Changes in our mission

On July 1, we said our final farewell to President and Sister Christianson. It was very sad. I am forcing a smile for this picture.  Carl and I have worked with the Christiansons for 18 months, most of our mission.

From left to right:  Elder and Sister Willyerd, Pres. and Sister Christianson, Carl and I,
Sister Allred, and Sister Harris (who is Sister Christianson's sister).
One of the blessings of serving a  mission has been working with such
great senior missionaries. We sure do love them.

It was a privilege to greet the new mission president, Arthur Francis, and his family, who had just flown in from the airport, and were picked up by the Christiansons. On the way to the mission home, they dropped by the office to meet us.

 

Here they are with their boys (the 4th one is out of the picture). What a change for these boys, who have left all their friends and familiar surroundings to come out for 3 years to the New York Rochester Mission.  These boys, who are part of a family of 7 boys and 1 girl, range in age from 9 to 16 yrs. old. In case you are wondering, President Francis is 6' 7" and his wife is 6'.  We look like a bunch of pygmies next to them.

This is the office where we meet every Monday morning for staff meeting.