February 16, 2013 Gettin' ready for the onslaught!

What can I say more--we are busy. Elder Benjamin has been working all week and P days as well. He is in the office now and has been since early this morning. He's putting the finishing touches on the last apartment lease needed for the new missionaries coming in on Monday--22 in all. So far that is the biggest group since we had 12 coming in a few weeks ago. In March we are getting 26! Six in May so far, and 15 in June that we know of at this time.

We love staying busy, and we have been told that it will be like this until we leave the first of August. We haven't heard who our replacements are going to be, but the news is coming soon. President and Sister Wilkey are holding up very well. They never get a day "off", ever! I can't believe the number of missionaries who get home sick, or just plain sick-physically and emotionally--that they have to take care of. We pray for them and the missionaries constantly.

The missionaries who are going home on Wednesday are very dear to us. We have served with them for over a year now, and we get very close to them. Tuesday is transfer day, and after transfer meeting we will be attending the Boston Temple with the nine missionaries who are going home. That is always a special treat for us senior couples.


Found this picture of us with the Wilkeys one month after we arrived here in the mission. Picture was taken March 21, 2012.



Two of our Elders modeling Elder Benjamin's hat. Those missionaries can have fun with any kind of prop!


First big snow in Goffstown NH on January 27, 2013.

Our friends and roommates at Education Week, Dave and Marge Larsen, are going home today from their mission in the Florida Tallahassee Mission. They started on May 15, 2011 and are going home now. We are going to visit them on our way home in August.


This is my favorite tree in Manchester NH. It is on Main Street and we pass it every day going to the office. This is in the fall.


Snow day February 9, 2013 in our apartment complex parking lot. Not our van under there!

Another shot of what Storm Nemo did to us here in Goffstown NH.

Burrrrrr!


You'd think that these trees are in New England. Not so! They are on Schurman Way in Woodland WA.

We are busy, but we are happy! Serving an office mission here has been one of the best times of our lives. We are lovin' it. Seeing the church grow here in New England has been so rewarding to us. And with 80 more missionaries the work will roll forth at a much faster pace. There were 225 convert baptisms here in 2012, and there will be more than that in 2013. My prediction!!!!

We do miss our children, grandchildren, parents (Mike), siblings, and friends. We do love you all. We feel so fortunate to be able to serve Heavenly Father and our Savior at this time in our lives. Having been "set apart" to serve here has been a real joy to us.