Returned with honor from the California Riverside Mission!

Serving as a mission president and spouse is a marvelous blessing for Sister Hammon and me. We enjoy being with missionaries in interviews, trainings, discussions, dinners (outgoing and incoming), conversations, and baptisms. There is an incredible spirit that engulfs them, and we are able to bask in that spirit every single day.  

 

Redlands Temple

Outgoing missionaries:

Recently, we had missionaries returning home to their families and friends. For us, outgoing missionaries bring great joy and teary sadness to us. One privilege we have is to attend the Redlands Temple with the outgoing missionaries prior to their returning home and the visa waiters who are leaving for their respective countries. Missionaries attending: Elders Briggs, Frazier, Gregory, Guymon,  Marrow, Lawes, Shurtleff, and Rivas; and Sister Ashby. We served as the witness couple.

Front: Elder Rivas, Marrow, President and Sister Hammon, and Sister Ashby;
Rear: Elder Shurtleff, Lawes, Briggs, Gregory, Guymon, and Fraizer.

Wonderful experience! The Celestial Room was beautiful as it always is. We spent a bit of time there. We then dressed and moved outside to take pictures.

Once they attend the temple, then the next event was their going home interview, dinner, testimony meeting, and companionship study with me. A few days following the temple trip, with much sadness and a few tears—okay, a lot of tears!—we said good bye to just six missionaries this transfer going home: Elders Guymon, Shurtleff, Gregory, Frazier, Rivas, and Briggs. 

Elders Gregory, Briggs, Guymon, Frazier, Shurtleff, and Rivas

They first came to the Mission Home for last interviews with me regarding their “My Plan” and going home. Then, a delicious meal comprised of street tacos and the works. Perhaps, the highlight—excluding Sister Hammon’s Tres Leches cake—was the testimony meeting. What strong testimonies these young men bore of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of the Book of Mormon. Here are snippets of their testimonies:

Elder Briggs—"Revelation does come in the modern day and brings promised blessings. I promise you that these things will happen. We will receive a confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon through reading and studying each day.”

Elder Briggs and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Elder Frazier—“God is real, and He loves us so much. We all go through lots of changes and challenges because He knew we could get through them.”

Elder Frazier and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Elder Gregory—“I have developed the desire to live with Heavenly Father and to please Him. As soon as I saw President Nelson in General Conference, all my anxiety went away. Fear was gone. Peace came over me. President Nelson is a prophet.”

Elder Gregory and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Elder Guymon—“Being on a mission, I have been able to grow. As long as Priesthood holders stay faithful, we can work mighty miracles.”

Elder Guymon and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Elder Rivas—“Reading the Book of Mormon is really worth the effort. God really does talk to us. Biggest miracle is we have missionaries who love to work in the California Riverside Mission."

Elder Rivas and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Elder Shurtleff—“Our testimonies are our best gift. The best way to nourish our testimonies is by doing the things we learn. Nothing is more important than working hard. God has trusted us and gifted us with so much growth. The mission is the greatest challenge because you grow so much.”

Elder Shurtleff and President and Sister Hammon at the Redlands Temple

Then, on Tuesday morning early, we rose early, fixed a quick breakfast, and headed to the airport. After checking them in and walking down to security, we said our goodbyes and off they went. Traditionally, they all turn and wave at us. That’s when the lump rises in the throat, tears trickle down your checks, and you wave back, knowing that their families and friends at other airports are waiting patiently to shed tears of joy to welcome them home! These are wonderful leaders who returned home with honor and journals full of incredible missionary experiences and miracles.

And away they go!

We also said good bye to Sister Ashby and Elder Patrick who received their visas. They left on Monday morning: Sister Ashby to Taiwan... 

Sister Ashby, Sister and President Hammon

and Elder Patrick to France. 

Sister and President Hammon and Elder Patrick

We enjoyed both of them while they were here, and we will definitely miss them. They will always be, however, a part of our mission.

Missionary work is grand and filled with joy and happiness. Watching missionaries come and go, progress and develop, and experience a host of challenges and changes creates such nurturing and spiritual environment. There is nothing like it and difficult to explain. The easiest way to explain is being spiritually-enhanced and fed every single day. We love it.

President and Sister Hammon