THE BEGINNING and THE END

For us, this new transfer marks the 'beginning OF the end'...the end of our full time mission.  But all of us at the EBM know that wherever we go, there will always be ways to serve in our Heavenly Father's kingdom.

Below are the new missionaries who came into our mission this past week...

Left to Right:  Pres. Ogden, Elder Cagle (Utah), Elder Quakenbush (Utah), Elder Hyde (Idaho), Elder Shepherd (Idaho), Elder Rumpf (Germany and Alpine, Utah), Elder Bowers (Oregon), Elder Nelson (Utah), Elder Lowry (Mississippi), Elder Sedillo (Arizona), Elder L'Henaff (Canada), Elder Sloan (Arizona), Elder Wilson (Utah), Sister Ogden 

THE RAMEUMPTOM

(Elder Walton jumped up at the end of the new group in hopes that he'd be mistaken for a 'greenie' and get to stay!



Time to say goodbye to this amazing group of missionaries!

Left to right:  President Ogden, Elder Christiansen (Utah), Elder Garroway (Scotland), Elder Clark (Idaho), Elder Wright (Arizona), Elder Von Brughan (South Africa), Elder Morrissey (Idaho), Elder Pavan (Canada), Elder Yaskell (Alaska), Elder Jenkins (Idaho), Elder Siegel (Utah), Elder Hanks (Utah), Elder Tonga (New Zealand), Elder Walton (California), Elder Baxter (Louisiana), Sister Whitaker (Nevada), Sister Ogden

Just gotta do that Haka pose one more time!

God be with you 'til we meet again...

GREENIE POWER

on the Rameumpton!

New Sister missionaries in the front (where they belong!):

Sister Javed (Pakistan), Sister LeFevre (Arizona), Sister Laborero (England)

Back row:  President, Elder Church (Arizona), Elder Palmer (Utah), Elder Boyce (Guyana), Elder Park (Florida), Elder Gardner (England), Elder Davis (Utah), Elder Thorup (Utah), Elder Bass (Utah), Elder Biesinger (England), Elder Taylor (Idaho), Elder Tardivo (Brazil), Sister Ogden

OUR DEPARTING GROUP...

 Our departing group....excited to see their families!

But it was hard saying goodbye to these wonderful young men and women.

Left to right:  President, Elder Brown (Canada), Elder Leyba (Idaho), Elder Ruesch (Utah), Elder Powell (Utah), Elder Dahl (Arizona), Elder Card (Utah), Elder Reed (Utah), Sister Hedemark (Sweden), Sister Rose (Iowa), Sister Ogden

SPECIAL SISTER'S TRAINING

Sister Rose (Iowa), Sister Louis (India), Sister Filichia (Arizona), Sister Stucki (California), Sister Hedemark (Sweden), Sister Carson (Utah), Sister Turnbow (Utah), Sister Benson (New Mexico)

Sister Matapo (Zimbabwe and England), Sister Toleafoa (Utah), Sister Lewis (Utah), Sister Nelson (Utah), Sister Giles (England), Sister Medvescek (Slovenia), Sister McRae (Canada), Sister Wheatley (Utah), Sister Baker (Washington)

 Front Row:  Sis. Nelson, Sis. Lewis, Sis. Benson, Sis. Shorters, Sis. Filichia, Sis. Rose 

Back Row:  Sis. Whitaker, Sis. Ogden, Sis. Carson, Sis. Stucki, Sis. Toleafoa, Sis. Hedemark, Sis. Turnbow, Sis. Wheatley, Sis. BAker, Sis. Medvescek, Sis. Lewis, Sis. Brooks, Sis. McRae, Sis. Matapo, Sis. Giles

WHAT A GROUP OF AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL WOMEN!!!

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...

Christmas and January Transfers

 CHRISTMAS CAROLING AT NEW STREET

As we gather for our Christmas party in Birmingham, the missionaries go to New Street in the center of the city to sing Christmas carols.

