Christmas 2012

Elder Mardones and Elder Vosters in Lorca

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Jackson and Elder Rodriguez in Sevilla

 

 

 

 Elder Vergara, Elder Antezana and Elder Mambo getting acquainted at Zone Conference.

 

 

 Elders Dangerfield, Rodriguez, Salmeron and Mambo getting ready...

 

 

 

Elder Rodriguez and the Three Kings:  Elder Mambo, and I think Elder Salmeron and Elder Dangerfield in the coolest King costumes ever. Where did you guys get that???

 

 

We had two special visitors at our Malaga Zone Conference:  Elder Peterson Santa and Elder Valenzuela Santa, shown here asking Elder Berrett what he wants for Christmas. He was VERY good this year.

 

 

 

While our son Jackson was here, we spent a p-day in La Mesquita in Cordoba which is an amazing mosque dating back to the 700s.  Shown here is the super-fun crowd:  Elder Peterson, Elder Mockler, Elder Valenzuela, Elder Berrett, our son Jackson and President Deere.

 

 

 

Parents and families at home, we hope you had wonderful visits with your beloved missionary sons and daughters on Christmas.  We know how it feels to be away from them during the holidays, but also have faith in the eternal value of this sacrifice, as you do.  Thank you for sharing your sons and daughters with the Church and with the Spain Malaga Mission. Like you, here's what we were doing during our favorite hour on Christmas Day: 

 

 

 

This is our son Elder Deere, who is serving in the Arizona Tucson Misison. Thank heaven for Skype! 

Merry Christmas All, and have a great week Elders and Hermanas.  
555+
20 en 13
Here we go!

Meet our 7 Newest Elders

First, as always, baptisms.  Our Missionaries never stop working, even when it's Christmas!

 

Elder Forrest lives on!  Here he is (from a while ago) with Elder Lucero in Malaga 3.

 

 

 



Hermanas Moreno and Chavez in Cartegena, with a little help from Elder Gibson.

 

 

 

 



 

Elder Valenzuela and Elder Peterson at a beautiful wedding on Saturday.  You know what that means...

 

A beautiful baptism the next day!  This new brother received the Aaronic Priesthood 1 week later. 

Before we get to the big news of the week, here are a few "unity" pictures I received.  Our missionaries love each other, and they like to have fun, as you can see!

The San Fernando Zone put on a brilliant depiction of the Christmas Story.  From left to right:  Elder Woodford, Elder Berrett, Elder Triana, Hna Vasquez, Elder Sandelin, (the angel Elder Seely in the back), Elder Anderson with Elder Nunez' arm around him.  Elder Tudela in white in the back, Hna Roderick, Elder Walton kneeling in front with a blue headband, Elder Scheible, Elder Lucero, Elder McGarry, Elder Todd and Elder Manning.  Thanks Hermana Todd for taking the picture!

 

 

Elders Hunt and Aviles enjoying a festive cup of cola-cao by the Christmas tree!

 

 

 

The lovely Hermanas Vasquez and Leon by the Mediterranean in Nerja

 

 

Welcome to our 7 new Elders, who all come to us from Europe. 

 

 

 

Elders Rodriguez, Peroni, Hermana and President Deere, Elders Vergara, Briki, Antezana, Read and Rojas.  Welcome to the Spain Malaga Mission!

 

 

 

The trainers:  Elder Crespo, Elder Bird, Elder Hunt, Elder Wright, Elder Nally, Elder Blanch and Elder Pascua.

 

 

 Elder Hunt and Elder Antezana are going to Crevillente.

 

 

 

 Elder Blanch and Elder Briki will serve in Aljarafe.

 

 

 

 Elder Peroni and Elder Pascua will go to Alcoy.

 

 

 

 Elder Rodriguez and Elder Hunt are opening Benidorm, an area just assigned to our mission from the Barcelona Mission after the stake reorganization this month.

 

 

 Elder Nally and Elder Rojas are headed to San Lucar.

 

 

 

Elder Crespo and Elder Vergara are headed to Huercal Overa

 

 

 

 

 Here are Elders Read and Wright, also known as Elderes Leer y Escribir, headed to Huelva.

