OUR NEWEST ARRIVALS IN THE MISSION

Ten outstanding missionaries arrived from the MTC and were excited to get to work! Our incoming missionaries just keep getting better and better! The Lord knows there is much work to be done in this part of the vineyard, so he is sending them here to the Arizona Phoenix Mission.

A Happy Mission Mom is one who says "The More the Merrier"! Actually, deep inside I keep thinking that it is 10 more missionaries to add to my missionary medical list but, I do Love My Missionaries!


Once arriving at the Mission Home, our missionaries unload their baggage in the garage, retrieve their information they need for training and are anxious to be fed since they have been up since 4:30 in the morning when they left from the MTC to fly to Phoenix.

Air Mattresses are filled and laid out on the floor, wall to wall, as the tired bodies fall into their slumbers. The Sisters get to sleep in beds down the back hall.

A BUSY FIRST DAY FOR OUR NEW MISSIONARIES

After an everlasting day.....our excited, nervous and tired missionaries close the day by writing their feelings and thoughts in their journals before retiring to the infamous air mattresses. Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of their mission. Not knowing where they will be serving in the mission or who their companion were, lead the dreams they would have that night.

It was break time and a chance to learn the mission song that Elder Peck, our Auto Coordinator in the office, and previous Mormon Tabernacle Choir member, had just written. President Beck calls it our Mission Fight song because it has a little zip to it.

The next morning for breakfast we show the missionaries how to make a simple, ziploc bag omlet. This is our assembly line to make the omlet before in goes into the boiling water. It is an idea for them to use in the mornings ahead on their mission.


Now, the big moment! On the left are our finest trainers and on the right are our new missionaries. Within minutes they will be matched with their new companions and be introduced to the AP missionaries.

This is President & Sister Lopez. President has three counselors because of the large territory we have. President Lopez handles all our Spanish firesides and Elders. He and Sister Lopez help me for one of the transfer dinners, and prepare carne asada for all the missionaries. They all love President Lopez.

These are our Arizona Phoenix Mission Office Staff. They are wonderful and amazing servants of the Lord who also dedicate their time to build up the kingdom. The Matson's, Peck's and Terry's are amazing couples who contribute so much as our office staff. President and Sister Morris (in the far back) is the counselor in the valley, and President Begay, who is Navajo resides on the reservation. (not shown)

FEBRUARY GOOD-BYES

Our latest outgoing missionaries were Sister Elsworth, Elders Stoddard, Gibson, Wheelwright, Ferris & Petersen. These were great missionaries who made a difference in our mission. On the last night in the mission the evening is theirs to do what they want. It was a quiet group and as I tried to get things going with them...and the hour got later the President accused me of being a rabble rouser.
I think he just wanted everyone to go to bed after our long day. My idea was to have an exciting last night at the mission home before they returned to their homes the next day. President is such a party pooper!

While President is interviewing missionaries inside, others are outside playing Boce ball.

Elder Peterson bought an tasty "Henry Weinhard's" rootbeer as he came out on his mission. Just before he got on the plane he pulled the same rootbeer out of his suitcase and celebrated by drinking the two year old soda.

GOOD-BYE ELDER PACK

Elder Pack has served as an Assistant to the President since we came into the mission. He has helped us so much with the areas and insights on our missionaries and was not only a wonderful assistant but also an exemplary missionary. He was anxious to get back out proselyting before he returns home next transfer. We will miss him.

A Few Medical Challenges

Elder Durrant had an emergency appendectomy on Sunday. I thought his symptoms sounded like the flu that our missionaries have all had. When he told President that he was at a #10 level of pain, we sent him immediately to the ER. Elder Durrant was in the hospital for 5 days recovering. So much for my medical diagnosis. Thank goodness we have a mission doctor I can consult with when I don't know what I'm doing. The day before that Elder Noyce was knocked off his bike by a car and sent to the ER. He has a broken foot and has been a real trooper not giving into the injury and enduring the pain. The day before that Elder Young, who was on the reservation serving, was attacked by a dog. I asked his companion what he did when it happened. He said "I ran and jumped over the fence and left my companion to fight for himself." The next week I sent baggies of dog bones tied with a ribbon to all our elders serving on the reservation. There are so many stray dogs on the reservation. We actually call them the "Rez Dogs" It was a medical challenging weekend for all of us.

HENSLEY'S VISIT TO ARIZONA

The Hensley family were the last to all come to visit us. It was so good to see Ethan & Nicholas and spend some one on one time with them. Their visit fell on Interview Week, where President has to interview all of his missionaries. It is a 6 day process in which I go to help with training of the missionaries also. While we did interviews Tracy & Ryan were able to visit some of his uncles that live here. On Saturday & Sunday, we were able to spend some quality time with them. One day Ryan and Tracy went to the temple in Mesa and I took the boys around the temple grounds and into the visitors center.

Nicholas thought he would see what it was like to touch the sharp needles of the cactus, which of course he never got close enough to experience the sharp prick.

Nicholas and Ethan were here to share Valentines day. These are their Valentine Bears!

On Saturday we all went to the Wildlife Zoo and had a hands on experience with the animals. The favorite place was at the petting zoo. Ryan had to fight off the goats as they continually tried to eat his shirt tail

Time passed too quickly and before I knew it I was taking them back to the airport. This is the hardest part for me knowing that it will be a while before I can have my hugs again. I shed a few tears, got back in the car and snapped back into my Missionary Mom mode, knowing that I had a lot of missionaries to go back to.

PRESIDENT'S GREEN THUMB

For all those who know the President, his passion is growing a garden. We had a beautiful garden in Cincinnati and harvested much from it. Well, with the warm weather and extended growing season here in Arizona, he decided to find some pots and plant some tomatoes last fall. We are now enjoying the fruits of his labors as the tomatoes are ripening. The challenge is to get them picked before the birds taste them first. He is not so happy with our feathery friends.



OUCH!!!!! We were asked to go up to Prescott Valley and attend a Zone Prep Day with our missionaries. It was a snowy day up there which kept us from going on our planned hike with the zone, and instead they played volleyball. I decided It wouldn't be right to sit at the side lines and cheer, no..... I had to get right into the thick of things and dust off my volleyball skills and pretend that I too could play as a 20 year old would play. It didn't take long before my injury happened and my pinky finger began to swell. But no.....I couldn't sit out and let others on to my injury, so I just kept playing. By the end of the activity, it was evident I had done something bad to my finger. The finger swelled so bad that the skin peeled because it was so big. Now I was to be added to our injured reserve. President has banned me now from playing any more volleyball. Actually, he has decided we both would be banned from playing as he too had a few bruises.