More Comings and Goings Jan. 23, 2012

On January 23 another transfer rolled around.  Six Elders were transferred from the Canary Islands to the peninsula, so they flew in Sunday night and spent the night at the mission home.  The next day all the Elders being transferred met at the stake center.  All the Hermanas being transferred met at a metro station, exchanged companions and returned via metro to their new apartments.  Twelve Elders were being sent up north to Galicia, Asturias or Leon Castillo by train, so they took the metro to the train station while two mission vans took all their luggage to the station.  It was a HUGE transfer and when the dust settled at the end of the day, the only glitches were one bag of books and one coat.  That night Elders Pyne and Cano came to the mission home for their farewell dinner and sleepover.  We took them to the airport and train station respectively the next morning and then went to the MTC to pick up two new missionaries.  Transfers are always stressful, but exhilarating!  New beginnings!!

The six Elders who flew in from the Canaries along with the office Elders who picked them up at the aiport.  They are in the former garage-now bunk room- at the mission home.  Top row- Elders Ramirez, Rodriguez Silva, Jeppson, Gonzalez, Alvarez    Front row - Elders Forrest, Ottesen and Carey

Dinner with the transitory missionaries plus the ayudantes (APs) :  Elders Jeppson, Forrest, Rodriguez Silva,  Tyndale-Biscoe, Rigby, Pyne and DeHaro (clockwise from upper left)

The other end of the table:  Elders DeHaro, ?, Ottesen, Ramirez, Carey, Gonzalez, Jeppson and Forrest

With this transfer we said farewell to AP Tyndale-Biscoe and welcomed new AP Rigby.  This was the first attempt at a photo of three of them.  Not too successful, but very charming!

Better photo of Elders Rigby, DeHaro and Tyndale-Biscoe

Also in this transfer another companionship was added to the Alcobendas Ward  plus a new mission secretary in training, Elder Bauer.  Pisomates:  Elders Forrest, Wride, Gonzalez, Jeppson and Bauer.

The two Elders going home this transfer:  Elder Cano from Cadiz and Elder Pyne from California

At the airport the next morning, Elders DeHaro and Rigby came to say farewell to Elders Cano and Pyne.

The APs joined us at the MTC to welcome two new missionaries, Elders Sepulveda and  Berthon, both headed for the Canary Islands!

The temporary threesome in the office, Elder Forrest, Financial Secretary; Elder Jeppson (standing), training mission secretary; and Elder Bauer, new mission secretary

More Miscellaneous Photos

Elders Kunkel, Hoskins and White at zone conference in Madrid 2011

The Leon District:  EldersGabbitas,  Paredes, Jones,  Rivera, Martin de la Sierra, Reist, Rose and Gaspar (in front)

Barrio 3/9 District Hnas. Gonzalez, Carter, Clark, Greer and Cerdas (mini-misionary) and
Elder Smith, Pres. Watkins, Elders Hardiman and Forsythe, Hna. Watkins and Elder Wadsworth Jan. 2012 

Hermanas  of Barrio 6 and 8:  Hnas. Delgado, Hernandez, Jimenez, and Lazar

Barrio 1 and 5 District:  Elders Perez, Jaramillo, Rodriguez, Hn. Sican, Cook, Tanner and Kartchner-Hauley
Elders Pyne, Walters and Simmons  Jan. 2012

Office Elders and Assistants to the President:  Elders Forrest (Financial), Tyndale-Biscoe (AP),
DeHaro (AP) and  Jeppson (Secretary)

January 2012

Just more random photos I have been accumulating over the last few months.  Enjoy!

Barrio 6/Barrio 8 District at their District Meeting: (back row) Elders Pyne,Tyndale-Biscoe, Stock,Mateer, Hoskins and Smith. (front row) Hnas. Hernandez, Linares (mini-missionary), Petersen, Nielsen, Londono and Delgado

Barrio 2/Barrio 4 District:  Hnas. Farias, Cerda (mini-missionary), Pulgar, Palma (other mini), Elder Veintimilla, Forrest, Lewis and Jeppson

Elder Fowler and Elder Perkins in El Ferrol at the farewell dinner for Elder Perkins. 

Elder and Sister Knight on a hike with the JAS (Young Single Adults) of Tenerife!

Leon Zone Elders: Elders Gabbitas, Paredes, Jones, Veintimilla, Martin de la Sierra, Reist, Rose and Gaspar (front)

Potpourri

I've been a slacker the last few months, and the thought of trying to put things in chronological order with some kind of narrative is so daunting, I am not going to do it.  Herewith...potpourri:

The Alcala District:  Elders Cunningham, Woolsey, Rigtrup, Ashworth, Coral, Gosselin, Beatty and Groves

Elder Forrest and Elder Jeppson showing off their Roscon, which is the traditional  cake eaten on
January 6 which is Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)

Elder Forsythe and Elder Larrea at a baptism in June in the Aluche Chapel

Elder Rigtrup managed to lose/damage/destroy all his nametags.  When his order of new chapas
arrived, he was so excited he put them ALL on at once.  Love that enthusiasm!

