Back in the USA!

Memories to last a life time....  It is hard to summarize 1 1/2 years of your life.  Please know that we served because we love our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was an honor to put our missionary badges on each day.

President & Sister Carter as well as Sargis and Margarit got up EARLY to see us off.  Love love these good people.

Yerevan to London - - waited 8 hours 

Then on to Las Vegas. 

 Settled in our seat for a long winters night.

Then after a mere 26 hours we arrived in the USA

New baby Taytum to hold.... 

and beautiful baby Rennlie 

 It was wonderous!

We made it to IN-N-OUT Burger.  I was so tired i don't think I fully enjoyed it.  I think I need to go again. 

 Grandkids with Armenia t-shirts

Sisters HUG

All of our family members have been a huge support to us. 

The best Sisters in the world. 

AND THEN WE CELEBRATED!

The End - Until the next mission.

Final Days....

The last few days were busy and crazy.  We were trying to pack, visit people, train the new Senior Missionaries who were taking our place and take as many pictures as possible.

On our last day we traveled to Artashat to visit Haykoosh, 

She fixed us great dolma.

We also traveled to a village and through a series of tender mercies, we were invited to this families home. 

 The family committed to taking the lessons. Hurray!

One final look at my mountain views!

 My hairdresser.

 Ruben our mission driver

 Armen, our membership clerk

 George our taxi driver

 Grigor our Visa Clerk

President Poghosyan, District President 

President Carter

 The Assistants

 Sargis, our accountant and best friend.

 Our fellow senior Missionaries

and oh so many many more people that we love and will miss.

to be continued....

I Will Miss....

I will miss so many people.  I have learned that there is a whole new place in my heart full of love for Armenian people, places and experiences.  I weep at the thought that I would have ever missed this experience. 

I would have missed people like:

Kristina,

Meet Your Mentor Meetings, when new missionaries arrived,

Laura and Sister Watkins in the mirror,

Alla,

& Susie

Mehdi, who invited us to visit him in Iran,

George and Joel.

I would have missed seeing live cows being hauled in the back of cars, the Genocide Museum, Baptisms, Sacrament Meeting in a village home, a Thank You Note signed by over 50 people from Charentsavan, and a multitude of daily experiences not unlike this one.

Yesterday I had an appointment to get my hair “brushed”  Astghik called and said that the water was off at the shop and could I shampoo my hair before I came.  So I ended up running to the shop getting her shampoo and two cigarette smelling rough towels and running back down the street to the mission office and washing my hair in the kitchen sink, which had previously been used by a homeless guy we found sleeping in the kitchen.  (The way I found him there was by following the most unbelievable horrible awful smell I have ever smelled, and the kitchen still smelled quite bad.) We had water because we have a holding tank for when the water goes off.  I’m pretty sure the tank wouldn’t have the freshest water in it.  Then I ran/walked back to get my hair styled.  AND the funny part of this whole experience was all of this just seemed normal.  It was sad when Astghik said, “I will never see you again and that is bad”. 



It Was A Great Day!

Hikoosh got baptized this afternoon. We helped the Elders teach her.  She is a very sweet lady and she loved having us there and we loved being there. 

 She lives in Artashat, about an hour from Yerevan. From the very first lesson we attended I could tell how much she loved our Savior.

It was a beautiful clear day for pictures as we returned to Yerevan. Thanks to President Carter's tricky Armenian driving we got some great shots of Sis and Masis. 

This picture shows the grape orchards as well.

Even though Ararat is in Turkey, Armenia still claims it. 

We stopped at this veggie stand for the last of the vine picked tomatoes. The stores have hot house tomatoes now.

Before we left, this man received a Book of Mormon and we got yummy veggies.

 There is more than one way to herd a cow!

 You should have seen this tractor driver. I swear he couldn't see over the stack of sticks, but off he drove.

Man, I'm going miss these people and everyday experiences.

Busy Busy Weeks

We went with Sargis and Family to the Dolphin Show.

These guys were happy,

and we were happy.

We announced with signs and cookies our new granddaughter.

We had patriarchal blessings being given in the office for three days.

and Missionaries leaving, (man I'll miss these two.....)

Four missionaries arrived as well.  But I was too busy to get a pictures.  I think I need a nap.