Lunch Bunch

Toward the end of the month, all missionaries' support cards are pretty low on funds, if not completely depleted, so we brought in Chinese take-out for some of the elders. Elder Abbott and Elder Jean Louis were here helping the Office Elders and Assistants film a video about auto safety. It's supposed to be instructional, but I'm thinking that it will most likely have plenty of humor.

Yes, Elder Morrell is doing what it looks like he's doing!

Elder Hansen, Elder Abbott and Elder Jean Louis

Elders and Sisters, please check your tire pressure

Baton Rouge missionaries at the office to star in the video

Elder Morrell's new T-shirt. What's wrong with this picture?

Old Van, New Van

The new mission van arrived a few weeks ago and the elders were, in their words, pumped! The poor, retiring van has 94,000 very hard, Louisiana miles on it. But the outside is nothing compared to the inside. Quite frankly, it's a wreck! There's been so many missionaries, suitcases, commissary orders, bikes, furniture and who knows what else in there, so it was a welcome change.

Old van

New van

Happy elders

Just a note: It seemed very strange today to send out papers to an incoming missionary that I'll never meet! She enters the Mexico City MTC in June but won't arrive in Baton Rouge until July, and we'll be gone be gone by then. That's pretty hard to believe.

The Al Lino Connection

These are 4 of the best missionaries ever! We had the opportunity to have the Assistants and Office Elders over for lunch today. With Elder Hansen going home and the upcoming week going into transfer mode, we knew this might be the last opportunity to get these 4 together. I know I've said this over and over, but they are such outstanding young men. They're smart and fun, but most of all, they have solid testimonies of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. They're so wise beyond their years.

We may have visited for a bit longer than the suggested hour meal time, but I'm sure it's because we were taking care of some mission business. In the course of our conversation we discovered that Elder H's dad served his mission in Jamaica and was companions with Al Lino! If you aren't Tongan or didn't live in Hacienda Heights in the 80's, that name won't mean a thing. But Al was a regular at our house. He played football on the high school team and spent time with his football buddy who lived across the street but managed to find his way to our house around dinnertime. He was the only member of the Church in his family and could use moral support, so we were happy to have him be a part of our lives. Marc wrote him regularly while Al was serving his mission.

Lunch Bunch

Sister Merrill from Temple Square

What happens "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," or "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," or "If You Give a Missionary an IPhone?" This is what happens. They have a camera party! Elder Bennett and Elder Hansen were on their way to the body shop to take pictures of one of the cars that's in for repairs. I offered to let them use my phone as Elder B said it takes better pics than his camera. I should have known that they'd get more than damaged car pics:)

Smug mugs

Not even sure what to say about this one!

A very focused driver

What a character!

Sister Amar and Sister Fiso returned to Temple Square on Wednesday, and they will truly be missed. It seems like that was a very fast three months. In their place we happily welcomed Sister Merrill from Idaho and Sister Desjourdy from Canada. Sister Merrill and Sister King dropped by the office this afternoon, and we were able to meet Sister Merrill for the first time. I'm hoping that she'll get to stay in Baton Rouge so we can get to know her. We didn't have the opportunity to meet Sister Desjourdy before she was whisked off to Chalmette with her companion, Sister Boehme.

Sister Merrill and Sister King

Elder Hansen and I had a brief, but very tender, conversation today. I asked him how he's feeling now that he's nearing the completion of his missionary service. He said he's so emotional but feels "complete." If a soon-to-be-homebound elder can say that at the end of two years he probably worked with all his "heart, might, mind and strength" and is going home with no regrets. It looks like he can successfully close this chapter in his book of life. Elder H also said that all the challenges he had were meant for him and helped him to grow and progress (That might not have been his exact words) and he feels like he received more than he gave. Well, I totally disagree with that! Personally, I think he's been a welcome addition to the office. I must admit that my eyebrows raised when he was assigned here. Normally an office elder spends at least 4-6 months in that position--learning, doing, then training his replacement. So I was just plain surprised, but it's been a blessing to have had seven weeks to get to know him.

A Random Post

For about a year I've been wondering why MSY is the airport code for the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, since it has nothing to do with Louie Armstrong or New Orleans. MSY stands for Moisant Stock Yards. Before the airport was built, an early aviation pioneer, John Moisant, crashed a small plane on the property. John was known as the "King of Aviators" and crashed on December 31, 1910 while preparing to try for a new world's record for sustained flight. At that time the location was the Harahan Plantation. After the crash, the property was turned into cattle stock yards and named Moisant Stock Yards. Then the airport was built on the same site. Since most residents knew where Moisant Stock Yards were located, the name was used as the first identifier for the airport. The original name of the airport was Moisant Field. The name was changed to New Orleans International Airport, but the identifier stayed the same since it's somewhat difficult to change airports identifiers. The End!

Lots of Visitors!

I love surprises--especially when they come in the form of former missionaries. Today it was Christine Lyons. She came in Monday from Canada and will be here for another week. It's just so great to see missionaries that you don't know if you'll see again or not. Christine has gone back to her former profession as a hair stylist or cosmetologist. She's also going to take a job with a contractor doing office work. She likes keeping busy. It was great to have a few minutes with her before she headed out to see friends in Lafayette.

Christine Lyons

Brother Tolbert used to be in the Denham Springs Stake Presidency but was called as the YM President a few months ago. What a generous man he is! Among other things he comes in regularly to take the Elders to lunch. Today the Assistants went to The Londoner--a pub & grill in Baton Rouge that serves great British food. And, lucky me, they brought an unsolicited lunch back to me. Thanks, Brother Tolbert!

Elder White, Brother Tolbert and Elder Morrell

Elder Benson and Elder Ross 

New companions--Hermana Astle and Hermana Palmer. I probably should've been calling our Spanish Sisters Hermana from the beginning, but I just didn't think about it. 

Elder Bennett--the eternal clown--was playing with my phone. Can you imagine how much fun he is to have in the office?

Arrivederci Marc and Tanner!

Our day began with a trip to New Orleans and the sad departure of 2 outstanding grandsons. I'm so very proud of them for the young men that they've become. It's so hard to think that it will be over 2 years before we see Marc again but are thrilled with the new chapter in his life that will begin soon and how it will mold him into the person he will become. And Tanner is not far behind. He anticipates being in the mission field by the end of the year. Wow! Poor Danielle. I know exactly how she is and will be feeling. But as sad as it is to have children leave home for missions, we wouldn't want it any other way. But they're not so serious that we can't have a ton of fun!

The Monday office meeting was postponed until this afternoon because of schedule conflicts. Elder Hansen (not to be confused with Pres. Hansen), who'll be going home in 2 weeks, gave a very tender spiritual thought about charity. Anytime someone uses Moroni 7:45-48 they have my attention, and today was no different. Elder Hansen began with a quote from President Monson who said: "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." He tied it into the verses on charity, then shared the example of how Elder White, one of the Assistants, illustrated the very point he was making about loving and caring for him in time of need. Elder White has a very kind and tender soul, so it was easy to see that connection. We'll be sad to see Elder Hansen go home but know he'll return as an even better young man than he was before he came. We haven't had much time to get to know him but enough to recognize some great traits in him, such as humility and gratitude. Hm, those are two of President Hinckley's 6 "B's." I'm thinking that he's also smart, clean, true and faithful, which are the other four.

Elder Fowler and Elder Jacildo--the Zachary Elders