We received new missionaries this week!

Just as our outgoing missionaries return home, later in the evening, we receive new missionaries. What a delight it was to watch them come down the escalators, full of hope, a bit of trepidation, and a sense of courage for their adventure in the California Riverside Mission!

New missionaries arrived at the Ontario airport Tuesday evening excited to get out there and save souls

Missionaries arrive from the Mexico CCM Monday night. Elders Messenger, Garner, and Vaenuku and Hermanas Salmon and Butikofer

Once we train them, feed them, hear their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, we assign them to their new missionary companions. I review their missionary applications, interview them, pray about who should be their companions, and then assign them to their new companions. Once I have the draft done, Sister Hammon and I review the names to make sure this is what the Lord wants. Then, we have lunch with them and then begin the much-anticipated assignments in the Chapel. Once the assignments are made, the new missionaries bear testimony. Then off to the cultural hall for pictures.

Missionaries with their trainers:

Elders Griffiths and Garner (new)

Sisters Tobler and Huffaker (new)

Hermanas Rane and Butikofer (new)

Sisters Searle and Martin (new)

Sisters Tanner and Dyer (new)

Sisters Weston and Jeppsen (new)

Sisters Reynolds and Clyde (new)

Sisters Frederick (new) and Henderson

Elders Coreau and Andrus (new)

Elders Vaenuku (new) and Wise

Elders Bistline (new) and Atanascio

Hermanas Longshore and Salmon (new)

Elders Liddell and Campbell (new)

Elders Harp and Schultz (new)

Elders Messenger (new) and Crichfield

Elder Doutre and Emry (new)

It's fun to see them line up and take pictures with their new companions. We also take a picture with them. Those pictures are on our Facebook page. Go take a look!

Elders Butters (new) and Li

This will be a trio of Mandarin-speaking missionaries. They are excited to be together!

Elders Stewart, Farr (new) and Peterson

Elder Hansen (new) and Woo Chjng

Elders Higbee (new) and Christensen

Elders Talataina and Thomas (new)

Elders Brooks (new) and Ottman

Of course, they eat after landing and trudging back through traffic to the Mission Home. We had street tacos and all of the trimmings. The salsa was a bit zippy tonight! Delicious!

Dinner at the mission home Tuesday night

Dinner consisted of chicken street tacos, rice, beans and salad with peanut butter bars for dessert

A tradition that we began not long ago was to have the new missionaries come into the President's Office and take off the "star" that designated they were a new missionary and replace it with their photo to the transfer board.

Hermana Butikofer

Hermana Salmon

My picture is placed, and I am ready to go....My bag is full of copies of the Book of Mormon!

Elder Garner

Elder Messenger

Elder Vaenuku

At last, true missionaries now they are on the transfer board!

Elder Andrus

Some have to reach really high to place their photo!

Stretch, Sister Clyde

Elder Bistline

Elder Brooks

Elder Campbell

Sister Jeppsen

"Yes, this is where I will be serving," said Sister Martin!

Clear up there, Sister Martin

Sister Frederick

Elder Farr 

Elder Emery's cousin is in our mission!

Elder Emry

Sister Dyer

Elder Thomas

Elder Hansen

Interestingly, Sister Huffaker was assigned to serve in the California Riverside Mission. Her brother was serving in the Rancho Cucamonga Mission when she received her call. On July 1, we received the Ontario Stake where her brother was serving to be a part of our mission. So, this is the first time we have ever received a sibling of one or our missionaries already serving in this mission. We don't believe they will ever serve as companions....

Sister Huffaker joining the transfer board that her brother is also on. 

Elder Higbee

They are wonderful young people who are ready to serve the Lord! We are excited they are here, and we are more excited to serve with them! 

Outgoing Missionaries--On to their next transfer!

Twenty three of our fantastic missionaries left on Tuesday to return home or on to the country where they were originally assigned. Two are VISA waiters and one senior couple. We will miss them all terribly.

Outside of the Mission Home on Monday night! Gorgeous evening!

It's always fun to see them line up for an onslaught of photos before heading home. These pictures tell the story of how much they love their missions and how much we love them!

Sisters in Zion

Phenomenal young men, ready for their next adventure: school, work, dating, and acclimating to a new life wherever they end up.

Army of Helaman

Elder and Sister Samuelson are two incredible people. This is their second mission, and we enjoyed having them here.

Sisters Hammon and Samuelson 

Here's Elder Tippetts helping with breakfast. His mother would be proud. Immediately after this picture, he put on an apron, so he wouldn't spill watermelon juice on his white shirt.

Elder Tippetts helping with breakfast. 

Elder Treviño also helped out cutting musk melon. He also had an accident and sliced his finger. Fortunately, we had fixed it up before he left at 6:00 a.m. He had to go to Los Angeles to catch his flight. 

Elder Treviño 

Elder Treviño  had to leave early before everyone was ready!

