New Missionaries – Arizona Tucson Mission

Transfer Week- July 2018- Transfer Tuesday

Tuesdays are always jammed packed on Transfer week….jammed!

We all head out early to the transfer site, the Tucson Stake Center, to have a little bit of controlled chaos take place for just a little bit of time.

We love our Senior Missionaries! They are the backbone of this transfer day. Thank you for all you do.

We meet in the church for our Trainer/Trainee Meeting to have our new missionaries meet their trainers and have some training from President and Sister Browning and the Assistants.

This is so important because this is the day they officially start to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It all is for real now!

Here are the companionships.

Now off to the temple to meet up with the missionaries (22 of them) going home tomorrow. There is a lot of them and only two Sisters!

Back to the mission office for lunch, interviews, weighing bags, and our last dinner together. It is the final hours for these seasoned and choice missionaries.

The two roses among the 20 Elders.

The amount of bags and memories inside those bags, all ready to go home.

This is how “sunny” it was today in Tucson. Just a bit on the warm side.

The last meal for our dear missionaries.

It’s an ATM thing….

Oh we love these great people…our ATM missionaries. How we all have grown in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel changes us, for the better.

Tomorrow we send them all home to their families and friends.

….sigh….

Transfer Week- July 2018- New Missionary Monday

They are coming….they are coming! Our new missionaries are coming today!! It’s always a day full of anticipation.

Here they are standing out in the wonderful Arizona sun with President and Sister Browning.

Our three amazing Assistants (just for the day).

Walking up to the Mormon Battalion monument in downtown Tucson.

Back to the mission office for orientation and lunch.

After dinner at the mission home, we head up to the Tucson temple even though it is 90+ degrees at sunset. We just have to let them see and feel the spirit of this wonderful divine building in Tucson, AZ.

Transfer Week-June 2018- New Missionary Monday

It’s heating up in Tucson folks. June is the month for setting heat records.

But also, we are heating up the ATM with new missionaries…..new fresh soldiers!

Here they come….fresh from the MTC!

Now for the individual pictures. (Mind you, it was over 100 degrees and there was no good place to take photos. We tried not to melt in the awesome Tucson sunshine.)

As we all hide in the shade, President teaches the new missionaries a little bit about the Mormon Battalion that came through Tucson and the legacy of the saints in Arizona.

Now off on a walk up to the monument.

Selfie at the crosswalk….

Back at the mission office, one of missionaries arrives with her family. Her Mom puts on her tag. Exciting!

Time for orientation, interviews and training. Thanks goes to our wonderful Sr missionaries that have all the forms, papers, etc all ready.

Please tell me it’s LUNCH!!

Sometimes our missionaries arrive at different times. These two were after the group from the airport. Welcome to the ATM and to your mission.

Back to the mission home for more food and then up to the Tucson temple for a special walk around the temple grounds. The weather has cooled off enough to be doable for an outside walk.

WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES OF THE TEMPLE. Sister Browning was picture happy as the sun was going down. Much better time for pictures than at the airport.

Our two Assistants to the President. Wonderful Elders!!!

Off to bed! We have much to do tomorrow and an early alarm clock time.

Transfer Week Apr/May 2018- Transfer Tuesday

Bright and early, up and at ’em! That describes missionary life. Especially on transfer morning.

Our new missionaries are here, ready for their official first day and to meet a very important person in their life…their trainers.

Goodbyes. Hellos. Bags. Suitcases. Bins. Bikes. Hugs. Tears. Blow horns. Chaos. Excitement.

Those are some of the words that describe a transfer morning.

Inside, after the transfer vans and missionaries leave, we have a training meeting for the trainers and new missionaries. It’s an exciting time!

Here are the new Trainer/Trainee companionships.

Welcome to the ATM!!

Transfer Week March 2018- Transfer Tuesday

Here we go, bright and early, off to Transfer Tuesday!

It’s such an exciting day, with lots of movement and energy. It’s also a day of new beginnings and sad goodbyes. What complex emotions all on one day.

