June 12, 2011

Dear Family and Friends, June 12, 2011

Monday our baby Sara turned 22. I can’t believe Sara is all grown up! I guess it is only right since she is getting married in August. Sara has been a wonderful daughter and we appreciate her goodness! It has been interesting to be here as she’s been going through the wedding planning time of her life. It appears she is doing a great job (without us) and things are coming along nicely! We know she and Daniel have a wonderful life ahead of them! We love Sara very much!

For us this has also been a week of planning and preparing. On Tuesday June 14 we will receive 24 new missionaries. With that big of a group there are many things to do to be ready for them. Mark has spent hours planning and praying for inspiration to place all the new companionships together. It really is quite a process with each move affecting other missionaries and their companionships. We need 24 good solid missionaries who can be great trainers and then they need to be placed with the right companion. Usually he receives initial impressions but after actually meeting them sometimes there are a few changes. Some mornings he runs right to the board in his office here at home (where all the missionaries’ photos and information cards are placed by areas of assignment) to make changes that came to him in the night. The office elders are also busy preparing all the transportation schedules and supplies needed for the missionaries plus meals and accommodations for the night they arrive. At the same time we are preparing to say goodbye to 21 missionaries on Thursday. We had to rent a bus this time because the numbers are so big, where usually we can manage by borrowing the other mission’s van along with ours and our car and a man who helps move the luggage to the airport and back. Anyway it is a fun, exciting week made more fun and exciting by the large numbers!

This weekend we attended stake conference for the Asuncion Stake. It was a wonderful weekend. There are many strong people in the stake and the attendance was great. It’s fun now that we know more people and get a chance to catch up and visit when we see them at conferences. We also have 28 missionaries who serve in that stake so it was good to see all of them. Elder Spitale from Argentina was the visiting Area Seventy who presided. Usually the seventies fly from Argentina but this time his trip was a little unusual. Because of the volcano eruption in Chile last week and the ash in the air, the airplanes were not flying between Argentina and Paraguay. He took a colectivo (bus) that took him 20 hours to make the trip. He arrived just in time for the Saturday Priesthood meeting at 4pm without even being able to change his clothes. Luckily the planes were flying again today so he was able to fly home after the conference. The Area Seventies have a very busy life during conference season. They work full time at their jobs and then travel many weekends to preside at the conferences. We were really impressed that he made such a great effort to get to the conference and fulfill his responsibilities. We were also glad to hear the planes were flying again so we can receive our missionaries on Tuesday and those finishing their missions can fly home on Thursday. Mark and I both spoke on Saturday and Sunday and Mark taught during Priesthood leadership meeting also.

We are looking forward to a good week meeting new missionaries and some tender times saying goodbye to some other missionaries. Change is constant in the mission. Hope you all have a good week! Love, Mark and Sandy