Sunday, March 11, 2012

OUR BIGGEST TRANSFER EVER...THEN OFF TO GERMANY

Assistant Elder Beus willingly turns over the keys to Elder Tonga...

Up until now...this was the largest group we've ever received...hard to believe they've completed their two years...
Left to right:  (front row) Elder Durfee (Oregon), Elder Price (England), Elder Cauffman (Wyoming), Elder Lindstrom (Utah), Elder Steed (Utah)
(Back row)  Elder Prestwich (Oregon), Elder Stoddard (Idaho), Elder Mathews (Arizona), Elder Habicht (Germany), Elder Howe (Arizona), Elder Knecht (Utah), Elder Hinkle (Arizona), Elder Beus (Utah), Elder Brewer (New Mexico...I guess.  I never could figure out where he called home!), Elder Salmans (Utah), Sister Perera (Sri Lanka), Sister Lauritzen (California)

WE LOVE THEM AND MISS THEM!!!



 The next morning, we received our NEW biggest group of missionaries...

Front row (left to right): Elder Smith (England), Elder Barker (Utah), Elder Patten (Utah), Elder Webber (New Zealand), Elder Durrant (Arizona), Elder Hoffman (Utah),
Back row (left to right):  Sister Turnbow (Utah), Elder Wilding (Idaho),  Sister Nelson (Utah), Elder Eppel (South Africa), Elder Lott (Idaho), Sister Lewis (China? Utah?), Elder Chamberlain (Utah), Elder Graydon (Ireland),  Elder Kramer (Utah), Elder Paynter (Australia), Elder Ensing (New Zealand), Elder Kulow (Utah), Sister McRae (Canada), Sister Giles (England)

WE'RE SO THRILLED TO HAVE EACH OF THEM IN THE EBM!!!

The week after transfers, we went to Frankfurt, Germany for our final Mission President's Seminar.  It was such a nice experience, to be instructed by our Area Presidency, and then have Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve spend a morning instructing us as well.  Below is a photo of all of us that came out together in July 2009 to preside over missions in the Europe Area Missions:
President Clegg --Malaga Spain (Sister Clegg disappeared just as we took the photo!); President and Sister Brubaker --Belgium Netherlands; President and Sister Baughman--Hungary Budapest; President and Sister Murdock--France Lyon; President and Sister Patch--England London; President and Sister Shamo--England London South; President and Sister Pimentel--Germany Berlin; President and Sister Charles--Greece Athens; President and Sister Torgan--Portugal Lisbon; President and Sister Johansen---Norway Oslo Mission;  President and Sister Hinckley--Spain Barcelona; President and Sister Griffiths--Scotland Edinburgh Mission; President and Sister Watkins---Spain Madrid Mission;  President and Sister Ogden--England Birmingham Mission (otherwise known as Earth's Best Mission!)

We love these wonderful people and feel it a blessing and a privilege to have had a chance to know and associate with them.

After our meetings on Friday, we were able to attend the Frankfurt Temple.  Five of our former German missionaries met us there and did a session with us.  An absolute highlight...not just of this trip... but of our entire mission.  What a joy to be with them in the Temple!

Elder Habicht (he just left a week ago!), Elder Cyron, Sister Bioleome, Elder Breuer (already married!), and Elder Stein
Dinner after the Temple...a fun chance to get caught up with each other.  (The extra face is Elder Stein's cute little sister.)

A BUSY AND WONDERFUL MONTH...