May Departures

May 2014 Departures

Barbecue at the Mission Home for
our soon-to-depart May Missionaries

A time for old friends / seasoned missionaries to just relax !

Elder Hunt watches AP Elder Giles start the BBQ

Elder Dickerson

AP Elder Loveless with Elder Palmer

Sister Pearson

Elder Tanner with Elder McDonald and Sister Bascom

Sister Kaarma

Elder McDonald with Sister Cooke

Sister Bascom

Elder McDonald

 Part of the tradition is for departing missionaries to create a scrapbook page for the Cookes' collection

Elder Pearson

Elder Giles' BBQ gets fired up!

Sister Bascom & Sister Marambio, two of our full-proselyting sisters from Salt Lake City Temple Square, finishing their 4-month assignments to our mission

Elder Miyasaki and Elizabeth Cooke

Sister Smith, a fast-moving President Cooke, and Elder McDonald

President & Sister Cooke

Sisters first!
Sister Bascom, Sister Marambio, Sister Kaarma, Sister Smith

Sister Smith, Sister Pearson, and Elder Pearson

Elder McDonald, Elder Snow, Elder Dickerson, Elder Appiah, Elder Palmer

Elder Anderson & Elder Palmer
with Sister Cooke, Elder Dickerson and Elder Palmer in back

Sister Marambio, Sister Bascom, Elder Appiah

Elder McDonald, Sister Smith, Sister Kaarma

President Cooke

Elder Palmer, Sister Pearson, Elder Pearson

Elder Tanner & President Cooke show off their matching ties
(gifted from Elder Tanner)

Elder Palmer 

Sister Bascom 

Elder Pearson giving our exhausted APs an earful.

Sisters Kaarma and Smith

Elder Tanner

Elder Hunt and Sister Pearson

Making music

On into the dusk, Elder Giles faithfully holds his post

Our daughter, Elizabeth, chose this night's dessert to be an ice cream sundae bar

Elder Appiah

Elder Tanner & Elder Anderson

Sister Marambio, Sister Bascom, Elder Anderson

Elder Hart & Elder Palmer

Elder Anderson

Sister Bascom

The work of a great grill master is never done… not even into the deep of night!

Sisters Bascom and Marambio

Time for Ping Pong….
between Elder Palmer...

… and Sisters Kaarma, Marambio and Smith

With musical background music by Elders Tanner and Appiah

Elders Loveless and Tanner

Sisters Bascom, Kaarma and Marambio

Elder Hunt

Elders Appiah and McDonald

Sister Smith

Elders Miyasaki and Dickerson

Elder Snow

Time for stories...

Each departing missionary is asked to share one of their funniest mission experiences

A mission tradition, established by President Cooke,

is the presentation of service coins to each

of the departing missionaries.

Elders Snow, Appiah, Hunt and Palmer with Sister Kaarma

The President explains the design and symbolism of the coin

Each coin is delivered through a handshake, with Elder McDonald first in line

Sister Kaarma

A few parting thoughts…

Closing with the mission song…

Elder Miyasaki definitely has this accompaniment down!

"Go ye therefore… and teach all nations… "

Back row L-R:  Elder McDonald, Elder Snow, Elder Anderson, Sister Kaarma, Elder Miyasaki, Elder Hunt,  Sister Smith with the Cookes ----- Front row L-R:  Elders Dickerson, Appiah, Tanner, Palmer

After a fun night in the mission home, the departing missionaries share their testimonies one last time for the full mission at the Visitors' Center, leaving us their inspirational messages of growth, love, and Jesus Christ.

Elder Anderson

Elder Appiah

Elder Dickerson

Elder Hart

Sister Kaarma

Elder McDonald

Elder Miyasaki

Elder Palmer

Sister Smith

Elder Snow

Elder Tanner

Homeward bound.

Elder Loveless helping... Elder Dickerson leaving.

After 10 months of helping other missionaries carry their luggage in and out of this airport, Elder Miyasaki finally arrives lugging his own bags this last time, with Elder Giles following closely behind.

The Cooke sisters say farewell to Sister Kaarma

Sister Cooke, Carrie and Elizabeth say goodbye to Sister Smith

Sister Kaarma, the Cookes, Elders Dickerson, Miyasaki, Hunt and Palmer
about to go their separate ways at Reagan National Airport