Juniors, Seniors, and Valentine's Day

Valentine's Week was another full one here in the mission.  We are in the middle of having our quarterly interviews--one of our favorite times because we get to visit with each missionary one on one.  It takes us six days to complete them all.  But in the middle of this particular week, we also got to have the newest missionaries and their companions come in for additional counsel, training and lunch!  This is a wonderful day, when the missionaries have the chance to see their MTC friends along with the rest of the group they came with.  Here's our freshest "batch" (that's what they call their group) and their trainers.


JUNIORS

Back Row:  Elders Delaney, Lawrence, Johnstun, Young
Sisters Tioti, Sumagpao, Fanugao, Alicando and Ilagan
Front Row:  Elders Belaro, Seiuli, Bautista, Poulter
Sisters Nosler, Simram, Quijano, Meinzer, Tenepere, Spencer, Akau, Saiot, and Vi 

SENIORS

On Friday morning, Valentine's Day, we welcomed our newest senior couple to the mission.  We are delighted to have Elder and Sister Shorter, from Lynchburg, Virginia serving with us.  They will be taking over the responsibility of Housing for the mission, as well as member support for the Victoria Branch.  We are so grateful to have them here!

Fresh from the plane!
Elder and Sister Shorter with President and Sister Rahlf
(In the background you can see from left to right--
Elder Mills, Sister Campbell, Elder Honeycutt and Sister Mills)

and VALENTINE"S DAY
Valentine's Day is a fun holiday here.  There are heart decorations and flowers and candy everywhere.  We were greeted at the grocery store with a big heart stuck on our badges and a mini Toblerone candy bar!  That's my kind of greeting! 

Elder and Sister Campbell with the balloons and flowers Valentine he got for her--
just look at the smile on Sister Campbell!

 

We hosted a Valentine dinner and social for the Stake and District Presidents and their wives. For one of our activities, we gave each couple a card and had them write a short line about how or where they met.  We then put the cards in a basket and drew them out one at a time, trying to guess who had written it.  The couple then had to tell their love story.  It was a sweet (and entertaining) way to get to know each other.

Back row:  President & Sister Tumaliuan--Santiago North Stake; 

President & Sister Tajon--Bambang District; President & Sister Villar--Solano District; 

President Dellona--Cauayan District; 

President Marco--Alicia District; President Rahlf; 

President Busania--Santiago South Stake; President & Sister Caliguran--Ilagan Stake

Front row: President & Sister Agustin--Roxas District; Sister Dellonia; 

Sister Marco; Sister Rahlf; Sister Busania

It was a wonderful week, filled with old friends and new friends, older missionaries and younger ones, and most of all, love all around.  How blessed we are by these eternal friendships and associations!

"And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory. . ."

D&C 130:2