only 7 in this picture, but that is because one of our new missionaries is from Arizona and met us at the office!Below you will see the entire crew: Front: Elder C. Johnson, President and Sister Taylor, Elder D. Gerber. Back: Elders Messick, McCook, Bradfield, Bartlett, Doolhoff and Marble.

Do not let the picture below fool you...THEY ARE SHARP!!

But they do better after a nap...

...and a meal or two!

Our incoming missionaries always help me make

breakfast casseroles for the following morning...

And we have a special evening of welcoming and learning about the culture of the

Arizona Phoenix Mission.

Transfer morning, we put our casseroles in the oven and all go out and exercise! We run or we walk, and learn about the beauty of the Southwest at the same time!

We welcome this great group to the BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD!

OUTGOING MISSIONARIES OCTOBER 2011

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It was that bittersweet time again when we bid farewell to a group of our faithful missionaries after their faithful service in the APM. First Elder Michael Gould on Medical Release went home to Florida.
We hosted a larger group at the mission home, nine total on Monday the 17th of Oct.

Our dear Sister Turville is having a hard time letting go of "her missionaries." Oh how her blessings in heaven are piling up!

The fearless crew that headed home: Planked in front Elder S. Johnson; held by Elders W. Giles, Chipman, Cichy and N. Campbell. In back: Elder Whitlock (complete with bandaged knee - see earlier post), Sister Kolo, Elders C. Peterson and Custance.

There was pingpong in the garage to relieve nerves...

There was a rousing game of "Don't Eat Pete" for our FHE game.

And best of all, there were testimonies shared of the joy of serving the Lord.

March on, dear ones! You are loved and appreciated for your service!

Meet The Winchells

The Arizona Phoenix Mission is TRIPLY BLESSED!

We welcome Elder Roy and Sister Susan Winchell to the mission as Temple Missionaries overseeing the construction of our own Phoenix Temple!

Imagine Hermana Michelle Winchell's surprise when her parents got called to her

very same mission!

We are delighted to have all three Winchells serving here in the mission! And what is really fun...is that Hermana Winchell will be done with her mission BEFORE her parents! She will get released to parents that are still serving! Maybe this means we will see her a bit longer than most of our returned missionaries! WELCOME, WINCHELLS!

Good to see JASON Brase!

Ok, I need to preface this photo, because it just seems so strange that I am holding a baby and standing by one of our former missionaries.

I was in Utah for a week helping out with a new granddaughter and had the chance to see our wonderful AP, Elder Jason Brase, for a while. When he came, I happened to be up on the roof taking down Christmas lights that had come loose, so that was equally strange, but we had a wonderful visit! Jason was instrumental in helping President and I adjust to life in the mission! His support and love made us feel immediately at home in the APM.
He shared with me what it was like to go home and try to adjust to post-mission life. His advice will help as we counsel with the missionaries who leave to go home every 6 weeks of this mission. Don't know if I can get used to our missionaries having first names, but I will try!

Jason is currently serving in his BYU ward as an Elders Quorum President...no big surprise to us. Thank you, Elder Brase, for taking the time to come say hello. It was a wonderful visit to help out with baby Brooklyn, and equally wonderful to realize that Arizona is now feeling more like "home" to me. Family has taken on new meaning as we have added so many missionaries to our sons and daughters.

Sunrise Mountain Hike

Saturday Oct. 15 we went on a hike with the APs in preparation for Zone Leader Council later this month. It was a beautiful sunny day in AZ.It was a good hike, not too strenuous at all, and some pretty scenery on the way.
Great views from the top of Sunrise Mountain. Braden at the top.

Braden, President Taylor, Elder Falconer and Elder Perkins.

The Taylor Family at the top.

We look forward to hiking more areas of Phoenix. This will be a place we enjoy with our missionaries for sure!

Run-In With a Cactus

This is a barrel cactus...

This is Elder Whitlock after a run-in with a barrel cactus.

Remember those long, 3-inch curved spines? Well, they are like steel, and they inbed themselves in your arms like steel, only more painful.

Elder Whitlock just had to leave the mission in style...yes, the Saturday before his Tuesday departure, he fell off a trail and into a barrel cactus and rocks, which required surgical removal of spines and 7 stitches.

A graphic photo, but one that almost all missionaries relish seeing, so sorry parents! The returned missionaries love to check out what is going on in the APM too!

We miss you, Elder Whitlock! One of our first missionaries we met after arriving in Phoenix, and one we will always remember! May you heal well and not have too many scars to remind you of good times in the great APM!

