ELDER LOW & FAMILY: MAY 2015

There is such JOY watching a family greet and hug their valiant missionary who has been away from home for two years (or 18 months for the Sisters).  It is a hug that cannot be described...only parents who have experienced it can truly understand the complete enveloping of love that comes with that long awaited wrapping of arms around each other.  We get to feel the excitement of the missionary as he awaits the family's arrival and then we just sit back and watch with tears in our eyes.  The flood of feelings come back to us as we experienced this six times now with our children returning from their missions~~
TRULY THE GREATEST JOY!  
We were so grateful to meet Elder Low's parents who came from Canada to be with their son in beautiful Australia.  

THE GREAT SISTER HICKS: MAY 2015

It is such a joy to have a visit by the great missionaries who came, served, and departed....leaving their special footprint in the 

Australia Brisbane Mission.  

Sister Hicks will never be forgotten by us, the mission and the many eternal friends who were taught by this amazing missionary.  We had a wonderful visit and even had her leave her testimony with the new Golden missionaries at Golden Training. 

ANOTHER ABM LEGEND! 

ELDER BIRD & FAMILY MAY 2015

We love meeting the families of the missionaries when they come to Brisbane to pick them up.  Such a great reunion.....WE LOVE ELDER BIRD AND LOVED MEETING HIS FAMILY! 

ARRIVING MISSIONARIES APRIL 2015

WELCOME TO THE AUSTRALIA BRISBANE MISSION!  We always eagerly anticipate the arrival of the GOLDEN missionaries from the Missionary Training Center (and some from other missions as they await their visas).  They are going to be great!  They bring a wonderful energy to the mission and come ready to give their all in the work of salvation.  This group gathers from the U.S. Tonga, Chuuk, Australia, Micronesia,  and China.  It is a remarkable process and one that strengthens my testimony of this great work all around the world.  It is a miracle....and we are blessed to be a part of it in this way. 

ELDER & SISTER VAN DONGEN: MAY 2015

The Australia Brisbane Mission has been extremely blessed to have such wonderful Senior Missionaries serving.
WE WELCOME ANOTHER GREAT SENIOR COUPLE:
ELDER & SISTER VAN DONGEN
They come with experience and beautiful testimonies of the Gospel and missionary work (and a special connection to President Henderson).  
We are thrilled to be serving with them!  

Sister Van Dongen's mother is President Henderson's father's sister.....what a wonderful blessing to be serving together! 

WELCOME: ARRIVING MISSIONARIES MAY 2015

WE ARE EXCITED FOR THE NEW GROUP OF 

AUSTRALIA BRISBANE MISSIONARIES!   

They come to us from the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, United States, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.  It is always such a great day when the new missionaries arrive; most have been up very early coming from the New Zealand MTC and those coming from the Provo MTC have been flying for 21 hours and come with very red eyes, two-days-in-a-plane scruff, tired bodies and matted hair....but they are filled with excitement and adrenaline and don't even notice they are jet-lagged.  

We love their energy and can feel how much they love being a missionary. 

WELCOME!

 

DEPARTING MISSIONARIES: MAY 2015

So the process is that every 6 weeks we say farewell to some amazing, wonderful, warriors of the Australia Brisbane Mission. 
We enjoy a day together with a special Temple session in the morning, lunch at the mission home, interviews with President Henderson, a delicious dinner prepared by the wonderful Hazel Hillier, President & Sister Henderson's final counsel, testimony meeting, snacks, and then it is time to try and sleep for the early morning wake up for our first trip to the airport at 3:45 a.m.  We usually have 4-5 trips to the airport that Tuesday as we drop off these missionaries for their departure home.  It is truly remarkable to witness this process every transfer and feel so many emotions of love, gratitude and blessings to serve with so many beautiful missionaries!

SISTER SARAH HENDERSON

It was a wonderful reunion with our daughter, Sarah Marie, as she returned home from her mission in Taiwan Taichung.  She was as bright as ever and full of the missionary spirit.  We had a wonderful time in Brisbane Australia for a few weeks before saying farewell to her as she returned home to St. George, Utah. 
Next up: work, serve, love and begin her nursing degree....
我們愛你

HAPPIEST REUNION!

Sarah Fireside/FHE with the Chinese Branch

Making Chinese Dumplings with Amy and friends

Noosa Heads and the Sunshine Coast Stake Conference

Traveling around with us for flat inspections and Stake Conferences

SO MUCH "PEACE" & LOVE WITH THIS WONDERFUL DAUGHTER....

FAREWELL MONTAGUE'S

We have loved serving with Elder & Sister Montague, but their 18 months has come and it is a sad day for the mission to say farewell!  They did a wonderful job serving in the Mission Office, handling the duties and missionaries with love and fun.   They traveled up North and finished serving in Townsville with the missionaries and Branch.  They added so much to the work and we are forever grateful to get to know them and learn from them.  We appreciate the great sacrifice of their family having them gone for 18 months, but we know that the blessings are great for those who support and love the missionaries...especially the Senior Missionaries! 
"Till We Meet Again"