6 GO HOME IN JUNE

When the missionaries come into the Honbu on Thursday afternoon, they are busy taking care of necessary things before they leave the mission.  They must have a final interview with President Rasmussen, which is about 2 hours long each.  They must also see Elder Thomas to take care of any final financial obligations and receive their passports.  I ask them each to write a final testimony for my book that I keep on every missionary.  We also have a Testimony meeting together.  After all of that is complete, we can sit down for a fun Sukiyaki Dinner.

 Our group picture.

Front: Elder Dowdy (AP), Pres & Sis Ras, Sister Tanaka, Elder Ikeda (AP)

Back: Elders Watanabe, Dick, Lay, Kurita & Shaw

 Sister Tanaka

Elder Kurita

 Elder Watanabe

 Elder Dick

 Elder Lay

 Elder Shaw

 Elder Shaw received the Alma O Taylor award.  The reward is for reading the entire Book of Mormon in the foreign language (Japanese for Elder Shaw)  A pin for the lapel is given.

 Congratulations Elder Shaw.

Friday morning at the airport before Elder Shaw and Elder Dick fly home. 

Two great missionaries.

Elder Lay and Elder Kurita.

Elder Kurita and Sister Tanaka at the airport.  We put them on a train to the Sendai Eki (train station) where they will take the Shinkonsen home. The Assistants went with them.  Gary and I took Elders Lay and Watanabe back to the Honbu where their parents were waiting to pick them up.

The Watanabe family.  President Watanabe is a Stake President. 

We really enjoyed meeting the family.
 

The Lay family from Ogden, Utah.  Sister Lay is from southern Japan.  They were going to do some traveling around the mission and then go visit Grandparents in Southern Japan before returning home.  A very nice family indeed.

We rushed back to the Eki to say goodby to

Elder Kurita and Sister Tanaka before they left.  Whew!!