Monday, February 23, 2009

New AP and Office Elder

Left to Right: Elders Stacy Greene, Ha Young Soo, Michael Mathis, Nathanael Robinson, Baek Seung Ik and Jordan Hill

We have a new configuration in the Mission Office with Elder Greene returning home, and Elder Ha returning to serve in the field. Filling Elder Greene's place as a new AP (Assistant to the President) is Elder Hill, and taking a new assignment as AAP (Adminstrative Assistant to the President) is Elder Baek Seung Ik.

Zone Leader Council February 09


Zone Leaders and AP's Top to Bottom, Left to Right:
Elders Saunders,Bailey, Hill, Pres. Perriton, Elders Lyman, Burton, Shrack, Mitton, Freckleton, Byun, Brown, Taysom and Robinson

Friday, February 20, 2009

Farewell For Now!



It never gets any easier to say goodbye to missionaries going home. How we will miss them all for their wonderful selves and their great missionary spirit! L to R: Elder Andrew Taylor, Elder Chase Doty, Elder Stacy Greene and Sister Julie Lutz! God be with you til we meet again!

New February Missionaries


Our amazing new crop of missionaries. We are so blessed! Left to Right: Elders Stimpson, Alberro, Sisters Stehmeier, Lee Hye Jin, Elders Kang In Hee and Christiansen

With their new trainers: Elders Cha Yo Na, Alberro, McCort, Christiansen, Murdoch, Kang In Hee, Krall and Stimpson



Trainer, Sister Kim Te Yeon and Sister Chyanne Stehmeier

Trainer, Sister Kori Meservy and Lee Hye Jin


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

New Naju Building Dedication



This beautiful new building was dedicated last Saturday by Elder Choi Yoon Hwan of the Area Presidency. It is being received with great joy and gratitude by the Naju Ward of the Gwangju Stake. Previously 120 faithful members were meeting in a small and old office space above a store. This building sits on a large elevated lot and is the only meetinghouse in the country with a soccer field in the backyard!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Gone But Not Forgotten


Elder Gary and Sister Carol Avery, our loving, capable, and ever-cheerful office couple returned home this week after serving here so faithfully for 18 months. They endeared themselves to everyone they met and even experienced some wonderful fruits of their own missionarying labors. We love them dearly and will miss them. We enjoyed a last evening dinner together at the ever popular Outback Steakhouse, one of the many reminders of home that abound in Korea! We wish them the very best in establishing a new home in a new area and hope Elder Avery will achieve his new personal goal as he returns to his insurance business to increase it 2 bae plus alpha!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Arrival of Our New Office Couple!


We are so excited to welcome Elder Michael S. and Sister Laura D. Pierce who arrived in the Land of the Morning Calm one week ago! They arrived at the mission home at 6 AM in the morning, after a not so calm 12 hour car ride from the airport! We were a little worried that traffic might be pretty awful, as it traditionally is during Lunar New Year when most Koreans are on the road traveling to their ancestral homes. But on top of the holiday, the biggest snowstorm in 2 years arrived, causing many accidents on the freeways, in fact shutting down the usual route back home from the airport! The Averys were so excited to continue the tradition of picking up the new couple that would replace them, but had no idea what a war story they would end up having to tell!
Anyway, we are so thankful that they arrived back home safely, and we have enjoyed a wonderful week getting to know one another. The running of the mission office is quite a mountainous task, but we feel the transition of the passing of the batons is going very smoothly. We are so blessed to have willing and able hearts and hands to join in this great and marvelous work!