On the missionary front, these weeks are fun and busy and exciting. We spent last week preparing for transfers, getting the transfer board ready, preparing for our incoming missionaries, planning for the upcoming MLC, and Scott was able to interview all of our 10 departing missionaries. I also got all of my cookies baked and in the freezer for the coming interviews this next transfer, so that's a win right off the bat!
We had our senior missionaries at our home for FHE. We are blessed to work with some amazing senior missionaries who inspire us continually.
For all of Elder Larsen's life he has been allergic to nuts. He recently had his allergies tested and found he isn't allergic to nuts anymore. I had to document him eating his very first Reese's peanut butter cup. He liked it, it was fun to see him taste something for the first time that I have always taken for granted.
We loved General Conference so much. We were able to have Preston come out for the weekend and watch it with us. We also had Elder Fischetti and Elder Larsen over on Saturday morning for breakfast and to watch the first conference session. Unfortunately I didn't snap any pictures, but it was great having them here. There were SO many rumors floating around the mission, we figured if any of them were true we would most likely find out on Saturday morning. I loved so much that it was just a normal conference, with words of love and admonition and testimony, and mostly of testimonies of Jesus Christ. It was refreshing to be able to listen to our leaders without worrying about a lot of change. We loved every minute of it and it went far too quickly.
A nice walk in between conference sessions
It was a short visit, all we had time to do was watch conference, eat a little and play a lot of Monopoly Deal. Preston was the continual tycoon, and was hard to beat. We love it so much when Preston is here. He is our only unmarried child and having him here brings a sense of normal parenthood to us that we miss being away.
We took him to the airport on Sunday night, Scott was back early Monday morning taking Elder Wall, who was here for a transfer waiting for a visa to Norway, and then we were back on Monday afternoon picking up 10 new missionaries, in two different batches. As we were waiting for the missionaries to come down the escalators, we all said "it is really so great to get new missionaries every six weeks." They just bring needed enthusiasm, life and energy to our mission.
We got them all fed, thanks to Sister Mair and Sister Gunnell. I had been doing the dinner for the incoming missionaries for a pretty long while, but for the past two transfers, Sister Mair and Sister Gunnell have been doing that dinner. I can not express how much easier transfer day is for me without having to do a big dinner Monday night and a big dinner on Tuesday night. So, so grateful for their help. They all got interviewed by President and our mission nurse, Sister Goodwin. We sent them out with some missionaries in the Carmichael zone and then got them a good night sleep. We met back the next morning for a few hours of training; training new missionaries, and training their trainers. We also had transfers taking place outside during this time. The Deseret building is a busy place on transfer Tuesday.
It was funny how many of us were wearing blue and white stripes. I think we all saw some sun, and pulled out our summer wear. I had to get pictures with all of my twins.
Sister Vang Sister Fausett
Sister Clark and Sister Bustos spent their last day in the mission doing what they do best. Once they got in to the office, they didn't want to just hang around. They went out contacting and talked to 20 unplanned contacts and found 3 new friends in about an hour. What a fun way to spend their last day here.
After a delicious lunch, it was off to the temple.
April 2019 Arrivals
Hermana Capillo Montes training Hermana Valdespino . Sister Workman training Sister Durfee
Sister Ho Ching training Sister Hamilton Hermana Quesenberry training Hermana Christensen
Sister Engle training Sister Slade Sister Bayless training Sister Bodily
Elder Salvador training Elder Moulton Sister Shaw training Sister Stuart
Elder Ludlow training Elder Laurence Elder Castelan training Elder Burnette
Elder Peterson and Elder Steglich training Elder Bennion
We got the new missionaries off to their areas and met the departing missionaries at the temple for pictures and a temple session.
After the temple it was back to our home for dinner and a testimony meeting. I say this about a lot of things, but this really is probably one of my favorite days of the transfer. I wish I could freeze time with these amazing, mature, seasoned missionaries. I hate when this night is over.
