Transfer Week (8/6/18 - 8/10/18)

Transfer Week

President Baird (this is a very normal look for him - he is on the phone a lot 😊)  Elder Lopez and Elder Marks, the APs.  They really keep us organized and going and they are very hard working missionaries who love serving and teaching the gospel. 
Anticipating the Arrival of our new missionaries (some of them)
3 came in on Monday and 8 came in on Tuesday.  

Elder Lopez, Elder Jackson, Elder Baldwin, Elder Hendrickson, Elder Marks
These three missionaries (in the middle) flew in from the Provo MTC (Mission Training Center)
Elder Jackson is Spanish Speaking and the other two are Dutch. 

President Baird, Elder Jackson, Elder Baldwin, Elder Hendrickson, Me

Since the mission home isn't ready yet, most of the new missionaries stayed with Elder Lopez and Elder Marks in their apartment.  They were so cute getting ready for them to come.  They even put little "mints" on their pillows to make them feel special.  I had to take a picture.  Elder Lopez showed me a picture on his camera of a "fort" they had made with the mattresses before they made the beds up.  I really got a chuckle (ha ha) out of that......boys will always be boys😜

Elder Bigelow, Elder Jones, Elder Christensen, Elder Harris, President Baird, 
Elder Curtis, Elder Pingel, Elder Deppe, Elder Lewis

These are the rest of our new missionaries, They flew here from the Dominican Republic MTC.  Elder Bigelow and Elder Jones are Spanish Speaking the rest are English.  

(Same except on the Ends are Elder Richards and Elder Marks)
Elder Richards was made a new AP this transfer 

   Orientation Lunch!

Elder Harris & Elder Bigelow

Elder Deppe & Elder Jones (With Elder Pingel photo bombing)

Elder Christensen

Elder Pingel & Elder Curtis

They left to fly out at 3:30am so they were pretty tired when it came to dinner time.  This is what it looked like while they were waiting for the food....(This is one reason it will be really nice to have the mission home.  We will hold orientation there and we could work in time for a "nap" if needed.)  

Elder Bigelow was still all smiles
Even while everyone else was sleeping,
he was studying his scriptures. 

MT CRISTOFOL

To go along with our theme of "LIFT", one of the things that President Baird has decided that he wants to do with the new missionaries is have them hike to the top of Mt. Christofol - which is the highest peak in Curacao.  There he talks about "lifting" the mission (and every area they go) a little higher by leaving it better than it was when they got there.  We can do this by working hard and loving and serving the people in each area.  As we help others to come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, we truly "lift" where we are and that place will be better because of it.
He also talks about tending our granddaughter, Sage, and how to entertain her he would put on the Disney movie Moana.  The part he likes most in Moana is when her father takes her to the top of the mountain and tells her that as she loves and serves the people of her island she will be ready to put her rock on top of the rocks of her ancestors and thus make the whole island a little higher. 
So each of the missionaries found a rock (just a small one) to carry throughout their mission to remind them of their role in "lifting" this mission.  Then, when they return to Curacao before they go home, they will climb to the top of the mountain again and leave their rock, knowing that they have done their part to "lift". 
These young men really enjoyed their day and
President Baird didn't do too bad keeping up with them.  

Elder Baldwin & Elder Harris

Elder Lopez, Elder Richards, Elder Pingel

Elder Christensen

President Baird, Elder Jones

President Baird, Elder Christensen

Elder Harris, President Baird

Elder Lopez, Elder Richards, President Baird, Elder Marks

President Baird, Elder Jackson

President Baird, Elder Bigelow

President Baird, Elder Lewis

President Baird, Elder Pingel

President Baird, Elder Curtis

Elder Hendrickson, President Baird, Elder Baldwin

Jen & Jer Burbank

This cute couple was hiking Mt Cristofol the same day the missionaries were.  They are from Wellsville UT and know some of our dear friends, Kim & Susan Probst.  (Small world).  

This week we didn't stay in a Hotel, a nice member of our Branch in Curacao let us stay at a condo next to his that they use for visiting guests and speakers at the medical school where he is the Dean.  We were so grateful for his hospitality.  This was the view we had each morning.  There was also a beautiful walking path where we would walk each morning along the beach.  

Sister Hardy, Sister Spijkerman, Sister Davidson, Sister Cole, Sister Campbell
Getting ready to Say Good-bye to Sister Spijkerman

Sister Spijkerman, Elder Rose, Elder Straddeck
These three are headed home!!
We took them to Downtown Willemstad so they could take pictures and see a
part of their mission that they had not been able to see before.
 (Sister Spijkerman had been here before but the two Elders had not)

So windy!!

Sister Parr, Sister Spijkerman, Me
My hair was all over the place....I could hardly see 😎

President Baird, Sister Spijkerman, Elder Rose, Elder Straddeck

You can see the walls of the old fort, including the holes where
 the cannons would come through

Elder Rose, Elder Straddeck, Elder Parr
Farewell dinner at Tony Romas!