The purpose of this blog is to highlight the beautiful city of Guadalajara; the faithful members, the valiant missionaries who serve here, as well as the people, culture, and food.

Monday, June 25, 2018

It is our transfer weekend! 6-23-18

It is our transfer weekend once again and we are saying goodbye
to seven outstanding missionaries!
It is so sad to see them go, it always is....but it is time! We wish
them the very best as they return home and become adjusted to
life after the mission!

We began this weekend with each missionary receiving his final
interview with President Clayton on Friday afternoon.

We enjoyed our final Temple session with them on Saturday evening.




Transfer weekend also means transfer calls.
Here are our Assistants Elder Velazquez
and Elder Cluff making the transfer calls
out on our front steps...
They call every missionary, whether they are
staying in their same area with their current companions,
or transferring to a new area to be with
a new companion.






                                         


                                          

Sunday, we met again here in the mission home for our
dinner together and our final testimony meeting.
Here are some highlights of our evening together.








Those long awaited certificates of completion!


Good. For. Them!


and here they are!




Early this morning, we met our missionaries
at the mission office to drive over to the airport. 
It is always so difficult to say goodbye!


President with the Elders including 
the Assistants


Sister Varela had to leave early, early this morning
to return to Honduras.
Our office Elders took her to the airport.


Here is our group returning home!


# we love our missionareis! 

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Church in Ameca! 6-24-18

Today we were so grateful to finish our branch conferences,
right where we began three years ago.... in Ameca.
What a wonderful day, a beautiful drive and lovely meetings
with these sweet members in Ameca!


We woke up to the sound of thunder and 
to a gorgeous rainstorm.
It rained for the first part of our
drive and then the clouds parted and
the sun broke out.. 
The fields are green and the cattle
and horses are happily eating the 
fresh green grass.



After our meeting I took pictures of our 
Ameca congregation. From right to left.




Presidetn Clayton 
with President Munoz on the far left,
and his branch presidency. 


President Munoz and his sweet family.


These sweet girls drew precious
pictures for us.
This first one is my favorite!
President Clayton and I driving
around our mission.
Check out President Clayton's dark neatly 
combed hair and bright smile.
I love that this sweetheart colored my 
hair with her yellow crayon to convey
my gray hair.  I love it!






With President Partida and his wife, Gloria.
He was the former branch president, 
of Ameca, now counselor to President Munoz.


With Elder Rose and Elder Astorga who are
serving in Ameca right now.


President visiting with the Elders
before we  left.



Our gorgeous drive home.






Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Sweet memories from our Interviews!

Colima Zone Saturday Interviews 


After the interviews, these thoughtful missionaries
 handed us a gift bag with little gifts they had 
found for each of us.
We opened them Sunday morning in our hotel room.


With the sweet sisters in Colima
who were wearing the Alaska State flag
colors of blue and gold.



Missionaries signing President Clayton’s
Book of Mormon 


This sweet zone sang this
traditional and very Spanish hymn
 to us in the hall way as we were leaving. 



                                         

Manzanillo Zone


With the sisters in Manzanillo
including Sister Bingham who is the
grandest example of all - of Christlike,  
full time service to the Lord. 
We are so blessed to have she and her husband
 serving with us here in Manzanillo! 


These sweet missionaries also sang to us.
They sang, God be with you til we meet again.




                                   

Guzman Zone was next


Zone Leaders 
Elder Hudson and Elder Mejia teaching 
what President and I had taught at Mission Council.
I kept hearing them say, sister Clayton said....
President Clayton said......
It is very humbling.


These four sweethearts waited for President Clayton
to finish his interviews so they could say a last 
goodbye and shut and lock the church gate
behind us.


Santiago Zone



After lunch, they too surprised us by singing


God be with you til we meet again.




Next was our Tepic Zone 


With these four faithful sisters serving in Tepic 


After our interviews, we caught these
four Elders crossing the street, over to 
catch the bus. I love their quick wave!



The Tepic Zone sang 
If the Savior stood beside me 
in English and in Spanish. 



Vallarta Zone 


During my activity with them.


The Vallarta zone handed me a Book of Mormon 
with each missionary marking their favorite
verse, and slipping a picture of them and
President Clayton and I in that spot.
It is a treasure!


The Vallarta sisters  :)



Union Zone 6-15-18


They had us sit right down and put on a 
little production for us.
It was darling!


Elder Guajardo plays so beautifully.


Elder Anderson and Sister Lindsay
played President Clayton and I


Scene 1 :)

                                     

Scene 2 :)

                                      

Scene 3 :)

                                      




                                  Zone Leaders teaching



Elder Castillo's parents had this beautiful plate made for us.
What a sweet memory....


Independencia  Zone 

We walked in and these sweet missionaries
were ready with a special musical number 
for us... and it was lovely!



The Elders had each chosen and autographed
a tie to give President Clayton


Sister Clawson gave me a sweet necklace


With the pretty view of the city


Zone Leaders Elder Powley and Elder Colvin
teaching Jacob 2:2 and highlighting 
President's and my teaching.


Elder Powley and Elder Colvin also 
presented us with a Book of Mormon 
that the whole zone had written in.


Elder Colvin played a beautiful 
farewell hymn for us. 


I had to divide the video into
three sections. 

                                            


                                             

Ok, I got a phone call as I was recording
Elder Colvin’s hymn, so there is a 
small break but here is the third 
and final part of his hymn. 

                                            

It was absolutely beautiful and so
movingly played.  Thank you Elder Colvin.

and finally....our Lomas Zone 
Getting ready for our picture
(always a deal...)



                                         


                                         

                                    Here we are!


With the sisters



Zone leaders Elder Chamberlain and
 Elder Medina teaching



Oh my.... we love our missionaries!