Changes, Goings, Comings

Transfer week means, among many things, changes. One of the first changes was in the office staff. Elder Ames - who has ably trained Elder Atkin - was assigned to Inca, and Elder Romney began feverishly training his replacement, Elder Bowers before heading off as district leader in Elche.

Elders Romney, Bowers, Baugh and Davis: 4 generations of registradores

Elder Ames in the office

This weekend also brought us a new assistant, as Elder Gogarty went home this week. Elder Morales is from Cadiz, Spain. His father also served in the Spain Barcelona Mission. He has been serving as a zone leader here in Barcelona and has already proven to be a very valuable assistant!

Los Ayudantes: Elder Jensen and Morales in the president's office. Elder Baugh and Elder Sommerfeldt can be seen in the background.

 Elder Morales becomes acquainted with the one perk associated with serving in the office as Elder Gogarty trains him in some of his duties.

On Tuesday we received a great new half-dozen missionaries who arrived via high-speed train from the Madrid MTC. We are excited to have Hnas. Skouson (Las Vegas), Guerra (Stockholm), and Garcia (Madrid) and Elders Johansen (Salt Lake City) and Arcelles (Madrid). They are an impressive group - the future of the mission is bright!

 At the train station

At Estació Sants: Elder Jensen, Hna. Guerra, Elder Morales, Elder Johansen, Pte. Hinckley, Hna. Hinckley, Hna. Garcia, Hna. Skousen, Elder Atkin, Elder Arcelles

The nuevos at Montjuic

A handsome group overlooking the mission field

Fortunately, the new missionaries arriving takes some of the sting out of bidding farewell to those going home. We said goodby to six incredible missionaries this week. It was, as always, a bittersweet moment. We had wonderful interviews with each of them and were blessed with a wonderful spirit in our farewell meeting. We had 5 elders and one sister returning - and Hna. Hinckley had to bring out extra kleenex for the sobbing elders!

We then went down to Plaza Catalunya, as is our custom, where members and missionaries from the area had gathered to sing hymns, make contacts, and say goodbye.

  Elders York and Gogarty saying a last goodbye in the Plaza Catalunya to a family they baptized.

With Elder Worthen

 With Elder Wilcox

With Elder Malit

Hna. Bowen poses for a last photo with Hna. O'Neill

 Hna. Skousen on her first day in the mission with her companion, Hna. Church, as they came to bid farewell to the departing missionaries.

The Las Vegas Trio: with the arrival of Hna. Skousen, we now have three missionaries from Las Vegas (Elders Bowers and Evans joined her for this photo of the trio)