Light and Truth and Missionaries Going Home!

We are not understanding how six weeks can come and go so rapidly, and missionaries are ready to go home or go off to their original country of assignment.

Last Thursday, we went to the Redlands Temple with all of the outgoing missionaries and the three visa waiters. What a glorious and revelatory event! Few things are more sacred and heart-warming than to greet our missionaries as they enter the Celestial Room, knowing they were worthy to be there and knowing they had diligently persisted in their missionaries. And here they were all in the Celestial Room simultaneously, basking in the spiritual glow of the most sacred places on the face of the planet, quiet, serene, and full of light and truth.

Redlands Temple

Everyone at the Redlands Temple. F: Elders Dalmas, Castro, Komers;
President and Sister Hammon; Elder Parata; Hermanas Maxfield and Noble (going to Portugal). Elders Steiner and Lowry.
B: Elders Mohlman, Whiting (going to Portugal), Fairbanks (going to Portugal,
Wall, Wilson, Jensen, Hunt, Santos, and Haslam

 On Monday morning, we rose early and took three of our missionaries who had been originally assigned to Portugal to the airport. With their visas in hand, they boarded a plane for a long flight to Portugal. They were excited to go although they had grown very accustomed to southern California. They learned. They taught. They even baptized! Why wouldn't you want to stay? But, alas, their visas arrived, and we needed to let them go. It was challenging to watch them go. They will always be a part of the California Riverside Mission.

Sister Noble, President Hammon; Elders Fairbanks and Whiting

On Monday evening, they began to filter in, one by one until they were all here. I visited with several of them about their "MyPlan," their strategic planning for going home. They had developed a robust plan about continuing discipleship; going to college and/or obtaining a job; and beginning to date and seek their "new" companion, this time their choice with the blessing of the Lord.

F: Elders Castro, Dalmas, Komers, Parata, Steiner, and Lowry; Hermana Maxfield
B: Elders Wall, Wilson, Mohlman, Santos, Hunt, Haslam, Jensen, and President and Sister Hammon

I had each of them complete a three-column document entitled "My Eternal Companion." The three columns including these three elements: 1) Essential qualities my spouse must possess. 2) Qualities that I hope my spouse possesses but not totally essential! And 3) Qualities my spouse possesses that definitely would be bonuses but not necessarily essential! The irony is that I completed the same type of document on blue paper in my seminary classes. Brother Lee had us do one and then place it in a self-addressed envelope with a stamp. When I arrived home from my mission, it was there. And, yes, Sister Hammon aligned perfectly!  Both my daughters did one, too. Thus, I thought it would be fine for the missionaries to complete one, also. They all have high standards for their spouse, but they know they need to exude those same standards to capture someone of that quality.

We had a delicious dinner of chile verde with rice, beans, salad, and chips. After our testimony meeting, we then were treated once again with Sister Hammon's famous tres leches cake. It was so divine. Every bite is like biting into heaven. Seriously! It has become one of those traditions the outgoing missionaries have.

L-R: Sister Hammon, Elder Castro, Hermana Maxfield; Elders Heilbut (Assistant),
Santos, Komers, Parata, Mohlman, Steiner, Dalmas, and Wilson.

L-R: Elders McLaughlin, Lowry, Hunt, Haslam, Wall, and Jensen

As always, we spent some time talking about "light" and how to keep injecting light into our lives every single day.

Studying together in companionship study. (Thanks, Sister Shirley for the photo!)

Yes, some of them had to sleep on the floor on really nice blow-up beds:
F-B: Elders Haslam, Hunt, Komers, Dalmas, Steiner, and Mohlman

This morning, we loaded the trailer (Thanks, Brother Cooper and Elder Davis!), and headed to the Ontario Airport. We arrived, check everyone in, took some pictures, said sad goodbyes coupled with tears, and then watched them go up the escalator until they disappeared into the snaking security lines. 

Loading luggage

Unloading luggage

Yes, Even Elder Steiner now knows how to vacuum! 

Yes, there were smiles and laughter. Yes, there were hugs. Yes, there were tears. There is just no other way to say goodbye to incredible missionaries who have labored so diligently, become part of our family, and knit their lives with ours. We saw them all come, young, a bit skittish about the whole missionary thing, wondering sometimes why they were there and then watched them grow and develop into some of the most incredible young people we know or ever will. They have truly become men and women of God, part of the royal army and doing what their Heavenly Father wants them to do.

And off they go!

And then....poof! off they go--to home, to college, to families, to continue their glorious and changed lives. Truly, we have witnessed miracles with these young people. May the Lord continue to bless them and their families and their future families.

From the Mission Home front door!

And thus it is....

We love them!

President and Sister Hammon