The Penultimate Transfer, Thanksgiving dinner with the Seniors, and The Sanders leave us!

We survived another transfer!  5 Elders left and 12 missionaries came! 
I am learning to do lots of the receptionist responsibilities so it was extra busy, but fun! 
We had a delightful Thanksgiving dinner and devotional with all the Senior missionaries on Saturday and had the Sturms and the office staff over for dinner today! 
We've never worked in the office without the Sanders watching our backs! It's pretty scary to think that we're the trainers now!  It's a good thing that God's in charge.  Things seem to work out! We are very blessed!

Our cute ZLs made a good bye cake 

Pizza Ranch with the new arrivals

Huhot with the departing missionaries

Dinner with all the Senior missionaries!

Good bye dinner for the Sanders!

It looks like all we do is eat!  It's kind of true!

A broken tooth, Red Lobster, and Marshalltown!

Its been quiet in the office!  I was eating a tootsie pop and broke part of my front tooth (hazards of free time in the office).   First week without receiving notification of a new missionary!
We all went to Red Lobster Thursday night for the 4 course feast deal and over ate.
Saturday was such a great day!  We left after lunch, stopped and saw the Tsolukas and their new house in Grinnell, visited the Harringtons in Marshalltown (he's in remission!), then went to Maritza's baptism!  It was nice to see most of the Hernandez family!  Fortino was made an Elder last week and they plan to go to the temple soon!  Maritza is a bundle of sunshine.  We stopped to see Nanci but she wasn't there, then we stopped in Toledo to see the Kangnis.  I love visiting people we love so much!
We enjoyed church, we got a new member of the bishopric in the 4th ward and had potluck after the Spanish branch!

Our favorite Togonians.

Maritza and some of her cousins.

Bishop Downing and Maritza

All the family, but dad, who was getting the pizza.

In remission!

Beautiful drive.

The new house has a porch and a back yard!!

Getting a flu shot at HyVee

The Red Lobster gang.

Pot luck in the branch!

Feeding the Missionary leadership council, service at the mission home, the giant chair, and speaking in the Spanish Branch

Things have been slow in the office this week!  Luckily we got to feed 42 missionaries at MLC Tuesday, paint and install a cabinet at the mission home, and learn some new jobs. Sister Taylor who is replacing Sister Sanders is also the mission nurse!  So I'm learning part of the receptionist' s job.
 We talked to Sanders into coming to see the giant rocking chair in the Amana Colonies with us Saturday.  They only have 2 more Saturdays in Iowa! 
We spoke in the Spanish Branch today!  I was so proud of Elder Quincy!   He bore his testimony in Spanish!  We also went to the study group for Come Follow Me.  Great people and a lovely Sabbath!

Sister Sanders and I got haircuts the same day so we had to take before and after pictures!

The missionaries love to eat!

The Office Staff!

Still warm enough to walk! 

Amana Colonies 

Winter to fall, Elder Wong, and Nauvoo with the Spanish branch

We had snow Monday and Tuesday it actually stuck!  When it melted the fall colors were back and brighter than ever!  Elder and Sister Wong were entertaining and delightful.  Saturday we went to Nauvoo with the Spanish branch.  A couple of men baptized their wives and children for their first time.  We had Spanish subtitles in the endowment session which was cool!  I so wanted to help them through the veil!  It's been a wonderful week!

The Chapmans

The Quincys

The Gribbohms

Trunk or treat

After the snow

Before the snow

The YSA Elders teaching about Family History on the Day of the Dead.

Nauvoo was beautiful

First time we were crossing the river when a barge came and stopped traffic!