Light Blue Group heads West-- 20 Dec 2012

Hours after our New Missionaries leave the Mission Home, our departing Missionaries arrive to drop off their luggage. (LtoR): Elders Basha, Bode, Hooker, Myler and Fletcher.  A new tradition is to go contacting with your MTC on your final day.  After two years you are at your BEST.  After doing this they came to the Mission Home and now they have one more final stop to make...

...the pottery store!  (I'm always a little nervous taking them into this well-stocked store. Backpacks go in a corner on the floor, and the motto is:  'You break it, you buy it!')

Back at the mission home, we sit together for one last meal....'Brinner'-breakfast at dinner! was the special request for the night. And they ate and ate and ate.....

After a great testimony meeting, it was time for a little tradition...

This is a 'sentimental group'. Each left a tie that was near and dear to them....one which they had worn countless times in the mission field. Elder Myler was first to give his up...

Elder Hooker was next....

Followed by Elder Basha...

...and then Elder Fletcher, who had actually worn this tie every day for the last month to make sure everyone would recognize it as his on our tie board.

And finally, Elder Bode left a tie that had brought him many memories, even at the MTC.

What a great group of Missionaries. These men have served in countless leadership positions, have constantly taught younger missionaries the 'right way' to do missionary work and could always be found giving it their all. They will be missed! ...but their righteous traditions will live on!

While President Nielson and I were upstairs finishing up things for the day, these missionaries were still 'skurring' around doing things themselves....like....writing in the Mission Home Address Book, and...

(Hummmm.....not sure what he was doing; but it looks as though he was caught in the act!) doing some things around the Mission Home that we found after they departed.

Ah Ha!  So this is what Elder Myler was doing....a little redecorating of the Christmas tree! In fact they all were doing a little redecorating...  adding their ties as ornaments to our Christmas tree.

Elder Basha's tie.

Elder Fletchers'

Elder Hookers'

and Elder Bodes' tie.

The Final Product! Notice the additional 'art piece' in the bookcase!  What a great memory of a great group of missionaries. And you can be sure that these ties will stay on our tree throughout the Christmas season.

The departure morning at the airport just before 5:00am.  We will miss this group-  "The Light Blue Group".  They will all bless the wards and stakes where they are heading.  Each served faithfully and will be missed by the Poland Warsaw Mission.

Now it's back home to get ready for the next event.   It was freezing cold today but there is a warmth in our hearts because of our great missionaries and this special time of the year.

Merry Christmas