Prescott Zone Meeting

Oct.5, we had the privilege of going up to Prescott for a zone meeting. We are always so glad to get up north to see our missionaries up there away from the big city.Elders T. Anderson and Juchau are amazing zone leaders with inspired teaching for their zone, and it was apparent the love they have for their missionaries and for the Gospel as we shared time with them.
We had some great discussions and spent time doing some 1-word lesson plans.

Here is the great Prescott Zone!

And the zone enjoying some mail in the parking lot after the meeting. Yes, please keep those cards and letters coming! They love them so much!

TEMPLE SQUARE SISTERS/TRANSFER

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The Arizona Phoenix Mission got two new additions on October 3...two seasoned sister missionaries who are temporarily assigned to THE BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD...for the next 4 months! WE WELCOME SISTERS ROHNER AND LAUTIKI TO OUR MISSION!!The Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission frequently assigns its visitor center sister missionaries to go out for 1-4 months for a proselyting mission experience. They have plenty of finding and teaching opportunities at Temple Square, but will get the full experience of taking investigators through the process of baptism, confirmation, and new member lessons.
Sister Rohner will join Sister Kolo and Falke. Sister Kolo will be leaving us in two weeks when her mission is complete :(

Sister Lautiki will be trained by Sister Glenn in a threesome with Sister Moody.

This transfer was an excuse to get all our English-speaking Sisters together for FHE and dinner of course! We had a wonderful, giggly, teary evening together and our son Braden pretty much retreated to his room after dinner...way too much girl chatter!!

If you click on the link at the top of this post you can find the video of Sister Burton's very cute rap poem that she wrote honoring and introducing the mission to our 2 new sisters...
SO FUN!!

This was a BEAUTIFUL evening...lots of changes in companionships in preparing
for the next several months where many of our faithful sisters will be
completing their mission with us.

SEPTEMBER 2011 INTERVIEWS

THERE ARE OVER 200 PHOTOS IF YOU CLICK ON THIS LINE!

We just finished interviews again...for the second time since our arrival in the Arizona Phoenix Mission. Interviews are held quarterly and are a wonderful chance to check in with each of our over 190 missionaries serving here!

Elders Martin and Geren as zone leaders in Cottonwood.

While President was interviewing, we did car inspections, and collected updated health records and played SOCKBALL! Now, there was purpose in this activity! It was a MANNERS GAME and they all learned a lot of manners as we played. This is in preparation for limited exception to the mission's dinner policy, allowing missionaries to meet with and eat with members in their homes as they train them about MORMON.ORG for the big media campaign we start here next week!

Our son Braden helped create this game...and when he would come join us at some of the afternoon sessions, he would also be creative in how we played. He was just asking to be smacked! (It was a tennis ball inside of a dress sock...hence the name)

The Phoenix zone.

The Phoenix South zone.

Matching ties in Surprise/Surprise North zone: Fluckiger, Trussell, Carter and Robinson.

Their zone getting ready to play sockball.

Some of the casualties of the Phoenix North game...

Phoenix North Zone.

Deer Valley/Glendale North Zone sisters.

And the whole crazy zone. Now, if you have not figured out why some of them have their ties tucked...it was to tell who was on what team.

West Maricopa Zone getting the right answers.

And relaxing a bit after interviews.

Buckeye/Goodyear Zone trying to play in a Primary room...this was interesting and terrifying!!

Taking the photo op very seriously!

Parents, we love your children! It is a privilege to serve with them in the Arizona Phoenix Mission!

Zone Leader Council- Sept.27, 2011

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We love Zone Leader Councils!

Every month, we host the council at the Mission Home where we plan for the coming month and share the vision of the Arizona Phoenix Mission.

These zone leaders are dedicated and hard working...

...and they know how to have fun and love to eat!

We enjoy having President Morris and Elder Williams join us for these meetings. And Sister Williams coming to help with lunch! We love them so much!

Elder D. Johnston favored us with an acoustic hymn after lunch. You can go to Picasa at the above link for a short video.

Here is the fearless crew after a day of learning and sharing.

Front: President Taylor, Elders Henrie, Halligan, Falconer, Perkins, Freeman, Buttars, Turner, & Bird. Middle: Elders Juchau, Johnson, Grady, Geren, Mendenhall, Mouritsen, Allred, T. Anderson & Barrett Back: Pres. Morris, Elders Wilson, Cheadle, D. Johnston, Chipman, Sheets, Martin & Sieverts.