They are here!!!

We are thrilled to welcome our new group of missionaries!
One hour after we said goodbye to our returning home missionaries, we went back into the airport to welcome our 13 new missionaries coming to us from the Mexico City MTC.  We have one Elder joining us later this evening, coming in from the Prove MTC.

We are always anxious to meet these fresh new faces.  The hour of their mission has come and
They Are Here!!!

Just outside the Guadalajara airport doors.

After a quick bite to eat and an explanation of what their

first day in the mission would entail, 

 we took a picture on the steps of the Guadalajara Temple,

holding our most powerful tool in our hands

in the four finger power hold...

The Book of Mormon!

Here are our seasoned missionaries ready to 

spend the day with our new missionaries.

And here are our 13 new missionaries, 

excited and ready for their first day in 

the mission!

They are ready!!

Elder Philips arrived this evening from the Provo MTC.

Our assistants picked him up and he spent his first

evening with them.  We meet tomorrow for our 

first full day of training!

It's time. Time for these 16 faithful missionaries to return home. #Returning with Honor

We cannot believe that it is that time once again.  Time for 16 of our finest missionaries to return home.  We love them.  They have served faithfully and well.  We will miss them terribly.
Here are some pictures from our farewell day.

Saturday we attended the Temple together.
Sunday they had their final interview with President Clayton, and our farewell dinner and testimony meeting.
We treasure our memories with these wonderful servants of God.
God bless you each.

Waiting for their turn to be interviewed

President making several last minute changes

for this transfer.

Our fabulous assistants

Elder Contreras and Elder Uribe 

waiting and ready to make the transfer calls.

Sister Hernandaz who made enchiladas

for our farewell dinner

And finally, those well deserved certificates!

It is a happy day!

always, a few more pictures :)

With that precious Book of Mormon in our hands.

me with these four outstanding sisters going home.

One final picture with Sister Turitich who is from

Paraguay and is leaving for the airport very very 

early in the morning, returning home solo.

A final goodbye to this faithful sister.

A final goodbye at the airport.

It's Transfers!!!

It's that time again!
The time when we have missionaries leaving the mission, returning home, and missionaries arriving here in the mission, to begin their service...... It's transfer time!

These changes represent a significant amount of President Clayton's spiritual time and effort as he seeks our Father in Heaven's inspiration concerning a multitude of things... companion ships, training new missionaries, how long missionaries have served in one area, mission leadership strength, area needs, stake ward and branch needs, health concerns, language strength just to name a few.  President Clayton assures me that this weighs on him greatly and takes a great amount of effort.  He is woken up early many, many mornings with  promptings and guidance.  I know he is inspired and receives revelation concerning the affairs of this mission.

We are once again losing strong and faithful leaders in the mission.  But we are excited as new leaders are raised up and take their place here in the mission.
This is a time for stretching, and leading out in righteousness as we serve our Savior Jesus Christ, here in the Mexico Guadalajara Mission!

President Clayton. 

Our Mission Tour with Elder and Sister Pino

We love Elder and Sister Pino!
We have had such a marvelous few days traveling and touring our mission,  What wonderful teachings we received from them.  We are anxious to apply what we have learned, and see the blessings from their council.

Here we are in Colima with our Colima, Guzman, and Manzanillo zones

The next day, we drove to Tepic.

What a marvelous drive that was!

President Clayton and I will not soon

forget this experience!

Here we are with our Tepic, Santiago and Vallarta zones

Next, we traveled back to Guadalajara

and met with our Lomas, Union and 

Independencia zones

73 missionaries in all!

What a group!

I love both of these pictures, and couldn't decide 

which one to add..

A quick seat change to sit by and remember

sweet Sister Pino.

President Clayton and Elder Pino role playing.

President Pino's object lesson,

Where do we find ourselves in this picture?

Are we pushing or pulling the work along?

Are we sitting casually, or distracting others?

What is our goal moving forward?

And finally, our Mission Council 

with Elder and Sister Pino

(why did that gust of wind catch only my hair??)

Elder Pino's goodbye.