Santiago Zone at May Zone Conference:
Back row - Elders Anderson, Robertson, Anderson, Coral, Hoskins, Cunningham
Front row - Elders Woodbury, Soliz, DeHaro, Lopez, Hodges, Holub

Zone Leader Council January 2012 -
Standing:  Elders Rigby (Madrid West) and Thurston (Madrid East)
Kneeling:  Elders Soliz (Madrid West), DeHaro (AP), Hoskins (Madrid East), Tyndale-Biscoe (AP)
On Screen:  Elders Holub, Mills(Santiago), Veintimilla, Hodges (Leon), Raiano, Jackson (Canary Islands)
(There are now only two zones in the Madrid area, therefore four ZL's)

September Zone Activity, Farewell and Welcome



Sept. 14 we had a tri-zone activity at the mission home.  The missionaries love to spend time together!

 




Hermanas eating lunch out on the terraza:  Hnas.Pulgar,Greer, Cook, Long, Benitez, Wilson, Perez, Read, Nielsen, Stokes and Carter

 






  

Three of the four Hermanas living in the Barrio 6/8 apartment.  Hermana Delgado designed these custom-made t-shirts to demonstrate to the world the unity of their companonships!  In this photo are Hnas. Jimenez, Delgado and Nielsen.  Hna. Moss is in the top photo also, but you can't see the t-shirts very well.











 

While the fronts are unified, the backs show their individuality!



Farewell

On September 20, ten wonderful missionaries came to the mission home for their farewell dinner and testimony meeting.  Only nine were scheduled, but Elder Earnshaw broke his ankle and had to return home to have it operated on.  The following morning, three families arrived early to pick up their missionaries:  Elder Carter, Hna. Read and Hna. Long.  The others went to the airport to start their long trip home to start the next phase of their lives.  They have served faithfully and well and we know the Lord's blessings will be with them!

Back row: Pres. Watkins, Elders Earnshaw, Robertson, Carter, Benson and Kunkel
Front row:Hnas. Benitez, Nielsen, Long, Read, Watkins and Moulton



The Hermanas at dinner:  Hna. Watkins, Moulton, Long, Read, Nielsen and Benitez

 


 

The group singing EFY medley"As Sisters in Zion/Armies of Helaman". Glorious!



This group held an unusually high percentage of musically gifted missionaries - several violinists, pianists and singers.  They played and sang for an hour!

Welcoming New Missionaries

Tuesday after dropping the outgoing missionaries at the airport, we went to the MTC and picked up Elder Verdu and Elder Gonzalez.  Elder Verdu then went to Valladolid and Elder Gonzalez went to the Canary Islands.

On Monday, Elder and Hermana Knight arrived.  After getting their residency issues started, we sent them off to Tenerife to replace the Andrews who went home several months ago.  They are very excited to get involved the Center for Young Adults!

The following Tuesday we returned to the MTC to pick up Elder Bauer who has been serving in Salt Lake City while awaiting his visa.  It finally arrived and now he has arrived!  He was sent up to Valladolid.  Elder Bauer´s mother's grandparents were from Morelia, Mexico which was originally named Valladolid!  Sister Bauer is from Mexico City and attended school at the Benemerito de las Americas, the church school. 


Serendipity

This does NOT fit in this category, but it is such a cool photo I HAD to include it somewhere!!  This is quintessentially Spanish: four old men sitting on a park bench watching the world go by. 















Zone Conferences and Transfers August 2011

August was our month for quarterly zone conferences.  We started with the three Madrid Zones combined.

   

Combined Madrid Este, Madrid Sur and Cuatro Caminos Zones

The following week, Aug 8-9 we had transfers and farewells for another group of wonderful missionaries.  

Elder Tyndale-Biscoe was assigned to be a new Assistant to the President along with Elder Hodges.   Elder Cerro completed his assignment as AP and was sent up to Lugo in Galicia to continue the good work of Elders Anderson and Jeppson.  Elder Anderson was headed home, and Elder Jeppson came into the office to be the Mission Secretary.





 



                                                  Elders Tyndale-Biscoe, Hodges and Cerro

The following week, we held a zone conference in Santiago.  It is always a privilege to meet with these wonderful missionaries.  They love getting together and they share their talents and experience with each other.

Back row:  Elders Cerro, Holub, Coral, Benson, Perkins and Walters
Front row:  Elders Antola, Carter, Forrest, Cardoso and DeHaro

We flew home Friday night after the conference and then left Saturday afternoon for the Canary Islands for their zone conference.

Back row:  Hnas. Watkins, Kartchner, Tanner, Elders Ottesen, Nielsen, Jackson,  Hanson, Mills and Pte. Watkins
Front row:  Elders Simmons, Kunkel, White, Rodriguez and Alvarez

We flew home from the Islands Monday night arriving home at 2AM after a two hour delay!  On Wednesday we drove up to Leon for their zone conference.

Back row:  Elders Thurston,, Jones, Earnshaw, Mateer, Gabbitas, Iverson, Rose and Cunningham
Front row:  Elders Gaspar, Ramirez, McGrath, Rivera, Carey and Bermudez

As I said, it is a privilege to spend time with these good Elders.  They are quite isolated in these three zones, with usually only one companionship per town and all are a long way from Madrid.  They are mature, responsible representatives of the Savior whom they serve.                          

They do, however, continue to eat like the young men they are as witnessed in the following photos!

Setting up for the photo shoot in Leon.

 Meanwhile back in Madrid,  Pres. Watkins invited the youth living within the mission to serve three week mini-missions.  There were five young men and eight young women who took advantage of the opportunity. The following photo is of three of the young women from Vecendario, Gran Canaria.

Hnas. Ceballo, Perera and Morillo