Zone Interviews - Part Two (At Last!)

We finished our quarterly interviews at the end of April!  (This is a really late post).  It was an amazing opportunity for us to see all of the houses/apartments where our missionaries reside.  This made us appreciate and love our missionaries all the more.  They are our heroes as they go out in the heat of the day, care, share, invite and testify. Before I share "The Third Chair" pictures here are a few random shots of missionary life that were taken during our travels. 

We were always very graciously welcomed into each home.  

Sometimes there would be thoughtful notes.

Often all shoes are arranged in unique ways.

Since we are talking up to 120 degree weather (heat index), water is always in the refrigerator.  

Note the toothpaste, toothbrushes and one lonely fish!

Makeshift closet.

Clean and tidy kitchen.

One of the shortest toilets I've seen.

Kneeling prayer.

One of our oldest and rustiest CR's in the mission.  

Some missionaries have Nanay's wash their laundry.

Other missionaries wash laundry a couple of times a week.

As we went around the mission, I would encourage the missionaries to take a picture of their desk.  I got some strange looks but then we discussed it.  
Many great things take place at a missionary's desk.  They study, they learn, they are inspired and their knowledge of the Savior and testimony of Him grows through the months.  Someday when they return home, there will be a time when they wish to recapture the feelings that they had while on a mission.  They can look at their desk picture and be flooded with good memories.  They might take the picture of their desk and give a lesson to youth about, "Things I learned on my mission."  The missionaries seemed to love this idea.  

A Lola's (grandma) creative baby swing!

Here is what we figure our interviews entailed, by the numbers:

Apartments Visited                              83
Missionaries Interviewed                    226
Cookies & Apples Distributed            230
Full Interview Days                             17
Apartments Rededicated                      83
Heart Stickers Given                          226
Thermometers Passed Out                 182
Songs Sung                                           83
Pictures Taken                                     402
Times (really) Lost                                  2
Number of Handshakes                      Too many to count
Prayers Answered                               Known only to God
Kilometers Driven                              More than we'd like to admit

The pictures below are the missionary poses for the Divine Companionship.  We like to call it, "The Third Chair" .  Our missionaries wouldn't think of teaching a lesson without the Spirit.

   Below are some of the missionaries and their Third Chair pictures.  There were some really creative poses.

We combined all of the Third Chair pictures onto one large tarpaulin poster and display it in our office.   We love this "quilt" of pictures that reminds us to live our lives in such a way that we can always have the Holy Ghost with us in lessons.  

We are in awe at the goodness of our dear, dear Angeles Missionaries.  Thank you for the most memorable round of interviews!