Sunday, November 16, 2014

Godspeed

It is always a bittersweet experience to say good-bye to missionaries who have completed their missions.    We are sad to have them leave, but at the same time excited for their success, for their reunion with loved ones, and for the great adventure that lies ahead of them.

From the transfer meeting we go to the mission home.  We invited anyone who wished to go over on the trails for an hour before dinner with us.  



Left:  Sisters Moore, Hanseen, Pau'u, Winkler, Cook and Crockett
Front: Sister Weloth

Elders Vascallo (AP), Rasmussen, Johnson and Nash (AP)
Front left:  Sisters Hanseen, Pau'u, Cook and Weloth
Middle left:  Sisters Johnson, Crockett, Winkler, and Moore
Back left:  President Johnson, Elders Vascallo, Rasmussen and Johnson

Then we enjoyed a soup and salad bar with reminiscing, stories and laughter.
Front and clockwise:  Sisters Hanseen, Pau'u, Moore, Crockett, Weloth, Luker, Bateman, 
                                   Cook and Winkler
Sister Melissa Nobbs, President Nobbs (counselor to Pres. Johnson), Elders Rasmussen, 
     Johnson and Vascallo
Sisters Luker, Bateman, and Winkler
Elder Rasmussen
Sisters Cook, Crockett and Moore
Elder Johnson
Sisters Weloth, Hanseen and Pau'u
Thanks to President and Sister Nobbs for all they do!
We have several missionaries who serve in the PPM while they wait for visas.   On November 16 we said farewell to Elder Rosen who got his visa to go on to his mission in Taiwan.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Welcome New Elders and Sisters to Pennsylvania

Transfer Number 3!  
The crew arrives!  This month we welcomed 4 sisters and 16 elders.



An impressive line-up of new elders!  Elders Elkins, Bumgarner, Stallings, Woodbury, Hughes,
Hinkley, Pennington, Curtis, Wadsworth, Bell, Millis, with Sister Johnson, President Johnson
President and Sister Johnson with new sisters!  Sisters Landa, Sibley, Jex and Smith
A birds-eye view of Pittsburgh!
left:  Elders Ekins, Stallings, Bumgarner, Woodbury, Hughes, Wilt, Curtis, Bell, Wadswoth, Johnson
    Sisters Sibley, Landa, Jex, Smith, Hinckley, Pennington, Millis and Sister Johnson

The next day they have training and transfer meeting.  It has quite a dominoe effect when we add 16 new missionaries and send home 11 who have completed their missions!

Sisters!  Landa, Jex, Bills, Sampson, Yates, Sibley, Morphy, Olvera, Pau'u,and Smith
sister Yeats and Sister Jex
Friends come to wish missionaries well as they depart for home or new areas.
Sisters Pau'u and Olvera with Elders Shields and Nash saying goodbye to friends from their area.