Transfers: 21 Arrive, 13 Depart

Here's a whirlwind tour of what happened in the hours between 10am Tuesday and midnight Wednesday. 

The welcoming crew awaiting our 21 missionaries from the Madrid MTC.  Elders Skousen, Rojas, Mercado, Datwyler and Phipps.

Here they are!  Twenty new missionaries arrive in Malaga.

Hermana Barbee will be trained in Fuengirola by Hermana Perez.

Hermana Merrill (now we have two Hermanas Merrill!) will be trained by Hermana Smith in Malaga 3.

Hermana Buechter will be trained in Malaga 4 by Hermana Volpe.

Hermana Seoane will be trained by Hermana Nava in Jaen.

Hermana Anderson will be trained in Granada by Hermana Giler.

Elder Booth will be trained in Nerja by Elder Vera.

Elder Child will be trained by Elder Evans in Dos Hermanas.  That's right--dos Elders en Dos Hermanas.

Elder Black will be trained by Elder Cowley in Algeciras.

Elder Boriosi will be trained in Jaen by Elder Buttars.

Then off to the airport to pick up Hermana Smith who arrived from the Provo MTC.

Hermana DeMayola will train Hermana Nelson in Alicante 2.

Hermana Adrian will train Hermana Smith in Cartagena 3.

Hermana Fumero will train Hermana Judy in Valdepenas.

Hermana Plummer will train Hermana Villamar in Badajoz.

Hermana Morrow will train Hermana Vigo in Puerto de Santa Maria.

Hermana Carmen will train Hermana Watson in San Fernando 1.

Hermana Samuelson will train Hermana Rowley in Huelva.

Elder Bussell will be trained by Elder Thia in Ciudad Real.

Elder Lowry will be trained by Elder Milius in Puerto de Santa Maria.

Elder Salcedo will be trained in Alicante 2 by Elder Sharp.

Elder Rex will be trained in Lorca by Elder Bassett.

Elder Ylimaula will be trained by Elder Olsen in Badajoz.

Piles of luggage in the mission home the night before they leave...

We said goodbye to these 13 great missionaries.  One final message from them:  500+ (our baptism goal for 2015) and they love us.  We will miss them!

The Andersens

Elders Adams and Quierolo with a new sister in Alcoy.

Elders Reynolds and Fisher in Alicante 2 with a handsome new member.



Elder Ellsworth, who is really into family history, with his mission posterity:  Elders Farrell, Nyland and Reading.



Elder Guffey with a new friend!

Elders Weenig and Sharp and Hermana DeMayola with our mini-missionary friend ready to ring in 2015 with their grapes.

President Deere and I would like to introduce you to our new friends the Andersens, who have been called by a prophet to leave their family, work, friends, home and serve the Lord for 3 years in a foreign land.  After the first few minutes of talking with them over the internet for the first time, we felt like our missionaries and this mission will be in the best hands when they arrive.  We love them already, and appreciate their faith, sacrifice and even courage to accept this new call.

Introducing the future mission president and wife of the Spain Malaga Mission:  Darvel and Marilyn Andersen from Blackfoot, Idaho. And yes, that's the same city as our Elder Marshall and former Elder Keller!

Here is the Andersen clan with their 7 children and 16 of their grandchildren.  They now have 18 grandchildren.



Their youngest son, the only child not married, is currently serving his mission in Brazil.  He will finish his mission in June 2015, about 4 weeks before his parents report to the MTC.

Concilio, Kings' Day and 7 Depart

Elders Flores and Wheeler in Chiclana.

Hermanas Stradling and Fumero, the Wiscombes, Elder Turley and possibly Elder Miranda in the back at a baptism in Valdepenas.

Elders Johnson, Briki and Bassett with a new sister in Lorca.

Hermanas Lyons and Samuelson with Elder Landinez in Huelva.

A wedding in Lorca, with Elders Johnson, Briki, Fillmore, Church and Bassett. 

And that wedding led to this baptism!

Elders Ellsworth and Durrant in Malaga 4.

A super-happy District Christmas party and gift exchange with the Caceres/Badajoz missionaries.  Elder Olsen loves his new sling shot!
 

Meet Elder Turley.  Not only does he have an extremely low voice, but his claim to fame in our mission is he is everyone's favorite person to lead a stretch part way through a long meeting.  There's just no one better at it than Elder Turley.  Here he is doing his thing somewhere in the La Mancha province of Spain.



Merry Christmas from Elders Bates and Guarcax!



These are Roscones, a typical food the Spanish eat on King's Day (Jan 6).  Each one has two things hidden inside:  a little king and a bean.  If you find the bean, something bad happens, like you have to pay for the roscones, or do the dishes.  If you find the king, you are king for a day. 

The winners!  Hermanas Guerrero and Birnbaumer, and Elder Paxman.  Surprisingly they weren't kings but Scooby Doo key rings (and a sandal key ring).  It's ok--it still made their day!

The losers:  Elders Ellsworth, Ward and Skousen. 

Concilio, 6 January 2015.  We thought we'd switch it up a little and take this photo in a part of the back yard of the mission home below the pool. 



It adds great possibilities for a silly picture.



Elders Metcalf and Adamson from Granada. Who wouldn't listen to them??? 

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These 6 sisters finished their missions and returned home on December 27.  We miss you sisters!

Elder Johnson also finished his mission this week.  Best wishes in the next phase!

 

The hermanas in Valdepenas found two great new investigators!

 

Hermanas Evelo and Ashby have their containers of grapes ready--on New Years' Eve we eat one grape every second to ring in the new year.  It's harder than you think!  Happy New Year!