We love getting to the transfer site to get pictures of all the hustle and bustle. Sometimes we get lots of pictures and other days the camera woman is awful busy. This transfer, however, we got some good photos!

Here the transfer van (which is named Lola) has it’s precious cargo heading out for their new areas. Blessings to you all…we will be praying for you.

As the cars, vans, and trucks move out, some of us gather in the church building for our Trainer/Trainee Training Meeting (now that’s a mouth full). Here the new missionaries find out who their trainer is and the area they will be serving in.

E X C I T I N G ! !

Here are the new companionships.

This training meeting is so remarkable to be apart of. It’s such a unique moment in time for everyone involved. To see the anxiousness of our new missionaries turn into hope and excitement, is inspiring. Our prayers go with you all!

Now off to the next event….a time in the temple with our departing missionaries that are leaving tomorrow. What a bitter sweet time!

Thank you Elder Duncan for sacrificing your body to get this extraordinary photo.

A selfie of the Sisters in Sister Browning’s car going from the temple to the Mission Office. They all didn’t want to be separated so they squished and had a great time. Haha! Elders would never do that.

In honor of our well seasoned Tucsonan missionaries, we had Bro Quijada make these “Sonoran Hot Dogs” for our lunch. They are a masterpiece for your taste buds. Delicioso!

We meet for a final missionary “Q & A with President & Sister Browning” and then have final interviews and yes….more food at the mission home.

Someone, Elder Ballard, was lucky to have his birthday fall on the day he was going home (tomorrow). So we celebrated the night before.

After our departing missionary testimony meeting, we sing our traditional “Mission Song” one last time.

We just love all of these consecrated and obedient missionaries. They truly will LIGHT and BLESS the world where ever they go…just like they did the ATM. Well Done!

Transfer Tuesday is over, but we still have one more morning of goodbyes. See you bright and early at the airport for Departing Wednesday.

Transfer Week March 2018- New Missionary Monday

It’s time to begin again.

Six weeks has come and gone and now we are at Transfer Week once more.

This transfer group is smaller than we usually get, but just as stellar!

And here they all are!

In front of the Mormon Battalion Monument.

Since Elder Creason, one of our Assistants, is going home this transfer, Elder Anderson, to the far left, will take his place with Elder Duncan.

We start the new missionaries right away with interviews, orientation and paperwork.

Elder Lambson, our Vehicle Coordinator, helping out our missionaries.

The top 10 of the ATM given by the Assistants, is a fun way to introduce our new missionaries to the area.

After training, we have dinner at the mission home and then go up to the Arizona Tucson Temple and have a time for reflection and inspiration. The temple looks over the city of Tucson and it is sooooo brilliantly beautiful at night.

Poor picture quality but amazing quality of missionaries!

Most of our new missionaries that come in have sleep deprivation… they’ve been up since 2:00 am or thereabout–so let’s get them to bed.

Get some rest dear missionaries, for your mission officially starts early tomorrow morning!!

February 2018 New Missionaries

The beauty of transfer week… NEW MISSIONARIES!

We love this week because the ATM gets a shot-in-the-arm of new recruits!! They are fresh, excited and ready to fulfill their purpose. They have contagious enthusiasm and their spirits are as bright as their white shirts and beautiful smiles.

Arriving missionaries getting their luggage and loading up. The weather is perfect, sunshine and in the upper 70’s. Wonderful time to arrive in Tucson.

Haha! I must have snapped the photo as Elder Creason (one of our AP’s) was blinking….or taking a half second nap!

Heading up to downtown Tucson to see the Mormon Battalion Monument.

Now to the office/church for some lunch and training!!

Next day, is the kicker!

Transfers for the whole mission happen early in the morning (those missionaries that are getting transferred come to the “transfer site” and meet up with their new companions OR get on the transfer van to head to their new area.) It’s called controlled chaos… sort of…

Also, the new missionaries get to meet their blessed trainers and have more training. After that, they head out to start what they were born to do, INVITE OTHERS TO COME UNTO CHRIST.

Here are the new trainers and trainees. They are all going to be wonderful!!