Another round of six weeks begins

This was week one of our continuing repeated series of 6 week intervals.  That means it was announcement of transfers and departure of missionaries who have finished and arrival of new missionaries just coming in from Provo and Mexico City.  In other words it was an extremely busy week.  Especially since they changed things up on us and have decided to fly the missionaries from Provo in later in the day so they don't have to get them up at 2am at the MTC and they arrived exhausted.  Good plan except it always involves a lot of change on our part. Now we were at the airport by 7am to see our departing missionaries off and then home again.  Prepare something that I can leave at the mission valley stake center to feed incoming missionaries. We took the food the the stake center on our way to the airport to pick up our missionaries coming in from Mexico at 3pm. There were only two and we feed them at the airport and hung out until 4pm when the Provo missionaries arrived.  Then it means loading them up and the fun part....driving them in rush hour traffic to the mission valley stake center for dinner and a quick welcome. This is not my cup of tea. San Diego is ranked as the third worst freeway traffic in the nation. If you are not in the right lane at the right time you are toast. But we all made it. (ok I was the one who got off on the wrong exit because I was in the wrong lane.. but we made it) Dinner went well. We fed them, welcomed them and took their pictures. Had them all send a email home that they were there safe. Then the dramatic moment... we matched them up with their new companion.  Then it was out the door to pick up their luggage and bedding and get in their companion's car.  This part went really nice because we were not dealing with the monster steep driveway at the mission home.  They just drove up to the trailer, got their luggage and things and were off. 15 new missionaries with two more to arrive  the next day.

Next day at 8am their companions dropped them off and we did orientation and interviews at the Mission home.  They had lots of papers to fill out and Mark has to interview all of them.  I provided lunch (and actually breakfast to the APs who hadn't eaten)  and about 3pm their companions picked them back up and they were off. We had two more sisters arrived.  They are in from temple square for two months of field work.  Really nice. One is from India and the other from Australia.

Thursday we met at the Mormon Battalion Site at 7:45am for a tour of the Battalion and the last of the training. We train the trainers while the new missionaries take a tour and then we train them all together.  IT went well for having to put together a totally new plan and with having one new assistant to the president. Mark released one assistant and put him back in the field for the last months of his mission.
Then Friday it was interviews again.  All day 8am to 6pm and that is just one zone.  Five more days to go. We have reorganized 11 zones into 6 zones. I think it will work better. But it has been a lot of transitioning in one week.  Today we have a Christmas celebration on Mt. Helix that the community has allowed our missionaries to participate in. They will be ushers and also sing some Christmas solos.  I will give a closing prayer. Should be interesting.

I will admit I am exhausted. None of this describes the behind the scene dramas that have gone on all week. It has made for some late nights and constant prayer, and another day and time to tell those stories. I have also had to come up with meals for the APs and ourselves since we keep them helping so late some nights and so early in the morning.
OK the fun part pictures of the week.

 Dinner at a member's home in National City with 4 of our Elders last Sunday. The dog named Jerry was under the table and kept licking my legs.

 Saying good bye to one of our sisters going home

 Loading up the new arrivals

 Training at the Mormon Battalion

Group shot of the new missionaries after training at the Battalion

Well that is about it for the week. We love you all and you are in our prayers constantly.  I know you are doing so much.  Thanks for sending us pictures and videos of choir concerts and orchestra and piano recitals.  It means a lot to us and makes it feel more like Christmas.

WE love you all so much

MOM