 

 

 

Christmas cheer and a laundry lesson

Elder Norton and Elder Geest in Malaga

 

 

 

Elder Pardo and Elder Jones in Alcazar

 

 

 

 

Elder Rodriguez and Elder Jackson in Sevilla

 

 

And this happy story comes from Elder Bird and Elder Chumbipuma--this man was less active for 15 years, has come back, received the Priesthood and baptized his wife.  What a beautiful little family!

 

 

 

Elders Bird, Hales and Hooper back in the day...

 

 

 

Elders Hooper and Leon with a little Christmas cheer.

 

 

 

Note to Hermana Spainhower:  never leave your camera unattended when Elders are around...

 

 

 

 Here are some missionaries looking a little more dignified:  Hermana and Elder Spainhower, Elders Barahona, Hafen, Geest and Norton in the Spainhower's piso.  Is that carpet on the floor????

 

 

 

Now for a lesson in laundry.  Many of you are doing your laundry for the first time.  When you need to wash a sweater, it's best to look on the tag and follow the washing instructions written on the tag.   If there are no instructions, wash gently (maybe by hand) in cool water, and lay it flat to dry.  (If your washer has the capability, you can spin it to remove much of the water.)  If the sweater is wool, DON'T PUT IN IN THE DRYER!!  If you dry a wool sweater in a dryer, it will look like this:

 

This nice wool sweater of Elder Bird's now belongs to a little girl in Almeria.  The laundry lesson here is: 

when in doubt, take it out (of the dryer)

 

 

We love you Elders and Sisters.  We are excited to see you this week at Zone Conference!  Don't forget your "white elephant" gift, which needs to be a piso find or something you make.  No spending money!!   Wrap it if you can.  Love, Hermana Deere

 

21 Departing and the Mambo Family Reunion???

 Elder Dangerfield and Jones in Sevilla 1

 

 

 

 

 

All baptisms are special, but in Malaga 3, these 3 boys were baptized by their uncle, who is the Bishop of the Fuengirola Ward.  

 

 

 

 

 Elder Dangerfield and Elder Jones again in Sevilla 1

 

 

 

 Elder Fowkes and Elder Peters in Elche

 

 

 

Elder Geest and Elder Barahona in Malaga 1

 

 

 

 

Hermana Meldrum and Hermana Lovell in Dos Hermanas

 

 

 

Concilio

December 4, 2012

 

Elders Peterson, Estrada, Dangerfield, Jones, Seely, Geest, Banbury, Barahona, Valenzuela, Rodriguez, Wright, Salmeron, Jackson, Berrett, Manning, Nally, Rodriguez, Mockler and Elder McGarry.

 

 

Conference to Create a New Stake

December 2, 2012

Alicante, Spain

 

 

This was a great day for the Church in Spain as 2 Stakes were re-organized into 3, creating the new Cartegena Stake.  It was also a great day for Elder Mambo, because his family lives in the Valencia Stake, and they were all there for the meeting!  Look at all those future Elder Mambos!  Normally it is against the rules for missionaries to see their families while serving, but this was a case of two Stakes from 2 different Missions meeting on the same day.  Lucky for them!  (No moving to Spain just to see your missionary!)

 

 

 

 

As our Missionaries all know, we had a group of 21 outstanding missionaries return home on December 6.  Here they are in small groups:

 

 Back row:  Elder Thomas, Thornley, Mervai and Lyman

Front row:  Elder Philips, Long and Elder Jordan

 

 Hermanas Crowder, Letendre, Gibson and Sypherd

 

 

 

 Elders Cooper, Rencher and Pearce

 

 

 

Back row:  Elder Shaver, Forrest, Bailey and Card

Front row:  Elder Hales, White and Elder Peterson

 

 Thursday, December 6, 2012

3:50 am

Our victorious office staff (also baggage handlers, travel agents and party planners).  No problems this time--all returning missionaries are loaded onto the bus and ready to go to the airport at 3:50 am.  Elders Manning, Valenzuela, Nally, Mockler, Berrett and Peterson.  These Elders worked really hard to get everyone home.  Thanks Elders for all you do!

We got to meet Hermana Crowder's parents later that same (very long!) day!
 

 

Here's the whole group.  It's hard to sum up the work that these great missionaries have done in the past 18 months to 2 years, but this next picture is a good start.  

 

 

 These feet belong to Elder Phillips, and I think I found these shoes in the garbage the morning after they all left.  Thank you all for your service, and keep in touch! We will miss you!