Riding the Crest: The April 2013 Transfer

"...an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm for missionary work is sweeping the entire earth. Since President Monson’s historic announcement last October, thousands of elders, sisters, and couples have been called, and many more are preparing.  Now we get questions like 'What are you going to do with all these missionaries?” The answer is simple. They will do what missionaries have always done. They will preach the gospel! They will bless the children of Almighty God!' More of you young men and women will catch this wave as you strive to be worthy of mission calls. You see this as a wave of truth and righteousness. You see your opportunity to be on the crest of that wave."

Elder Russell M. Nelson - April 2013 Conference

Riding the crest of the wave, twenty-six Elders and Sisters swept into the Great Kentucky Louisville Mission on April 29th. Arriving in one massive surge they were an noticeable presence on the plane and an impressive sight coming around the bend in the terminal. 

Hermana Bunkall and Hermana Carnahan

Elder Burns and Elder Davis

        It didn't take long to grab their surf boards (a.k.a. Preach My Gospel) and other items then load them into the GKLM trailer while they themselves moved over to the Mission Home in five separate vehicles.

The interviews with President Woodbury began right away and continued into the evening. Sister Woodbury got them oriented to the mission then they all sat down to dinner in the living room. Two additional tables were needed in addition to the sixteen to eighteen-seat arrangement that is always there. Going downstairs to the Training Room they were treated to a skit about the first day of a missionary in the GKLM but the Assistants to the President, Elder Warner and Elder Daynes, and a wonderful Testimony Meeting where all participated.

Elder Beard

Elder Allen

Elder Dahle

Elder Davis

Elder Heslop

Sister Black

Elder Burns

Hermana Bunker

Hermana Arancibia

Sister Peterson

Sister Tripp

Sister Junk

Sister Myler

Hermana Carnahan

Sister Loveless

Sister Stacey

Sister Murphy

Sister Jaco

Sister Minson

Sister Kuenzle

Sister Horlacher

Sister Williams

Elder Skousen

Sister Newton

Elder Pradera

Sister Lewis

In the morning everyone enjoyed a hot breakfast, Companionship Study and Training by the Assistants to the President, Elder Warner and Elder Daynes, and a talk about finances by Elder Bolliger from the Mission Office.

Elder Davis
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Pradera
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Heslop
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Loveless
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Mylar
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Williams
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Allen
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Burns
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Skousen
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Newton
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Lewis
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Murphy
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Minson
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Kuenzle
with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Arancibia
with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Bunkall
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Black
with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Carnahan
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Dahle
with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Beard
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Tripp
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Peterson
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Junk
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Horlacher
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Stacey
with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Jaco
with President and Sister Woodbury

Back/top row: Elder Heslop, Elder Beard, President Woodbury, Elder Skousen, Elder Davis
Second from top row: Sister Carnahan, Elder Burns, Sister Horlacher, Sister Woodbury, Elder Dahle
Middle row: Sister Minson, Sister Black, Sister Loveless, Hermana Arancibia
Second from bottom row: Elder Allen, Sister Williams, Sister Kuenzle, Sister Tripp, Sister Peterson,
Sister Jaco, Hermana Bunkall
Front row: Elder Pradera, Sister Stacey, Sister Junk, Sister Murphy, Sister Lewis, Sister Newton, Sister Myler

        Loading back up in the various cars and vans, they moved on over to the church next to the Mission Office les than ten minutes away. There they heard the Words of Wisdom from the two departing Elders, were introduced to their Trainers, sang "Called to Serve" GKLM-style, and heard the call-outs of the rest of the Transfers in the mission.

Elder Day-Nuah, Elder Tolman

Good friends from back home
Hermana Bunkall and Hermana Christensen

Highschool friends
Elder Gaither, Hermana Bunkall, Hermana Christensen

Sister Jensen, Sister Murphy, Sister Peterson

Sister Melendez and Sister Whiting

Sister Minson and Sister Goodrich

Sister Roberts, Sister Williams, Sister Melendez, Sister Whiting,
Sister Minson, Sister Goodrich

Sister Roberts, Sister Williams, Sister Minson, Sister Goodrich

Elder Frisby, Elder Dahle, Elder Beard, Elder Whitehead, Elder Seal,
Elder Day-Nuah, Elder Davis, Elder Ham

Elder T. Johnson, Elder Godfrey

Sister Short and Sister Brooks

Elder Godfrey, Elder Beard, Elder Whitehead, Elder Howard, Elder Thomas

Elder Souza,  Elder Gaither, Elder Day-Nuah, Elder Hawes. Elder Seal,
Elder Chambers, Elder Butterfield, Elder Fry, Elder Woehl

Elder Davis, Elder Beahl, Elder Pritchett, Elder Champion, Elder Allen

Elder Allen, Elder Schroeder, and Elder Godfrey

Sister Hodges and Sister Pisciotta

Our new Spanish Sister Training Leaders:
Hermana Christensen and Hermana Velasquez

Our new English Sister Training Leaders:
Sister Vikari and Sister Mickelson

Sister Woodbury with our first Sister Training Leaders:
Sister Vikari, Sister Mickelsen, Sister Christensen, Sister Velasquez

Sister Woodbury

Big sunglasses rule!
Sister Selvage and Sister Woodbury

Elder Daynes and Elder Anderson

After the Training Meeting, the new arrivals and their companion/Trainers had lunch at the church then got their picture taken in front of the Mission Office...

Sister Woodbury, Sister Thorne, Sister Junk, President Woodbury 

Sister Woodbury, Sister Roberts, Sister Williams, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Ward, Sister Stacey, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Dickerson, Sister Horlacher, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Loveless, Sister Earl, Sister Black,
President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Carnahan, Hermana Messerly,
Hermana Bunkall, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder St. Martin, Elder Skousen, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Johnson, Elder Burns, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder C. Anderson, Elder Allen, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Heywood, Sister Lewis, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Goodrich, Sister Minson, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Logan, Sister Tripp, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Adams, Elder Pradera, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Jaco, Sister Walker, Sister Newton,
President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Ham, Elder Davis, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Frisby, Elder Dahle, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister West, Sister Kuenzle, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Stevenson, Elder Heslop, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Egbert, Sister Mylar, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Murphy, Sister Jensen, Sister Peterson, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Whitehead, Elder Beard, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Navarro, Hermana Arancibia,
President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Thorne, Sister Junk, President Woodbury

...then intrepid surfers took off from there to their respective beaches, in search of promising  waves...

And what of the two veteran surfers who were at least officially retiring from the sport, their bodies battered and scarred from the effects of the crashing waves the last two years? 

Well, the scars didn't show. In fact they really didn't look all that much worse for the wear. Nevertheless the time had come, so with mixed emotions, we and they prepared stoically that night for them to move on to other activities, ...like school, work, dating, marriage, etc. 

President Woodbury, Elder Anderson, Elder Tolman, Sister Woodbury

After Exit Interviews, dinner with the Woodburys at the Mission Home, and a session at the Louisville Temple, 

Elder Tolman

Elder Anderson

President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury, Elder Tolman, Elder Anderson,
Elder Bolliger, Sister Bolliger at the Temple (it was raining too hard
to get the traditional shot out in front)

they slept their last night as missionaries, then took off into the sunrise the next morning. "Hang loose" (meaning "well-done") dear Elders!

"I thank God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the Restoration and its power to propel a magnificent wave of truth and righteousness across the earth. May we catch this wave and fulfill the Lord’s command to take the gospel “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” 

Elder Nelson