New Assignment

Well, I suppose it's not really a new assignment, but more of an additional assignment.  We are still working in the Crystal Palace Ward, but we have also been asked help the office missionaries on the two days before missionaries are returning home, after completing their missions.  We took the train down to the mission office on a Monday morning and pretty much hit the ground running once we got there.  Meals needed to be prepared for that and the following day.  Sister Adams has done this for awhile now and knew what she was doing so we were pretty much laborers and gofers.  We put on a lovely meal on Monday night and after we got everything cleaned up, we started working on breakfast and the other meals for the next day.  We were able to slip into the testimony meeting and were so touched by the testimonies of these missionaries.  I cannot tell you how impressed I am with these young men and women, and I feel confident that the church will be in good hands knowing they will be heading back to their home wards and stakes to be the future leaders. The next day after breakfast, we attended the temple with them.  It too was a choice experience.  Then there was lunch and getting another dinner ready.  We loved seeing these missionaries, many of whom we had worked with.  I felt like a mom to them and I was sad to see them go. They were a little sad as well.  Not about leaving us, but about leaving their missions. They had grown to love the people and the work that they did here.  We finally left the mission office around ten o'clock on Tuesday night, exhausted, but with full hearts.

The Missionaries that were going home at the April transfers

We worked directly with these missionaries.  From left to right:
Elder Cangas, (in our district);  Elder Bailey (our "trainer" in Crystal Palace Ward);
 Elder Fowler (my companion); Elder Mafubelu  (our zone leader);
 Elder Pond (missionary in Crystal Palace Ward) Front row:
Sister Ylisaari (missionary at the visitors center) and
Sister Santos (in our district). 
 We love these missionaries!!!