Sudden Departure to Celestial Joy

This is a picture we wish we didn't have to put on the blog, but we want to wish her well. Darling Hna Arzola had to leave our mission and return to her home in Switzerland or loose her residency there. Things happened quickly and we had to send her to the Switzerland Geneva Mission. The good news is she will be able to finish her mission in Switzerland. We will miss her a lot. She and I would always speak a little French together. We know she will continue to be a great little missionary just not in our mission.

We left Bilbao and drove to Madrid. Presidente had a coordinating counsel there and so we drove down Friday afternoon. We were able to renew our friendship with the Watkins and Hinckley's who the Mission Presidents in Madrid and Barcelona.We had a 10:00 a.m. temple session on Saturday and then the coordinating counsel in the afternoon with the District and Stake Presidents and Mission Presidents of 1/2 of Spain. But the best is yet to come.

Here I am with our wonderful Elder Chavez who just flew home on Thursday. Can you see the joy in the eyes of his mother. Yes, we all love to get our sons home. This was such a choice day. We were able to hug and share tears of joy in the Celestial room. This is what heaven will be like when we can be with our many friends in the gospel. Elder Chavez with his two moms! I do claim just a little bit of him. What a great Elder and what a great day!

Another tender mercy for Elder Chavez's mom. She has another son currently serving in the Barcelona mission. Here is Hna Hinckley who was with us also in the temple. A great day in the Chavez family. We heard about the great work Elder Chavez's brother is doing in Barcelona. This is an elect lady to raise such wonderful sons in Zion.

We had to put 3 of the 4 Hna's in Spain in this picture. Hna Mellor, we wish you were here. (She is the wife of Presidente Mellor in Malaga) Ghee Elder Chavez you have been surrounded. We said our good-byes and look forward to the next coordinating counsel to be held in the spring. The temple is a place of love and wonderful renewing of the spirit and of the mind. We loved our day in Madrid, made even better by seeing one of our returned missionaries.