Breakfast was comprised of sticky buns, scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit, and orange juice. They weren't too nervous, so they ate heartily.

Breakfast before heading to the airport

Happy campers with full stomachs 

Breakfast of champions- sticky buns,  scrambles eggs, yogurt and fruit

This is what happens when the missionaries arrive. They bring luggage that mostly weight just under 50 pounds per bag. They come with two bags and must go home with two or pay extra! They leave a lot of things behind, pay enormous UPS fees to ship stuff home, have someone take the extra things home, or return later and pick up the loads of things they think they will need.

Suitcase galore! Thanks to Sister Shirley for the photo!

 One of our most favorite outgoing events is to have a "companion study" with the missionaries. Tonight we had a robust conversation and study about "light" and how we are going to kept injecting light into our lives every single day for the rest of our lives.

Studying together! Thanks to Sister Shirley for the photo!

 The shoes stack up when they begin to arrive.

Thanks to Sister Shirley for the photo!

Sister Hammon and Sister Dorny were twins tonight as they have the same blouse!

Thanks to Sister Shirley for the photo!

There is something the erupts when you watch them go up the escalator! In this case, it was lots of tears through waves galore!

Terminal 4 for four missionaries going east!

Even more tears, watching this group go up, up, and up and then through security. Before they went up, we said our goodbyes through tears and knots in our throat. Then, we waved at the them until they disappeared suddenly, just as they appeared suddenly at the top of the stairs two years or 18 months ago.

Terminal 2 for those going Salt Lake City!

Ah, the heart tugs as they trundled out of our lives, into their new lives at home. While they knew they needed to go home, many of them really didn't want to go home. We would have kept all of them had we been able to.

For mission presidents and their wives, it is, indeed, a tug and pull on heart strings every six weeks as missionaries come and go. We watch them come as young people, some of them just six years out of primary, still young, some immature, others incredibly homesick, and others ready to get to work. Then, two years and/or 18 months later, they leave as leaders, examples, incredible teachers, and spiritually mature to combat the challenges that await them at home. 

Multi-zone conferences with Elder Shayne M. and Sister Linette Bowen

Mission Tour October 9-11, 2019
We had the great privilege of spending three days with Elder Shayne M. and Lynette M. Bowen as they toured our mission. Elder Bowen was our stake president in the Idaho Falls, Idaho West Stake many years ago. President Hammon served on his Stake High Council. So, for us, it was an extra privilege to be with them.

Elder Shayne M. and Sister Linette Bowen and President and Sister Hamon

Elder and Sister Bowen began our conference with a spiritual Mission Leadership Council on Wednesday. We were instructed and invited to be and do better in our leadership callings. He said, "When you know who you are are, you will act differently."

Zone conference is always a spiritual and motivational time, but this month was especially so because of the visit of Elder and Sister Bowen. We were all invited to do six things that if implemented daily we were promised that it would change our missions.

Murrrieta Zone

Menifee Zone

Lake Elsinore Zone

Ontario Zone

Hemet Zonne

Temecula Zone

Temecula and Menifee Stake Relief Society fed us a fantastic meal of  BBQ beef
or chicken sandwiches, macaroni salad, and delicious brownies 

Happy Birthday Elders Tye, Randall, Yumisaca and Sisters Sands and Hindman

Golden Plunger Award from Lake Elsinore goes to Elders Lawlor and Jensen (Elder Mascio, housing inspector)

Golden Plunger Award from Hemet goes to Sisters Ellsworth and Sands

Golden Plunger Award for Moreno Vallley, Elder Greathouse (Elder and Sister Dickinson,
housing inspectors) and Elder Harp

Golden plunger for Riverside goes to Elder Bailey (Elder and Sister Troxel, housing inspectors) and Elder Chase

Riverside and Corona Relief Society sisters provided a delicious meal of tacos, rice,
 and beans with brownies and ice cream for dessert

Corona Zone

Moreno Valley Zone

Elder Shayne M. Bowen thanking sisters for lunch.

Jurupa Zone

It is always a pleasure and a blessing to be with missionaries during multi-zone conferences. Having Elder and Sister Bowen added multiple blessings to our mission and the missionaries. Here are just a mere few of principles and gems that Elder and Sister Bowen taught through the three days they were here:

• When you understand who you are, you will act differently. Rise to the stature of who you are.
• When you go to God with your plan, He will honor it.
• The gospel and the Spirit will take good people and make them better.
• Repentance is what good people do to become better.
• The Lord will magnify us, so we can be magnificent.
• The most sacred thing I can give you is my trust. 
• Never feel comfortable in this world. 
• You can be anything you want to be! Don't label yourself. Don't be burdened with false limitations.
• Only make the decision once to do the right thing.
• Chain yourself to good habits.

And so many more.

Beautiful sunrise from the doorway of the Mission Home in Riverside, California