We had our first ever "Sisters Only Transfer" last week, as a group of "Sister Missionaries" completed their 18 months, and flew home. It is reflective of the "Bubble" of Sister Missionaries that came into the mission with the new age change, about 2 years ago, and now this bubble of Missionaries have completed their service and are returning home.
Left to right are Sister's Renda, Aslett, Burton, Ward, Sharp and Maxwell, with the Assistants, Elder Erickson and Dudley on the front right.
My favorite pictures are always when we do "Fun" picture after the "serious" picture! 
It just always brings out a different side!
It just always brings out a different side!
As we listened to the "Farewell Testimonies" of this wonderful group of Sisters, there seemed to be a theme that got started and was repeated, the theme of "Change". One Sister said that she had really had a change of heart on her mission, another said she had seen great changes in other people, but mostly in herself, and someone mentioned that going home was going to be such a big change, they were so accustomed to missionary life. Sister Ward talked about the scripture Ether 12:27 and how it had come to mean a lot to her. It reads, "And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble: and my grace is sufficient for all men that if they humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." She said that being on a mission had brought out her weaknesses, and for a while, that bothered her. Then she realized that the Lord was blessing her to be able to "Change" and turn her weaknesses into strengths! One of the Assistants, in his testimony, told us that he came on a mission thinking that he was going to "Change the world" --- and he ended up being changed the most.
How I LOVE these Missionaries --- their honesty, their strengths and all that they have taught me.
This picture reflects another "Change" that has happened.
All of the snow that was outside our apartment
All of the snow that was outside our apartment
has now melted and become a small pond, complete with a "Duck!"
We had to stop and take this picture one morning on our way to the Office.We could not believe we were looking at a duck right where the snow drifts had been a few weeks ago. We are grateful for the change in weather and are enjoying it.
We said a temporary "Goodbye" to Sister Drew.
She is just so much fun....she and her companion, Sister Maxwell, loved to call Elder Harding and ask him for help or advice. They admitted that they sort of came to rely on him, but he really enjoyed them calling. It as sort of like having daughters here to care for.
One week, when we had not heard from them for 3-4 days, we called them up and teased them a bit. We had to take this photo with the Sister Drew and Elder Harding on the phone, before Sister Drew got transferred. We will see her again in a few weeks time, before she too, goes home.
President reminded us, at the close of our Testimony evening, that it takes great courage to change ourselves. At 60 years of age, he said, you will have chosen your Face --- be it sad or happy, content or discontent. We will no longer be able to say it was this person or that, that made me what I am, but I am what I ultimately chose to be. This is just the beginning, at the end of our missions, he said. We are meant to go home, take off the name tag, and use what we have learned, what we have become.
I really like these thoughts, and I have pondered on them. Being on a mission is a life-changing experience. It does bring out our weaknesses, it brings us to our knees and it gives us wonderful experiences that we would not have anywhere else.
I love the Lord, I am grateful for His tender Mercies. One of the things that changes missionaries it to repeat, every morning, their Mission Commission ...... it reminds us that We are all called of God, we stand in His place and minister to the very people that He would minister to, if He were personally here. Our voice is His voice, Our acts are His acts, Our doctrine is His doctrine. Our commission is to do what He wants done, and to say what He wants said.
As we strive to do this, it cannot help but Change us!
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