Busy Week - Transfers October 2009

We had another busy transfer week saying goodbye to 8 great missionaries and welcoming 6 new ones from the MTC.The departing group front row from left to right: Sister Meyers, Elders Obata, Shoaf and Kunihiro. Standing are Elders Tupou, Fukui, Sorenson and Mauai.Elder Tupou gets his assistant to the president's wife apron for all the help he provided to Sister McIntyre while in Kobe as the President's Assistant. A few other elders got aprons from Sister McIntyre for helping her in various ways on various projects.

Elder Fukui's mother drove several hours from her home located in the Nagoya mission area to pick up Elder Fukui as he finished his mission. All the rest caught the bullet train out of Kobe.

The morning of their departure we ran up to Maruyama park. While waiting for the elders in front of their apartment, Sister McIntyre displays her talents on the beam.

Some of the departing group with Sister McIntyre in front of the mission home as we depart for the park.

Several make a run through the obstacle course at the park. It goes up along the hill and back down via the slide on the left.

Sister Meyers and Sister McIntyre prepare breakfast after the morning workout. We first met Sister Meyers in the MTC when we attended the mission president's seminar. She is the first missionary to return home who arrived after we did. We will miss her like one of our own daughters! The night before their departure we had a big sukiyaki dinner and celebrated Elders Tupou and Sorenson's birthdays.

We took a group picture with the cake and Sister McIntyre also made her famous face cookies for the birthday elders. They tasted as good as they look!

Blowing out the candles... We also welcomed six excited new elders this week. Back row Elders Jackson, Escalante, Ellis, Quilter, (front) Coburn and Lee.

Morning run with the some of the new elders and Elders Christie, Matsuoka, Harvard and Tupou who serve in Kobe.
A little morning soccer at the park.

Some of the new elders at Maruyama Park overlooking part of Kobe and the bay.

Welcome dinner with the new group. Yakiniku!On Friday morning just before we sent off the departing group, we had a phone call from the MTC in Utah telling us that we were getting one more new missionary the next day (Saturday). So we will welcome Elder Richardson this weekend. His visa was delayed and just came through so they are sending him out immediately. Not much of a break at the end of a transfer week, but we are always excited to get more missionaries! More to come...