From the end of April through the first week of June we said goodbye TOO MANY TIMES!

Sister Faith Komiha home to Harare Zimbabwe. To tell you the kind of missionary she was...on the way to the airport to depart for home she was talking about her investigators :)

What a blessing these 4 sisters have been. Terrific sister missionaries all the way around. All served as sister training leaders! All 4 came to us because of visa issues and we were the lucky recipients.

                             Sister Thabisa Fokoto home to Johburg SA. Always smiling and joking!

Sister Patricia Rakotonindriana home to Antananarivo Madagascar. I will never forget asking her when she first arrived if we could shorten her name...and should we call her Sister Rako or Sister Driana? She responded "I like my full name, thanks!" Delightful person!

Sister Seutalatasi Jody Fuamatu home to Long Beach California. She came to us from Botswana and worked hard and loved everyone!

                    Sister Patricia Mntungwa home to Durban SA. Full of love this one was!

Sister Tiandra Griffus home to St. Paul Minnesota. This girl made everyone laugh! She ordered an elders name tag with her name on it for her future husband.

Sister Tshepiso Makunye home to Johburg SA. Brown and Tall! and how are you shorty? :))

Elder Isaac Namisi home to Uganda. Just when I was losing weight and was down about ten pounds Elder Namisi was staring at me and suddenly said...Sister Erickson have you gained a lot of weight or something...cause you look different. I laughed and laughed,

Elder Jaiden Ricky Payne home to Utah, was a zone leader almost his whole mission! When we needed him he was there! He faced many health challenges but persevered to the end. Love this elder!

Departing dinner with Sisters Lowe and Query who also left in May. Sister Susan Nebeker Lowe home to SLC and many grandchildren to tend :)  Sister Renee Query home to .....? not going home! Going on an adventure to England and Scotland. What fun for us to have these sisters with us for a year! It has been especially fun to have our sister spend this time with us and now we use their flat in Luanshya as our travel flat and get to feel of their influence long after their departure. So many lives have been touched by the work and love of all these good missionaries.

Renee Query and Susan Lowe

Stanley and Sharon Bingham served for 14 months and left a bit sooner than planned because Sharon had some health challenges. They will be remembered for his great stories at FHE and her funny commentary on his stories :)  and for the goats!

David and Kristi Skidmore home to Clayton California. Our office will never be the same!  It now takes 4 elders to do their work. We love and miss their daily companionship. BUT....we press on and hope we get an office couple to replace them....but really there is no replacing this great couple!
Tom and Shauna Humpherys home to Logan Utah...although last we heard he was in Spain working! Shauna is probably doing family history and organizing someones kitchen or office.  They served as Public Affairs and did a fantastic job. 

Just as the Fisks are leaving we find this cool restaurant in Lilongwe: Latitude 13!

Michael and Nancy Fisk from Spokeanne WA have served 23 months in Lilongwe as Member and Leader Support Missionaries and have been an incredible boost to the work of the Lord there.
We will miss them and their hospitality! We have stayed many a night with them and sat at dinner for great meals and delightful conversation.

Thankfully we received 3 great new missionaries to help offset the many we are sending home.
Elder Mlambala from Tanzania

Sister Ratema from Johannesburg SA

Elder Madilu from Kinshasa DRC

Elder and Sister Merrill home for good...last mission...7th together. Home to California. This incredible couple have been a delight for all....the Ndirande branch loves their adopted grandparents. CES coordinators for Malawi.

And last but certainly not least....this fantastic couple! my cousin Ruth Orien and Orie Orien home to Anchorage Alaska. Elder Orien...the most missionary minded of the bunch...worker bee...with a big heart and tears that come easy. Ruth...make us laugh! She almost swallowed a worm thing and wanted to die. She tripped and stumbled and snagged her blouse on jagged metal....all the time with a smile and something funny to say about herself. We love and miss this senior couple and appreciate the enormous amount of work accomplished with genuine love for the Lord and His children.