Mom wrote last week that we met the 2 new couples that will be working with us in the office. They will be starting on the 15th of February, and will have a 2 week "training" overlap with the Johnsons and Morgans that will finish their 12 month mission at the end of the month. We have really come to love and appreciate the 2 couples we have worked with, and will miss them a lot. We look forward to getting to know the Jacksons and the Pietzs, and know we will get close to them too.
All four couples are Service Missionaries, which means they are "live at home" missionaries which seems to be the way the Church is encouraging for more Senior Couples to serve. It would be less expensive to serve this way and more couples can serve in meaningful ways. It makes sense. If you are called as a "Member Support / Leadership Missionary", why leave home to serve in some other Ward on the East Coast, when there is just as great a need 3 Stakes over.
This is the Johnsons third mission, and they have commented that this mission has been the most difficult for them. Although they come to the office 4 days a week, and are kept busy at the office, they have mentioned that the family and Ward members don't recognize that they are serving a mission, and they are still expected to attend ballgames and concerts and recitals for the grand kids, and baby sit for their children when they have already put in a busy day at the Mission Office and are tired. They also still have to keep house and maintain their yard, etc.
They have also told us that they feel bad for us because one of the things they really enjoyed on their other missions was the association with the other couples and the activities they were able to do together because they were all away from home and in the same circumstance. They were able to go out exploring and discovering new things together. Because of their obligations at home, they feel like we have been neglected by them and they have not been able to interact with us as they would have liked.
We did try to have an office get-to-gether today by attending the Sacramento Temple and go to dinner afterwards in celebration of Mom's birthday and the Morgan's 61st wedding anniversary on February 2nd, but we found out yesterday that the temple is closed for maintenance until next Monday. We will regroup and try again then.
Of the new couples coming in, Brother Jackson was an airline pilot for Delta, and this is their first mission. They will be serving for 12 months. Brother and Sister Pietz have a cattle ranch some 60 miles North of us, and they will be driving in every day. They just returned 6 months ago from serving a 23 month mission in Puerto Rico where they worked in the mission office and handled the apartments and the vehicles. They have been called to serve for 18 months.
This last Wednesday mom and I took our "Temple Square Mission" missionaries to the airport to return to Salt Lake and finish their mission there by this coming April 25th. I had mentioned in an earlier "post" that the Temple Square missionaries are assigned to a "regular" mission for 3-4 months to have that experience. These Sisters are both "top notch" missionaries, and both were able to teach families and see them get baptized into the Church. Neither one wanted to leave, but their time was up.
Mom, Sister Alejandro, and Sister Harris.
Sister Alejandro was in our Zone for her 4 months in our mission, and so we really got to know her. I told them that I needed the above picture as proof to President Weston that we really did take them to the airport. They both wanted to stay and we would have loved to have them stay.
That same Wednesday we received another missionary from the Temple Square Mission to do her stint with us. Her name is Sister Shemanga and she is from Zambia, Africa. Because of the positive experiences of Sisters Alejandro and Harris, I am sure the CA Roseville Mission will be THE place to be assigned from Temple Square.
Sister Shemanga
We did our mission orientation with Sister Shemanga, and she was assigned to serve with Sister Barfus who was in our zone at one time, and comes from Portland Oregon. Sister Barfus is also a wonderful missionary and besides that, we have Portland in common.
Guess that is all the news I have for this week.
We love you and thank you for your love and prayers in our behalf, and for the prayers for our missionaries.
Mom and Dad.
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