Goodbye to our Senior Office Couples

It seems as if everyone is leaving us. We had a good-bye office party for the Loftgreens and Millers
and Pecks and also Elder Carver who will go out into the field for his last transfer to preach the gospel.

We will miss his smiling face.
The Eagers hosted an office party for our senior couples leaving.
They were all so effective in helping the Arizona Phoenix Mission run so efficiently.

THE PECKS

THE LOFTGREENS

THE MILLERS

Matching up Companionships

This is Elder Campbell on the left, with his new trainer, Elder Flory on the right. When Elder Campbell introduced himself at transfers he said. "I'm already looking up to Elder Flory, as my new trainer and companion."



Working the transfer board is a miracle in itself and is a very complicated process that takes many days to complete. We had eleven Elders come into the mission and seven leave this transfer. That meant we had to find companions for those who left and trainers for those coming in. A trainer is considered the most important assignment in the mission. If we have good trainers then good habits and skills will be transferred to our new missionaries making them, "Preach My Gospel " missionaries. President only puts the best in this training position. There are always those who are having medical problems who need to be put in new areas, those not getting along with their companions, and those who are disobedient in their areas. All these are considerations in the transfer. When all is done we look at the board and go to the temple to receive confirmation from the Lord on what we have done. This is His mission and he knows where they need to be. We are just instruments in His hands.

Our Late Arrival- Elder Miller

May Arrivals

Elders Bingham, Elkington, Murdock, Bell, Campbell, Chapman, Bowen, Berry, Schneider & Sister Schwenke

On Tuesday morning we sent the departing Elders on their way to the airport, and picked up the arriving Elders and one Sister. They must have arrived early because they never came down the corridor while we were waiting. Our secretary called us to say they were waiting for us a baggage claim. We went down to great them and I said, "Welcome to Hell". President gave me a dirty look and then I explained that the last mission President used to say that to all arriving missionaries who arrived in the summer months. Obviously, referring to the fact that it was an oven outside. Later on that day, as we were training these Elders and Sister, we received a call from the mother of Elder Miller who wasn't able to come with the April missionaries last transfer because of a medical condition. He stayed at the MTC for another six weeks where he was able to have a surgery to correct his problem. President called the MTC and told them to put him on the next flight out to Phoenix. He missed all the activities of the day but arrived that night excited to get started. Another great group has joined our Royal Army in the Arizona Phoenix Mission.

Awards Completed

Elders who complete their APM Study Guide received certificates. When they complete level 3 they receive their APM flashlight with a Mission logo on it, to light their way to gospel study. If they memorized the Proclamation to the Family their receive a buck knife donated by a member who owns Page Steel. These are all incentives to being Master Scholars.

May Outgoing Elders

It was time again to send 7 great Elders back to their homes after serving their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the past two years. We had a fun evening as Elder Lundgreen (who was our Assistant), Elders Masik, Metcalf, Burzlaff, Hunt, Smith, & Winston enjoyed a dinner, testimony meeting, and an evening on the back porch watching lightning storm and recounting stories of their mission.

Window Rock

Every once in a while I get lucky and President will stop to see the wonders as we travel around the mission. We were on the reservation for Mothers Day speaking in the Window Rock Ward and went to see the incredible rock formation called Window Rock.
This depicts the "Navajo Code Talker", in World War II where a unique effort by the Navajo helped win the war in the Pacific during World War II. The war erupted with the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, a group of 29 Navajo volunteers were recruited from their homeland. ,”
The code was so successful that eventually more than 400 Navajo were recruited. The Japanese were completely baffled by the complicated code, and their master cryptographers never broke it. Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima. It was another beautiful reservation sight to see.

A gift from Heaven

Katelyn Elizabeth Gattuso came into this world 3 weeks early but wasn't lacking the weight that an early baby usually has. She weighed 8.6 lbs and was 21" long. It was probably a good thing for momma that she didn't come on her due date. Sister Issy wasn't quite sure at first who this new little person was who was invading her stardom in the family. But it hasn't stopped her from still being the star. Everyone loves Isabelle!

The rest of the story-10 baby quail born May 8th