In July there was a mission transfer for the young Elders and Sisters. In addition, on the transfer day the mission received 28 new Elders and Sisters. The bottom line is that it was a spiritual and logistic miracle!!! The drill is that those being transferred are notified on Saturday night of their transfer. They all have until Tuesday morning to get their stuff together and arrange transportation to a church building in Tacoma. Getting themselves there is no easy task because the mission does not have enough cars to do the job. Therefore, each transferred missionary and their companion have to arrange their own transport. Most of the senior couples in the mission help, along with various ward members. All the elders have bikes so its no easy task. We are glad we have a third seat and the bike rack.
This is the scene behind almost every car in the parking lot as they unload their "stuff" from the car that brought them and then upload it to the car that will take them to their new area.
The sister in red coat to the left is Sister Gehring. She is an amazing missionary and was made a Sister Training Leader on this transfer. We would also mention that she is a Utah State Aggie!!
The transfer meeting started about 2:30 p.m. and lasted three hours. It was one of the most spiritual meetings we have ever been to in our lives!! The 28 new missionaries were introduced. There were three incredible musical numbers by various groups of missionaries - unbelievable talent!! The bulk of the meeting was testimonies of the departing missionaries. These amazing elders and sisters have very young bodies and powerful, mature spirits. You had to be there to feel the full impact of their testimonies, but we share some of their powerful one-liners with you in hopes the Holy Ghost will help you feel a small bit of what we experienced.
- If you are not happy, work harder.
- A call to serve, is helping you to love, He who served.
- The Savior can do two things for us: save us from drowning like He did Peter, and help us walk on water like He did Peter - we just have to have faith.
- You are not your past.
- A mission is hard, but if you endure to the end it is worth it!
- This mission is one of the greatest gifts I have been given. Here are my greatest gifts in order: the atonement, Gift of the Holy Ghost, family, my mission.
- Take your calling more seriously and yourself a little less seriously.
- The WATAC (Washington Tacoma Mission) is so great because we LOVE here.
- Be real, be yourself. Draw on the powers of your past experiences.
- A mission is a perfect place to heal.
- LOVE THEM
- A mission is the best university God could ever send you to.
- I have felt more joy and peace here than any other time in my life.
- Sacrifice changes hearts.
- You get to change the world.
- We are evidence that the gospel works.
- Let your mission change you.
- I love my Savior, Jesus Christ!
- What I know is that Love always works - when we love people, miracles happen.
- I want to be like Jesus. I'm not very good at it, but I'm working hard. I'm trying to save everyone just as He did.
- Work hard and love every minute of it.
- Nothing feels better than having the spirit with you.
- Obedience brings happiness and peace.
- Even when you go home, keep working. Your mission is through. . .but not the work.
There is hardly a day that goes by that we are not humbled - sometimes to tears - by the sacrifice for our nation that we witness from the soldiers and airmen that serve and their families, Their service is truly a family thing. This is especially true for those who serve in the Special Forces. These soldiers serve in the most hostile of places in the world. Last week one wife we met with said her special forces husband has been deployed at least once a year for at least three months at a time for the last six years The Special Forces families never know where their soldiers are in the world during a deployment. Another wife we talked to at church last week said she is the legal guardian for her husband who has extreme PTSD. Their sacrifice will go on for their life-time! Last week, on August 6, when we we came out of the Post Exchange we walked behind the car in this picture. We paused to read the sticker on the back window - WOW, less than one month ago, and 27 years old!!! This really made us tear up!
At most Army Posts with a major military treatment facility, they have a Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion where soldiers that require six months or more to heal are assigned. Their wounds can be physical, emotional (PTSD), or both. Their job is to become healed so they can return to their units or to civilian life. Here at Ft. Lewis they have a Battalion. It is organized just like a regular Army Battalion with a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Commander and a senior non-commissioned officer (SGM for Sergeant Major). We are currently working with two members of the church assigned here. One said there are about 200 soldiers assigned to the battalion. One is very new to the church so we are going to reteach him the PMG lessons. He wants to get to the temple with his wife as soon as he can. What an honor to do this!!
There are six buildings like this one that are the barracks for the wounded warriors.
Last week we parked by the Wounded Warrior Battalion and noticed this large semi trailer in the parking lot. As we looked, we were really touched. It was a trailer full of bikes, some for physical handicap folks. Wounded warriors were trying out various bikes. The trailer was sponsored by U-Haul, GEICO, TREK bikes, and the Wounded Warrior Project. It is amazing what people and companies are doing to support these American heroes!!
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| Wounded Warriors trying out various bikes |
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