Eight Going Home -Wednesday, July 14, 2010

We were looking forward to today being at the mission home with the elders that are leaving. I had been asked by Sister Argyle to help Nancy, the housekeeper/cook, get this dinner on the table. When she told Sister Gulbrandsen that I was willing to help today, she was grateful.

Rich and I were at the office by 9:00 and I made a quick call to the doctor about some medical matters. A Dr. Snell from Kaysville, UT is here with us for three months and he sounds nice on the phone. I am sure we will eventually meet him when we do something with the other seniors.

We only had about 45 minutes in the office before we had to call a remise to take us to the mission home. Rich met the missionaries outside around 11:00 as they came, and helped them get their luggage into the garage while I helped Nancy in the kitchen. I set the table for twelve people - eight elders, two Kroffs, and two Gulbrandsens. They invited Elder Kroff and me to eat with them. They said they wanted us to be there, or wherever the missionaries are gathered for special meetings and meals. That is nice of them include us. Sometimes it might not work out, however, because of our work in the office. We can't be gone all the time. But on transfer week activities we will love being included.

It was fun to eat with the missionaries today. We had sweet and sour chicken over rice, tossed salad, rolls, and brownie trifle. It was delicious.

The schedule for the day was upset when we got a call from Elder Peterson in the office saying that church travel had called and American Airlines had to change the flight plan for four of our elders leaving today. It was the ones who would be flying into Salt Lake tomorrow. They had to leave the mission home at 1:15 instead of 4:00 today to make the flight that would take them to Chile, then to Dallas where they would have about a 12 hour layover tomorrow getting them home at 7:45 tomorrow night. WOW! We have no information as to why this occurred.

So the President had to quickly interview the elders, and we had to get the dinner on the table by 12:30, and then take a group photo before they left. Elder Peterson and Elder Hales were coming over to take the four to the airport in the van, with a church member following in another car with their luggage.

Our group posing with the Gulbrandsens are Elders Olsen (UT), Turnbull, (UT), Curtis (UT), Cano (Arg), Hymas (ID), Flores (TX), Williams (OK), Rauch (Arg). We enjoyed being with them today.

After we said our goodbyes, some finished up dessert while the President ate. He didn't get to eat with us because he was doing interviews. It was a crazy change of events.

It was about 2:00 and the remises were coming to take the other four elders to the airport at 4:00. So we congregated in the living room to continue on with what the Gulbrandsens had planned for the day. We started with a song and prayer and then the President gave wonderful counsel relating to education, marriage, testimony, activity in the church and more. It was inspiring!!! He is gifted in teaching and in doing it with the spirit.

Then, he had each of us bear our testimonies and very tactifully and kindly prefaced it with what a testimony should include. Each elder was so sincere and it was evident that all four of them were wonderful missionaries and did their best to represent the Lord. The Spirit was definitely present. At the end, we all knelt in prayer and the President offered it. It was one of the sweetest experiences I have ever had. I was just sad that the other four missed out. Even though all of these elders spent their two years under President Argyle's capable leadership and love, President Gulbrandsen expressed his love for them and sent them off with his blessing.

President and Sister Gulbrandsen are loving being here and have expressed appreciation for having us here to help guide them along during this first transfer and week of conferences. We feel bad that so far there is not a senior couple ready to replace us. At least one couple is needed so badly in each mission of the church, and it is sad that there are not more couples able or willing to serve.

After a long, but enjoyable day we got home at 6:00 and Rich made calls through skype to the parents of the missionaries that were re-routed and will arrive home later tomorrow. We should have a normal day in the office tomorrow. We'll see . . .