Couples Dinner

We had a couples dinner at the LeCheminant's home in Queen Creek.  They furnished barbecued chicken and rolls and we each brought a side dish.  After everyone had eaten we visited and told the things we do as couples in the  mission.  It was interesting to find out the wonderful things the couples do to serve our mission.  
The Ord's used to sing in the Tabernacle Choir.  They now serve in three wards and help them with their music.  President and Sister Wheeler hardly have time to call their own but they generously give of their time to serve our mission.  The Ashbury's work with Just Serve.  They find service opportunities for the missionaries, the also check the missionaries apartments to make sure they are clean.  The Vorhee's are our medical advisers for four different missions.  The Hadji's' and Carver's stock the missionaries apartments with furniture, find places for them to live, and check their apartments.  The Hatch's and LeCheminant's work in the Welcome Center by the temple.  They teach the missionaries how to do family history and have Family Home Afternoons with the missionaries.   It's wonderful to have so many seniors serve in our mission.

Departures

This is our departing group of missionaries. They go home on August 23rd.  The departing missionaries are Elder Lindsey, Elder Mauclair, Elder Bartlett, Sister Statsny, Elder Williams, Elder McKnight, and Elder Schroder.  President and Sister Wheeler are in the middle.

Elder Mauclair is going home to an island outside of France.He flies into an airport located in Dzaoudzi, Mayotte on the southern tip of the island of Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi).(Which is an island outside of Africa)  It is the only airport in Mayotte with scheduled services, mainly to destinations within Africa and to France. I arrange for the travel with the missionary department.  It was really interesting trying to figure out where this airport was.  

Most of our missionaries come from Utah and Idaho, but we do get an occasional missionary from Mongolia, China, England, and Mexico.  We have some sisters that are from Alaska.  You just have to ask yourself, why does the Lord need a missionary from so far away in Gilbert, Arizona.  

We are getting ready for a new group of missionaries.  We will have 28 missionaries coming on August 23rd.  It has been interesting to plan for host families, housing, bicycles, cars, telephones, and transfer day. We love our mission.

Welcome Wheeler's

President and Sister Nattress, Elder Kapua, Elder Carattini,
Sister Wheeler, President Wheeler

Goodbye to President and Sister Nattress.

President and Sister Nattress talked to the Wheeler's and turned over the keys to the mission.  Afterwards we had a lunch at the mission office and sent them on their way.

President and Sister Wheeler are a really nice couple.  Interesting fact, Sister Wheeler and I both attended Snow College and were in the Secretarial Studies Program.  President Wheeler was Vice President of Snow College.  He was in the communications program at BYU,  My husband was also in the communications program.  They both had some of the same professors although they didn't know each other.  In the church it is always a small world.  

We love them already!

Sharp Sisters

We have some really sharp sisters in our mission.  There are 50 that serve in Gilbert.  When I served in the Ohio Columbus Mission as a young missionary there were probably 13 sisters.

Sister Shreve and Sister Finch are some of the sharpest sisters that we have met in this mission..  They both went home in July which made us sad.   But of course we received some new missionaries in July.  Among them were several sharp sisters.

We love having the sisters visit the mission office.  Today we had two sisters come in with a mangled bike.  Someone had backed out into one of them in the parking lot.  The lady that hit her gave her first name then drove off.

Several members stopped and consoled the sisters. One member gave them his business card and offered to pay for the bike or any injuries.  They were very impressed with the member support.  We have wonderful members in Gilbert.

Serving at Home

We wanted to serve a mission and still be close to our family.  So we decided to serve a mission at home.  My husband called the Gilbert Mission and found out the Brown's would be leaving in May.  So we were interviewed with the mission president and later learned we had the job.

We went to the MTC like regular missionaries do and then came home to Gilbert.

Some of the advantages are:  we get  to sleep in our own bed, drive our cars, see our children and grandchildren, and work with the missionaries. The missionaries are wonderful.  We love working with them and President and Sister Wheeler.  

There are a few things we miss like a nap every day in the afternoon, trips to see family, and to get out of the valley in the summer.  In spite of this, we love our mission and are happy to serve.