Our Sunday conference in the Richmond Stake was a great meeting I spoke on the blessings of the restoration and Aaron discussed how we can better align our missionary efforts with the full-time missionaries. He shared a great story of a family from Sudan (the Jalal’s) that was recently baptized and how the missionaries and members worked together to make it happen. Our sisters found them street contacting. They were all Muslims, spoke mainly Arabic, and it was awesome how they came to know the truth, changed years of bad habits, and accepted the gospel. I was deeply impressed by a sister that spoke of her recent conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In a synopsis, after experiencing effects of poor decisions, heartache and short-term happiness in her life she was looking stated she was looking for three things love, forgiveness and choice. She shared how she found those three things in the church and knew it was the only place to find it. She then shared a beautiful testimony of what she knew to be true. Love it!!
We raced from the conference on Sunday back to the mission home so Aaron could finish up our transfer interviews and get ready for our departure meetings. We have a group of eleven going home including two former assistants, three sister training leaders, a couple of zone leaders, and some great missionaries. Their final testimonies were amazing to listen to and I love to look into their faces and reflect on how much they’ve all grown. This is the first time we’ve held these meetings on a Sunday and will do so now based on when the new missionaries arrive. I prepare shredded beef and chicken tacos and all my usual sides for their departure dinner. Allie arrived during all of this and I’m so happy to have her with us. We then had a wonderful FHE with the missionaries and kids.
This was our first go at the new transfer schedule with departing missionaries and arriving missionaries all happening on Monday. We now have all our missionaries that are receiving a transfer gather at the mission office on Monday at 9:30am. As this is their pday, they are more anxious to come and go and get on with their day so we didn’t have to push them out the door. We generally sing in the new missionaries on transfer day, but with the change, we sang to the departing missionaries as we took them to the mission office one last time. It was very tender for most of them to say goodbye as we sang our mission song to them.
We were scrambling to get missionaries on a plane and welcome in the new at the same time due to the departing and arriving flights overlapping. We actually missed the new arrival group and found them all waiting for us in the baggage claim area. I have a tradition of videoing them all as they arrive and we reenacted it to send to their parents. We know we will have to do something different next time. We did have one elder miss his flight so Aaron sent his assistants back to the airport shortly after we arrived. We were fortunate to get him to the mission home just in time for dinner and a quick interview.
Our afternoon with the new schedule worked out as planned as we had a little more time to train them, have individual interviews, and a dinner together. With eleven new sisters arriving, we only had a few that are nervous so it should be a great group. We haven’t had a native Chinese speaking elder arrive for at least a year and it is good to have someone who knows the language inside and out. One other adjustment to the day is we now have our new missionary/trainer assignment meeting later in the evening. Aaron paired the fifteen new trainers with other trainers for the day and we all met back at the mission home at 8pm. Overall it was a good day, things to improve, but a good start to a new schedule.
Aaron’s family for came down for Thanksgiving this week. Alan, Jeanne, Eric and Cami’s family and Christian and Emily’s family arrived Tuesday night. Wednesday, we went to the Children’s museum since most of the little kids were in this group. We had a fun time exploring, making rockets, playing on the adventure tree, the kids getting wet in the water works area, working in various jobs in the Kidopolis and a picture with Santa. We enjoyed Torchy’s afterwards. Aaron picked up the rest of the Hall’s later that night and took them to enjoy Torchy’s as well.
The next day, boys all got together for Turkey bowl because Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without one. We had a great Thanksgiving feast and fun at Morton’s. A few of us prepared muffins, rolls, mashed potatoes, fruit salsa and pies for our contribution to the wonderful meal. We went to see Coco for our movie tradition. The movie was great with a wonderful message. We had everyone come over to enjoy Aaron’s pumpkin roll and leftover pies afterward.
We began Friday at our new missionary training with some of Aaron’s family joining us so they could experience a little of the mission. Afterwards, we loaded up in the vans for a trip to the Houston Zoo. Zac and Grandpa Hall went golfing instead and had a great time together. We then all joined up at The Pit Room for dinner. It’s a great Texan barbeque place that we had never been too but was highly recommended. Mmmmm Mmmmm good! Everyone came back to our house for more pumpkin roll, pies and visiting.
For our last day together, we went to NASA Johnson Space Center. It is a huge interactive museum with a couple of simulator rides, movies and multiple exhibits. We toured the Challenger exhibit, took a tram tour of the Orion Mission Control and Rocket Park. We enjoyed lunch together and then took everyone to the airport. We loved having the Hall’s with us. I didn’t feel like I had much time with Allie but she will be back with us in December.