FAREWELL

Greeting friends at the farewell

One of the great traditions that the Area Presidency has here in Guatemala is the farewells that they have for each couple that is leaving their mission or service in the area. Great that is....until it is your turn. This is traditionally a pot luck dinner (which you know is always the best food) followed by thanks and good wishes for the departing missionaries.


We were lucky to be able to share our farewell with Bill and Adele Blackburn. They will be leaving one week after we are. Sharing made it a little less painful to have all the attention on us. We did enjoy getting to see all the area people one last time......as well as being able to thank them for their influence in our lives.

Myrna and Rexene with the gorgeous flowers

The couples from Victoria Suites had composed a song to the tune of "Leaving on a Jet Plane". It was adorable and they had a great time singing it....

The Blackburns....the other departing couple

We are now officially sorting out the apartment and packing our bags!!!

MOTHER'S DAY/BIRTHDAY

Acting like Charlie's angels
Sandy MacArthur, Joanne Fillmore, me, Rexene Tilley
Adele Blackburn, Virginia Cazier, Myrna Graff

Mother's Day and my 57th birthday just happened to be the same day this year. But....Guatemala celebrates Mother's Day on the Monday....so we actually had two days this year. It was a great day. The "guys" had a BBQ for us that evening and Rexene made me a birthday cake. It was good to be with friends and enjoy the evening.

Blowing out birthday candles....Kayla you are next!!!

"DORM" SISTERS

Rexene Tilley, Myrna Graff, Joanne Fillmore, Adele Blackburn,
Suzanne Tomkinson, Virginia Cazier, Dorothy Hatch
(taking photo.....Sandy MacArthur)

What can I say about the women that live in Victoria Suites with me? It has been a delight to get to know these women and share their missions with them. Each one of them is so talented and has so much to offer. I have learned something specific from each one. It is such a blessing to be able to live in the same apartment complex with them and to feel like we are one big family. We are able to share in the ups and downs of the mission......as well as the ups and downs that our families are having back home. There is just something about them.....that is an eternal link!!!

THANK YOU SISTERS OF VICTORIA SUITES!!!

And a few others.....one of our "Sisters" Luncheons....with some of the other sisters assigned here.

Back row: Cheryl Baldwin, Dorothy Hatch, Mary Anne Clarke, Virginia Cazier, Jennifer Johnson, Joanne Fillmore, Suzanne Tomkinson
Front row: Myrna Graff, Dyan Steimle, Carol Mask, Adele Blackburn, Beatriz Curtiss

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Myrna Graff making her famous Scones

Christmas morning started fairly early for us....dressed and across the hall to have SCONES with Dick and Myrna Graff. The Graffs opened their apartment so that we could have hot chocolate and scones, along with my citrus cocktail and Tilley's sausage/bacon. It was so fun to have our Christmas morning start with these wonderful friends and great people. We have decided that we could definately live the law of Consecration with this group. What a blessing in our lives.

Our favorite people....the Graffs, Tilleys and Taylors

Later that afternoon we had Christmas dinner with the 4 couples that didn't have family visiting here....the Tilleys, Graffs, Blackburns and Tomkinsons. We were also joined by Gert Karnitschnig who is a member here who joins us for our FHE and other events. It was a great day...full of food and fun.

From my left...Gert, the Blackburns, the Tilleys, the Graffs