I have mentioned before that working with and getting to know other senior couples are a couple of the many blessing we have had on our missions.  Senior couples love to get together and since there are 4 couples who live minutes from each other and 2 who live 30-45 minutes away. We often find reasons to eat some food, exchange lots of talk and play 5 Crowns. Tonight we had everyone over to our house for soft tacos and other goodies as a last chance to get together for a kind of informal farewell party for the Evans and the Sommerfeldts who will be heading back to their homes over the next few weeks.

  

The Sommerfeldts brought the Bares this bear that they said they found hitch-hiking along the road. It seemed only fair that it got it’s own missionary name tag. I think Sister Bare looks good along the new Elder Bare. Elder Bare arrived in his casual evening dress…it seems that the other Elder Bear could not make it.

  

I have no idea who was talking to elders Collins and Evans. I also do not know why sister Sommerfeldt seems to be putting on a blindfold as she talks to sister Evans. Elder Evans and I like to take pictures of each other taking pictures of the other.

  

Sisters Collins and Bare prepare the food. Elder Sommerfeldt seems to be enjoying his plate full of food.

  

In fact everyone seems to be enjoying the food and the fellowship around the tables.  We were really happy to have E/S McCormick come up from Marathon Key for the evening. It was perfect timing as they were coming up anyway to meet with some family who will be coming in from a cruise and they will get together tomorrow.

  

After dinner we played a intense game of 5 Crowns. One table was mainly sisters and the other was mainly the elders. We do not have couples play at the same table so they can ride home together in peace. Sister Bare and I were the winners at our table.

After the game we had some great dessert and then the couples one by one left to head to their home.

 I do not understand why I have not thought of this earlier for other transfers but at least they will be here for the last three transfers while we are here. These are pictures of the transfer sheets that are projected at transfer meeting. Everyone at the meeting knows that they are going to be transferred and will have a new companion but they have no idea who. These sheets are revealed line by line and the missionaries learn for the first time who they will be with and where they will serve the next six weeks.

As you sit in the meeting you can hear the intake of breath and the soft comments as the companionships are shown. After each zone has been fully revealed the missionaries are told to make the changes. There is a lot of excited noise as old companions give big hugs and say goodbye and then hug their new companion and join them for the first time. It is one of great experiences of being a senior missionary.

  

For those who have not served here, I will explain what you are seeing as you look at the Stuart Zone sheet. The names in black are missionaries who have not moved and the ones in red are those who have moved. For example Elder Edwards was already serving as a Zone leader serving in the Stuart South area. Elder Osborn is now his companion.  ZL stands for Zone Leader and DL stands for District Leader. The only companionships in this zone that did not change are elders Bowen and Duncan up in Okeechobee and elders Maddox and Pearce serving in Wellington.

I need to explain a couple of more things and colors on the sheet. Looking at the Palm Beach  Zone you will see that the Palm Beach Central area is in red…this means it is a brand new area that was opened or perhaps re-opened this transfer. The other thing that you will find on this sheet is names in blue. Blue means that the missionary on the left is training the missionary on the right. Usually the trainer will be serving in the same area as they were the previous 6 weeks but that is not always true.

  

 

 As I mentioned before, the 14 above average missionaries that arrived on the 15th had a very long day in airports and planes. Instead of arriving at 2:30 and having a nice dinner at the mission home, then an interview by President Anderson, and being trained by the APs. They arrived after 8:30 and was wisked to the hotel where they were fed a delicious box dinner that was put together at the mission home by the Evans and sister Anderson. They then got to take their weary bodies up to their rooms for a well deserved night’s sleep.

Elder and Sister Evans brought the food to the hotel and Elder Evans sent me these pictures. Since they will be leaving before the next transfer they were also invited to the departing missionaries dinner on Wednesday night where they took a couple of pictures of the missionaries arriving at the mission home from their trip to the Orlando temple.

  

Elders Shipley and Rippstein with some of the missionaries. Note the TV picture in the back – they certainly are not talking about the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission! In the middle I believe are elders Madson, Page and Van Wagenen. The right side picture shows the first picture of the old and new APs – elders Gust, Avila, Rippstein and Shipley.

  

The Evans with elders Avila, Shipley and Rippstein. The departing missionaries arrive at the mission home after a 3 1/2 hour drive from the Orlando Temple. In the last picture elder and sister Sommerfeldt can be seen. They escorted the missionaries to the temple and then stayed for the departing dinner and testimony meeting. They will also be leaving before the next transfer. I asked sister Sommerfeldt if the missionaries slept all the way home but she said they spent the whole time talking! These 9 elders have been together for 2 years and they have shared so many wonderful experiences, lived with each other for 24/7 and have learned to truly love each other as only those who have been on missions can understand.