This past week I took a missionary to the airport. He is one of our Hmong speaking Elders. He is going home a week and a half earlier than the rest of his group that will leave on "Transfer Day", August 30th, so he can get into school on time. He is one of our really great Elders. In our mission we have 3 Hmong speaking Branches, and 6 Hmong speaking Elders. Hmong is a very old language, that comes from an area in China that geographically was absorbed thousands of years ago. During the Viet-Nam war, they helped the US, and so when the US pulled out, many Hmong people came over as political refugees.
This coming Wednesday, I have another Elder to take to the airport for the same reason. Taking this missionary to the airport will be a little different. His plane leaves at 6:30am!!!! You start counting back time for travel and checking in baggage, etc., and I will have to leave the house to go pick him up, at 3:30am. Good thing his apartment is in Rocklin, which is only a half hour away. (Of course it is a half hour in the opposite direction from the airport). That early in the morning, I wonder if anyone will care if I wear my jammies to the airport, with my missionary badge of course.
With each of the missionaries I have taken to the airport (not that many), I always park the car somewhere in the short term parking area, and I walk them in to the ticket counter to make sure their bags get checked in right and that they have their boarding pass. I then walk them to the TSA area where I have to leave them. This might only be the second time they have flown, and I worry as I see them look uncertain about what to do next as they see the other passengers take off their shoes and get their carry on x-rayed. You really get attached to these guys, and you love them like your kids.
Elder and Sister Stephens, one of the Senior Couples, have completed their 18 months of service. They are starting their drive home to Pocatello this afternoon, and we have had a couple of farewell parties for them yesterday. We had a lunch with the Zone at 1:00pm, and then a dinner with the other couples and the mission president and his wife that evening.
Elder and Sister Stephens with Sister Polidario.
Gwynn, Finch, Morgan, Stephens, Johnson, Kolditz, Weston.
We wish the Stephens well as they leave the mission field, and we are very excited for them, . . . . . . . and for us. We get to move into the house they have occupied. The day has finally come. We will be packing on Monday, and then we will have the whole Zone come over on Tuesday to move all our stuff to the new house.
This is what we will be leaving . . . .
But, this is what we will be moving to . . . .
To Martin and Karen who will think that we are soooo spoiled, I would respond "Yes, we are, and we love it!"
Guess that is all for now.
Love you all.
Mom and Dad
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