Forever Young

The average age in the mission is nineteen.  There are a few of us though that are a little beyond that.  Most days we don't notice.  Our missions keep us feeling young.  We thought you might like to meet the senior missionaries in the California Riverside Mission.

Elder Duvall - Mission Secretary

Elder Puskas  - Fleet coordinator

Sister Puskas - Finance Secretary

Sister Duvall - Referrals and Mail

Sister Reed  - Housing Coordinator

Elder Reed - Housing Coordinator

The job titles don't come close to describing all the things these elders and sisters do.  The mission would grind to a halt without their service.  We would also be missing a major source of encouragement, testimony, cheering along, and good humor.  Recently, after they had helped prepare lunch for forty missionaries, we tucked a plate of leftover brownies in the office for the senior missionaries' lunch the next day.  Mysteriously, the brownies disappeared.  The following posters appeared in the office.  

MISSING IN ACTION

ONE TRAY OF BROWNIES

VIOLENTLY ABDUCTED FROM 

THE SENIOR OFFICE MISSIONARIES’ PRIVATE AREA

A SHORT AMNESTY PERIOD WILL BE OFFERED 

FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF THE MISSING PARTY

After that time appropriate action will be taken 

which may include but is not be limited to:

‘       

Public flogging

‘       Blue Dotting for eternity

‘       Public Humiliation at all future meetings

Feeling the shame of eating treats meant for people as old as your Grandparents.

Everyone got a laugh out of the posters.  A good deal of kidding goes on between younger and senior missionaries.  The elders and sisters love to stop by the office to visit when they are in for meetings.  The senior missionaries love the time they spend with the younger elders and sisters too.  (By the way, blue dotting is what happens when a missionary can't drive a mission car.)  

You will be interested to know that the Reeds have also served in Russia, and the Duvalls are serving their fourth mission having also served in New Zealand, British Columbia and Korea.  

In addition to the full time missionaries several missionaries have homes in the mission and serve part time, although sometimes those "part time" days are twelve hours long. We are so grateful for their help. 

 Sister Aquino - Mission Secretary

 Sister Pendleton - Mission Nurse, missionaries A-K

We don't have a picture of Sister Crippen!  She is the other

mission nurse, missionaries J-Z.  We'll post of picture of her soon.

Elder and Sister Mortan - Housing Inspection & Safety

 Elder and Sister McKee - Housing Inspection & Safety

Occasionally Pres. Mullen (Sister Mullen to his left) gets out of his white shirt.

Here we are at the Just Serve event in April.  

I recently talked with a senior missionary in another mission.  She said, "I feel ten years younger since I've been serving!  I never want to go home!"  All of us "older" missionaries understand.  We feel blessed and sustained as we serve.