Looking Homeward

The last weeks of a mission are tender and terrifying!  

Hearts are tender thinking over the memories and 

tender contemplating being with family again.  How

could it possibly be over?  How can you possibly go 

home?  How can you not?  So much is ahead!  Will you
adjust?  Remember all you've learned?  What
will it be like to walk down a street alone?

It was a beautiful spring evening, so we decided to enjoy
dinner in the backyard.  

A moment comes and goes.  This one came and went
without our taking a picture of Elder and Sister Holyoak
who were such a wonderful part of our mission!  During
their service, among many other things, they trained every
missionary in the mission, somemany times, on how to do family
 history work.  If you click on this picture you can enlarge it and
see the Holyoaks on the last two chairs on the left.
How we wish we had a better picture!  

Sister Nielsen, Sister Peilstick, Sister Lineback, Elder Haltli, 

Sister Ogden, Sister Tobler and Sister Blanchard.  

Just before giving their last testimonies in the mission field. 

After testimony meeting and dessert,

the missionaries gathered with President Mullen 

for companion study.  

Often this rack is full of the suit jackets of outgoing 

elders, but that evening only Elder Haltli's jacket

hung, waiting for a plane ride home.  

The next morning, just after breakfast and right 

before departing.  Time for last hugs and photos.   

Ready for home! 

We don't usually invade these pictures, but we wanted a record

of the aprons the outgoing missionaries gave us (along with

chocolates, sea shells, all our favorites).  We'll think of 

this group each time we wear our aprons! 

A moment of quiet.  Time for a departing prayer.  

Then everyone was in the cars and off to the airport.   

Suddenly the house was quiet.  

Left behind, the scale used to weight the suitcases

and the "miracle stories," of conversions

with an eternal weight of glory.   

One last wave good-bye.