Departing missionaries: Elders Snelson, Wismer, Daniels, Deese,
Marquez, Jones, and Jones
Sisters Anderson, Lillywhite, and Vandenhazel
The "formal" version. Elder Wismer is on the right of
Elder Daniels in this shot
Sisters Vandenhazel, Lillywhite and Anderson
We love ALL our missionaries, but we have developed tender feelings for some of these, because we've spent more time around them. Sister Anderson has served in Oxnard for quite a while, so we got to know her. She plays the piano and accompanied me at Christmastime. She is a sweetheart! Sister Lillywhite was a traveling trainer. ElderWismer, Elder Jones and Elder Jones have been zone leaders, so they have been at the office for zone leader councils and other occasions.
Elder Snelson has quite the story. He is an inspiration! He arrived on his mission in 2010. Some months later, he was serving as a district leader and had in his apartment a companion who was simply not motivated about anything. There were four in their apartment and as a help to this missionary, who they learned like to play frisbee, they were out playing frisbee so he could get some exercise. Elder Snelson tripped or slipped and fell and hit his jaw on a cement curb. His jaw was shattered. It was so bad they would not let him go home -- his mother had to come here for a few weeks. Then he did have to go home. For six months while he was home, he continued to write a weekly letter to President Castro. He never missed a week. When President discussed with Salt Lake that Elder Snelson wanted to come back and finish his mission, they were sceptical that he would be in the frame of mind to do so. They were blown away when President told them he had not missed a week in six months of reporting to him. So he was allowed to return. He has had multiple surgeries and suffered tremendous pain. He bore powerful testimony of the Savior and how personal His Atonement was for him.
President Castro quotes: A mission is a microcosm of enduring to the end. -and- You can do hard things!
One thing Elder Wismer said in his testimony that was touching -- he was relating a personal experience of prayer and feeling love from Heavenly Father -- "I was brutally honest in my prayer. I let Heavenly Father know how I was feeling. And then Heavenly Father let me know how He was feeling."
Sister Truman and I prepared dinner for this group -- smoked pulled pork sandwiches, broccoli salad, rice/artichoke salad, chips, baby carrots, strawberries served with Sister Castro's dip recipe on the side, and brownies. Confession -- the pork, broccoli salad and brownies - all from Costco. It made this dinner quick and easy - and the missionaries loved it!
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