Early Wednesday morning it is off to the airport to send home Elders and Sisters that we have grown to love with all of our hearts. It breaks my heart sending them home. I just wish we could bring in the new, but keep the old as well. I always look so goofy in the airport pictures because I am trying to smile at the same time I am crying, and it's a pretty fake smile.
Sister Bustos
Elder Burrows
Sister Clark
Sister Simpson
Sister Sherman
Sister Leavitt
Sister Lund
Elder Cummings
Sister Searle
Sister Gilbert
It's like sending off my babies. On a positive note, this group had 100%of them checking in with us when they got home! Good job Elders and Sisters. Mostly, well done as consecrated servants. These are remarkable missionaries that went above and beyond in every way!
As missionary leaders leave, we have new leaders to fill their spots that need to be trained, so we had our new leader training this morning.
Elder Hansen is the most smiley person I have ever met, and he is a dead ringer for Russell from the Disney movie UP. He even keeps a picture of Russell on his phone so he can show everyone how closely he resembles him. What a great conversation starter. They are nothing if not creative! I love it.
Also, since my last post, I had a birthday, which would have gone unmentioned except Ethan and Camee came for the weekend, and we had a great time. In addition to being treated so well by all of our missionaries. I so appreciated their expressions of love and birthday wishes. If you ever want to feel loved on your birthday, you should go on a mission and hang out with missionaries.
Just before my birthday Sisters Gilbert, Wallentine and Montierth invited me to dinner. We had a lovely dinner eating tacos outside and they gave me the sweetest gifts. Sister Montierth was new to the companionship so she gave me flowers, and Sister Wallentine and Sister Gilbert had spent precious time making me this darling and thoughtful cross stitch. They are so sweet!
Sister Workman and Sister Leavitt invited me to lunch and we forgot to get a picture, and Elder Hansen and Elder Geng dropped of these treats for me. In addition to so many texts, calls, messages, etc from missionaries and friends and family. It was a great few days spent celebrating.
As I said, Ethan and Camee came to spend the weekend with us and we had a great time. We ate way too much good food.
Bacon and Butter
The Grange
Funny story. As we were walking in to The Grange, Scott was on the phone and so we stopped to take this picture:
Ever since we have been here I have heard of Daffodil Hill in a small town south of us called Volcano. Last year because of the rain they weren't able to open, and I also realized last year it wasn't actually in our mission boundaries, so we couldn't have gone anyway. This year it is in our mission and opening day happened to be on my birthday so that is what I wanted to do in the morning. We took the most beautiful drive to Daffodil Hill and we met most of Northern California, who also thought it was a good idea to go to Daffodil Hill on opening day. Despite the crowds, it was so beautiful and it was a fun way to spend my birthday morning. And, turns out, it was a good thing we went. The next week we had some pretty good rain and they were only able to be open that one weekend. I'm glad we didn't miss it.
Also that day, our dear friends from home, The Silva Family, were driving through town on their way to the Bay for Spring Break and we were able to have them stop by for a short visit. It was great to see them.
That night we had to speak in the Elk Grove Stake Conference, but Scott made sure we stopped by Baskin Robins to get me some ice cream on our way home.
My friend Brooke Sedgewick brought me a quiche from Karen's bakery and that made the perfect day after my birthday breakfast!
I've been reflecting on all of my blessings and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all that our Heavenly Father has blessed me with. Before we came on our mission we were definitely blessed and I didn't think life could get much better. We miss being near our family but feel blessed to be close enough to see them often. We have friends and family at home that we miss, but know our relationships will be as strong with them when we get home as they were when we left. But we have now been blessed with so many new and wonderful people in our lives. Our circle has expanded and with our circle, our hearts. We have dear friends now, scattered across 11 Stakes of Northern California, and we have hundreds of missionaries we dearly love who will be part of our lives and in our hearts forever. We are so abundantly blessed and for that I will be eternally grateful. These are the things that are really worth celebrating. God is Good.
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