Twas the Night Before the Night Before

        Twas the night before the night before Christmas, in other words the 23rd of December, when twenty-five missionaries had a sleepover of sorts with us at the Mission Home. They had come into town either in their own mission cars or with Senior Couples from outlying areas in anticipation of our Mission Wide Christmas Eve Conference in Louisville. In addition to the twenty-five staying with us, others from long distances stayed with local missionaries in their apartments with everyone else driving in the next morning. 
        Back to the Mission Home group, most were hungry when they arrived throughout the late afternoon and early evening, so I fed them hamburger stroganoff on rice, with salad, veggies, and ice-cream sandwiches for dessert. After which we gathered to play the "Name Game" (very challenging with so many playing) and "Signs.". 
        The Elders' bunk room downstairs holds only twelve so we turned the Training Room into another Elders dorm with those involved using various pads, comforters and pillows to fashion beds for the night. The Elders' bathroom has two showers and sinks, but still it took awhile to get everyone ready the next morning. The seven Sisters fit nicely in the small bedrooms on the other side of the basement with two bathrooms at their disposal. 
        In the morning there was breakfast to be eaten, clean-up, and the start of many, many loads of laundry (25 x 2 sheets plus pillowcases and 25 towels and washcloths) before leaving for the church. I was over there two hours early to supervise getting the tables and chairs set up and rehearse with program participants there at the Louisville Stake Center. The missionaries who had brought cars followed an hour later and President Woodbury brought the rest in the mission van, Gus.

Ten of the eighteen Elders
Elder Robison, Elder Sidwell, Elder Howell, Elder Taylor, Elder Crichton,
Elder Clawson, Elder Loser, Elder Lowe, Elder Haws, Elder Nielson

Sister Ford, Sister Jensen, Sister Ward, Sister Walker, Elder Selvage,
President Woodbury, and Elder Olsen

Sister Ford, Sister Melendez, Sister Walker, and Sister Ward

Elder Clawson, Elder Loser, Elder DeGraw,
Elder Crichton, Elder Lowe, and Elder Haws

New Senior Couples in the GKLM

        The GKLM has had the blessing of the addition of three new Senior Couples recently.

        Elder and Sister Trimming arrived in November and are serving an eighteen-month mission in Scottsburg, Indiana.

Elder and Sister Brinkman came in December and are serving six months in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Elder and Sister Long, who also arrived in December, are in Robinson, Illinois to begin their eighteen months of service.

These are warm, enthusiastic and loving couples who are and will bless the branches and areas of their stewardship. We welcome them wholeheartedly!