Sunday, July 1, 2012

Our Final Good-bye

We love baptisms always and many miracles have been happening in Malaga.  Elder Triana and Elder Thomas are working and obedient and the Lord is blessing Malaga with success.  

Elche is excited to see a baptism.  Elder Gomez and Elder Mardonnes have worked hard.
Elder Woodford and Elder Jackson keep seeing the fruits of teaching prepared people in Cordoba.
I am so sorry but Elder Woodford, you can't remove that knife.
Elder Salmeron has on his whole Zone's chapas, we think?  
Elder Jackson is finding many special places in this castle.
The Zone Leaders are ready to push the mission to new heights.
We had a great visit with the former Elder Fagersten and his parents and younger brother.  
We had a wonderful last family home evening with all our couples in the mission.  What great people they all are.
Elder Manning sent us a "I love you" shadow.  Thanks, we love you too.
What a great surprise from the office.  A new scripture bag.  I love it Elders.
An even though Presidente Clegg said you didn't need a parker pen to be a Spain Malaga Missionary.  The office thought he should have one to take home.  
We had a wonderful dinner and farewell with Presidente Munoz and his wife Teresa.  They are wonderful people who are leading the Granada Stake.
We took one final p-day to see some of the Malaga sights we had never taken the time to visit.
On Friday morning, June 29th, the Deere family arrived in Malaga.  What a great family and how excited we are for them to serve for the next 3 years.
The two presidents shake hands and decide it's time for the ceremonial transfer of the keys of the mission.  This was a very tender and sweet time as we let go of all our responsibilities of ministering in the Spain Malaga Mission.
So now the keys are passed.  We have given them our phones and showed them around the mission home & mission office.  
Our dear Elders Manning, Nally, Hall and Hunt take us to the airport to bid a farewell. 
And with all of our love we say Thank-you and good-bye to everyone.  To all the wonderful members who do so much and give of their time we say thank-you.  To all of the parents and families of our missionaries who so often send such kind messages of love and support we could not have done this without your faith and prayers.  And to the best missionaries in the entire world, WE LOVE YOU ALL AND WILL CHERISH YOU FOREVER.
And look who was in the Salt Lake Airport to greet us when we arrived home.  Our incredible 5 children and their spouses and all of our 15 grandchildren.  Leaving a mission is tender and tough, but coming home to this is priceless.  We love you all and look forward to meeting so many parents and new wives and husbands and children of all the missionaries who served in either Bilbao or Malaga.  This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, we know He lives and loves us all.  We are his sons and daughters. 
We testify that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today.  This is His church restored on the earth today.  We are forever grateful for this opportunity to serve.  We leave you our testimony and our love, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.