Our Transfer this month landed on Christmas Day. Because we will have family here and because we thought it might be too hectic to have the missionaries leave on Christmas day, we decided to have the outgoing Missionaries go home a week early on the 18th. I thought they would all be very excited to go home and be with their families on Christmas, and they were, but some of them were also very sad to leave things unfinished in the mission. What good missionaries we have!

Ben and Brian kept some of the elders busy while they waited for the interviews with the President by playing a game of "Lord of the Rings" Risk. It was a very intense game...

Our dinner was mostly prepared by Elder Villalba, who barbecued some delicious meat. I supplied the rice, beans, tortillas and of course the hot sauce! Dinner was great...

We lose another Assistant, Elder Gonzalez...

Elder Bencomo will try to fill Elder Gonzalez's shoes and we have every confidence that he will be a great assistant!

Elder Avendano and Elder Patterson

Elder Gutowski and Elder Gonzalez

Elder Hernandez

Elders Cranford, Dunn (standing) and Smith

Everyone wanted a picture in front of the Christmas tree!

This was a very excited group!

going away gifts...




Opening their departure packets right before our Testimony Meeting


we had to have a crazy picture...

will it all fit?

Elder Gonzalez is going to make sure it will!


We will really miss all these missionaries. They have been hard workers and faithful servants of our Father in Heaven. They will be a part of our lives for a very long time! We love you all!