                                      Its a wonderful way to share the Spirit of Christ at Christmas...

The Elders and Sisters take every opportunity to talk to people, give out copies of the Book of Mormon, and pass along cards.

Our CHRISTMAS party is the only time during the year when the whole mission comes together..

.its a wonderful occasion!

It wouldn't be Christmas without our traditional performance of the

HAKA...

 Some of our Nottingham Elders entertaining us...

With the end of 2011, we look ahead to increasing our vision, our faith, and our diligence as we serve...

A great way to start...

***JANUARY TRANSFERS***

ABOVE---Our dearly departed!!!

Elder Bussell from Maine, Elder Balla from Harrogate, England, Elder Clarke-Wills from the London area, Elder Davis from Calgary, Canada, and Elder Grappi from Switzerland.

BELOW--- Our brand new missionaries...

Elder Z. Hansen (Utah), Elder Gunderson (Texas), Elder M. Hansen (Utah), Elder Lewis (Utah), Elder Eckelt (England), Elder Wilde (Scotland...brother to our Elder Garroway), Elder Schenk (Austria), Elder Frimpong (England), Elder Larsen (Utah), Elder Sutton (Utah), Elder Jones (Virginia), Elder Trimble (Utah), and Elder Vasquez (Spain...our first Spaniard!)

WELCOME TO THE EBM!!!

        We had an exciting month!

We enjoyed visits from the Llewellyn's,

the Bairds, and their traveling companions, the Johnsons.

A few weeks after that,

Chris Hodgson and Loann Leonard

came and spent a week with us.

Its wonderful to get caught up with our dear friends, and to be able to show

them a little of Mission life...and this beautiful country.

TRANSFERS

We only had two missionaries going home in December...Elder Bray from England, and Elder Krywult

from Austria.  Both sets of parents came to pick up their sons...it was so nice to meet them.

We'll miss these Elders!

WELCOME!!!

Sister Medvescek from Slovenia

and Elder Ferrall from Denmark...

Excitement at the Rameumptom

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 SPECIAL VISITORS...our Area Seventy

ELDER DONALDSON and HIS WIFE

Excited Elders and Sisters at the conference in Cardiff...

Elder and Sister Donaldson with our Assistants and Zone Leaders...

It was wonderful to have them with us!

 Its hard to believe that these missionaries have finished their missions and are headed home.  I feel like they just got here.  An unusual transfer, with more Sisters leaving than Elders.  Elder Benthin (Denmark), Elder O'Brien (England), Elder Cadwallader (California), Sister Clark (California), Sister Pope (Utah), Sister Babbage (Zimbabwe and England), Sister McKelvie (England).  A very powerful group...we'll miss them!

 We welcomed our new missionaries on the 'Rameumptom'....

including two new couples...the Lathams (Utah), and the Fannings (Idaho).

 Sister Louis from India (right) with her trainer, Sister Whitaker (Nevada)...

 Elder Pauley (Germany) with his trainer, Elder Grappi (Switzerland)...

 Sister Carson (Utah) on the right, with her trainer, Sister Stucki (California)...

 Sister Shorters (England) on the right with her trainer, Sister Baker (Washington).... 

 Elder Von Brughan (South Africa) with his "International tripanionship"...Elder Hudec (Czech Republic) and Elder Anim (France).  I think they speak about 7 languages between the 3 of them.

 A group of missionaries who came in together a few transfers ago...Elder Barton, Elder Edwards, Elder Brewer, Elder Rainey, and Elder Harper.

Me with my girls who are headed home....all amazing women!

 Elder MacArthur (Houston)...called as a Chinese speaking missionary.

 Elder Pauley (Germany)...we've sent home all of our German missionaries except one, so we were glad to have Elder Pauley come to us.

 Sister Louis...our first missionary from India.

Sister Shorters...she's our first missionary from Dorset, England!

Sister Carson...Lindon, Utah

Our new greenies...we're so happy to have them here.  They're all off to a wonderful start!!!!!!