September 2014
Where has the last 18 months gone? Although there have been times when I have been very homesick and felt that I would never get to see home and family again, it also seems as though I just arrived.
The beginning of saying farewell to Fresno was with a temple outing with all of the departing missionaries. What an incredible feeling to be in the temple with such amazing missionaries who have laid it all on the line and served with honor and with President and Sister Clark.
Next was the farewell fireside in which all departing missionaries have the opportunity to bear their testimony. All the missionaries invited friends. What a powerful meeting filled with the spirit. I didn't get many pictures taken as we were busy saying good-bye to all the young Elders and Sisters leaving in the morning. But we did catch these friends:
Luis Gomez and family
Diana Estes
And - Elvis - aka Eddie Hoffman, was in the building!
The pinnacle and hardest part of saying farewell was at the office where we had to say good-bye to co-workers who we have come to love like family and to good friends we have made while serving in the Fresno ERC.
L to R: Steve McClelland, Jeremy Jensen, Bryce McGhie, Sister Olson
Mindy Gillespie - our manager from Sacramento
Brother Kirk Tanner Britta Smith
On the left is Sonia Deras, a sweet motivated woman we worked with as she got her GED, passed certification classes for food services management and wound up with the job she wanted and enrolled in college. In the middle between us is Sister Bonnie Petersen - a true angel on earth. Bonnie has cerebral palsy and runs a secretarial service from her home - but volunteers to prepare resumes (expertly) two mornings a week at the ERC. She is a ray of sunshine and always has a smile on her face.
Rosa and Juan Hernandez
The family in the next two pictures is Ahmad Haj Ibrahim and his wife Amanda Skouti, her mother Diane Skouti and their cute daughter Julia. We love this Muslim family as our own. They had us in their home many times and took us out to dinner on occasion. Very special people who were led t the ERC. We are blessed to know them.
The Ursenbach's 
So many friends came to say good-bye. We had a wonderful luncheon and a wonderful afternoon visiting and doing the inevitable - saying good-bye.
So many friends came to say good-bye. We had a wonderful luncheon and a wonderful afternoon visiting and doing the inevitable - saying good-bye. 
Pamela ThackerPatty Betts
Sheryl and Eric JohnsonMohammed
Laura Rousseau
Sister Clark
Shirley SirmanRhonda Carden
Susan Dvorak
After a fun and heartrending good-bye we headed home to finish packing up, packing the car and cleaning the apartment. In the morning our crew showed up to move the furniture to storage until the next missionaries arrive. And then - we were off!
On the Road to Home - Sept 5
We arrived in St George, Utah in time to have dinner with a friend of Sister Olson - then we were off to Tuacahn to see "The Little Mermaid". It was a fun performance.
Home, Sweet Home and Family
