It's Hard to Say Goodbye

January has been a wintery month with snow storms about once a week during the month. When it's fresh, it looks beautiful, but traveling in the snow is not fun. Every time we have snow, our missionaries are grounded from driving their cars, usually for a day until the snow plows and traffic clear off the snow from the roads. I must say that snow removal in Scarsdale is very good, nothing like the stories you heard about the snowstorm in New York City the day after Christmas. They literally bring in front-end loaders and huge dump trucks. The loaders load up the dump trucks and the trucks take the snow about three blocks away in back of a playground and pile the snow sky high.

In the office, things really changed at the first of the month. For one thing, our great AP's were released from their callings and sent back into the field to be zone leaders. We have truly loved Elder Fox and Elder Duran and we miss them. Here we are at Piper's Kilt, sending them off with one last meal at our favorite eating establishment.

We often have had missionaries come in the office to visit and pick up their mail. However, starting the second week of January, they have been asked to not come into the office--that they need to be concentrating on their missionary work. We miss having them come. They really sparked up the mundane office routine. Here is a group of our great missionaries.

Elder Dalebout, Sister Dalebout, Sister Hodge, Sister Dunagan, Elder and Sister Schouten and Elder Betenson. Elder Betenson is related to Dad. He is from the same line as Joyce Hemmert. His great grandmother was Martina Duffin, Joyce's mother. Elder Betenson returned home January 7th.

Elder Workman is from Provo. He went to Timpview High School. He's quite a character.

Elder Covel and Elder Ibisagba were transfered to a new area. We got a picture of them before they left.

Elder Duran and Elder Fox, just before transfers.

Before the outgoing missionaries leave to go home, they always take a trip to the temple. We are privileged to go with them. They left the next morning for home.

Elder Worthen (the tallest one) came to New York because he couldn't get his visa to go to Brazil. He was in our mission for three months and we really grew to love him. It was truly hard to say goodbye to him last week. He found out three days before he flew out that he was leaving. Elder Santo had to stay a few days before he left, so he and Elder Worthen were together for those days.

Elder Worthen was companions with Elder Sayao (on the left). They were a good team. Elder Sayao is from Brazil and is the sweetest, most gentle missionary. I really love him. He told me: "I'm crying on the inside," which means he was sad to be losing Elder Worthen as a companion.

We're all smiling in these pictures, but, like Elder Sayao, "I'm crying on the inside." It's hard to see them leave.