Saturday, April 30, 2011

100+

Do we ever get tired of the monkey pictures? Gibraltar is always an enjoyable preparation day as we see being enjoyed by the Jerez District. Elder Ferguson are you trying to look calm and collected?
Elder Waite, I think you have a captive audience.
And when did these baptisms occur? Well Elder Goodman finally figured out how to send his pictures to me so we will gladly put the baptism ones on. This is Espifania who was baptized before Elder Gold went home.
Another two baptisms of Valeska and Dahyana. Great things are always going on in Granada.
What are these two Elders doing?
It's called two Elders cleaning the font before a baptism. Way to go Elders Brian and Avellar. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and we want clean baptismal fonts.
The baptism was beautiful for Lizeth in Fuengirola. The Assistants lives are busy as they work to shepherd the mission and be missionaries themselves. We are now over 100 baptisms this year. We are a consecrated mission with incredible missionaries thrusting in their sickle to reap the harvests.
Hna Cannuci and Hna Perera were rejoicing over the two baptisms in Torrevieja. Great work Hermanas.
Hna Cluff and Hna Sturgess love their most recent convert, Obdula. Such a great looking lady who has found the truth.
Granada has seen a family come into the church with the baptism of Juana, the wife and the mother of the two girls shown here.
The next week the two daughters, Karina and Carolina joined their mother in being baptized. Their father was already a member of the church, and now we have an eternal family in the making.
Elders Staples and Elder Adams rejoiced in the baptism of Sherezade in Chiclana.
They also sent this lovely picture around Chiclana.
What have we got here? It looks like a group of happy, excited trainers. We are receiving new missionaries and their trainers are ready for them to come. L. to R. Elders Redd, Fagersten, Becerra, Dunoskovic, Shaver, Stanley, Pederson, Thornley and Burdette.
The next day we were at the train station bright and early. You don't have to look so serious Elders Brian and Avellar. The ayudantes are always ready to help.
They arrived and were met with smiles from all of us. What a super looking group. Elders Blanch, Kirkham, Manning, us, Hafen, Peterson, Hunt and Walton are eager and ready to work, and we love that.
All the luggage had to go into the lockers. Sometimes it is hard to fit it all in one area. Elder Kirkham found out that he needed two.
Loaded in the van, getting a few donuts to eat on the way, to a great spot we are now hoping to be able to take all the missionaries to.
The sun was shinning brightly on the lovely balcony in Mijas. The Elders are listening intently to Pte. Clegg impart some wisdom.
This a great picture of a few of the great ones in the Army of the Lord!
Just so you know, this was what the Elders were looking at this beautiful spring morning, Fuengirola and the Mediterranean Sea below.
We brought them to the mission home with the trainers eager to find out who they will be training. Patience Elders.
Always the best part, where will I be serving first and who is my companion. The room was loaded with excitement.
It truly was hard to tell who was more excited, the trainers or the new Elders. My vote goes with the trainers.
Elder Peterson is going with Elder Pederson to Murcia. Here we have a 3 generation photo. Elder Solari trained Elder Pederson who is going to be training Elder Peterson, got that?
Another generation shot. Elder Fagersten trained Elder Shaver who is going to be training Elder Hafen. Great things await the Elders in Huelva.
We have this enormous group of Elders to feed. Hopefully there will be enough.
We ran out of room so the assistants and Pte. Clegg and I had to eat in the kitchen.
Here is a grand view of all the trainers with their companions. The trainers are in front. It goes Elders Blanch, Burdette in Malaga, Kirkham, Fagersten in Sevilla, Walton, Stanley in Sevilla, Manning, Dunoskovic in Badajoz, Peterson, Pederson in Murcia, Hafen, Shaver in Huelva, Hunt and Redd in Malaga. Whew, that is a handful. Elder Thornley's companion is coming Friday.
After everyone left for their area, we still had two Elders staying behind. That's because Elder Solari and Elder Del Molino have a new assignment. They are starting as our Traveling Trainers, or Traveling Assistants. They will be going around the mission spending 3-4 days with many of the companionships, teaching, working and helping the entire mission raise to the highest level possible, that of a completely consecrated missionary. It is going to be great.
A few days later look who we found at the train station in Fuengirola, the former Hna Brown and her two adorable little sisters Melissa and McKenzie.
They helped us greet Elder Rodriguez who arrived just a few days after the rest of his group. We are still minus one missionary from this group who is currently visa waiting. We hope it won't be too long till he comes.
As we go to get on the elevator to the mission office we are greeted with great smiles from the assistants again. They are busy all over the place this week.
The entire Brown family from Fillmore, Utah came inside to say hi for a few minutes. What a beautiful family and so fun to see Hna Brown again. She was a fantastic missionary.
At the same time Elder Rodriguez is getting a little oriented by the office Elders. Elder Avellar is excited to tell Elder Rodriguez about Motril, where Elder Rodriguez is going to be serving with Elder Thornley.
One more official picture and off he goes with a sack lunch in hand as he rides the bus to Mortril. Things never stop in the mission do they? We love getting new missionaries and love serving the wonderful people in the Spain Malaga Mission. This is one very special place to be with 100 very special missionaries to go along with our 100 baptims. We love them all.

3 comments:

  1. So many fun things happening. I fee almost more connected to everything since I have been there and seen some of where you are at. I am glad you took the group up to Mijas that is the perfect place like we talked about. Yeah for 100+ keep it up SMM (Spain Malaga Mission).

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  2. Thank you so much for posting these updates each week! I am Elder Tannon Pedersen's sister and I love reading all about what is going on with him and his fellow missionaries over there!

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  3. I served in this mission in 96-97 and my first area was Motril! (My companion and I opened the area for Herms... I'm not sure if you still have them there.) That was my first Spain experience and it will always be dear to my heart! It was fun to read about somebody going there and I would love to return and see how the church has grown in that cute little city... and to see the people that I love so much. -Marisa Benson Bills

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