Good-bye Leckies...2 year mission ends, home to Bowling Green, Kentucky. And we're next in line!

We stopped in Friday, January 29, to tell Elder y Hna. Leckie goodbye, as we were on our way to meet President Richard y Hna. Jeannine George, the new MTC president and wife.

Elder y Hna. Wall drove the Leckie's out to the airport in the airport for their evening flight.

We think as we enter this blog they have landed in Dallas, waiting for the last leg of their trip home to Nashville, where their daughter will drive them home to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Richard & Deana have 9 children--all living in a different state and their 20th grandchildren is due in June.

The Sr. Couple Missionary saying is:

"Don't cry when it's over.

Smile because it happened."

Leckie's thought they were just going up two floors in their Ship Building for a quiet dinner with the Bartons, until the door opened and we all chimed in with "SURPRISE!"

Everyone was asked to say something about Richard & Deana Leckie:

"We always laughed at the 'Leckie-isms," said Elder Barton.

"They were so generous, kind and helpful to us from the first day we arrived," said Hna. Barton.

"They took us under their wing, showing us where all the little markets were in our neighborhood," said Elder Fuqua.

"They made us laugh every hour in our office," said Hna. Wall.

"I'll miss 'Andy and Aunt B,' wrote Elder Wall in their farewell booklet, adding "how can you leave 'Mayberry' without me?" signing "Barny F."

Burks added about their humility in accepting the three different areas of focus during their time here.

"We loved Deana for her quiet steadiness and even though Elder Leckie joked with us a lot, when we had our family home evening discussions, he was right there with the scriptures and insights to very spiritual matters," said Elder Petersen.

Bartons gave the Leckie's a fun farewell surprise dinner the night before they left. Sister Leckie was given a beautiful Argentine leather purse from the department.

This photo is taken in their corner nook of the area office.

They were given three different areas of focus during their 2 years in the South America South Area: Area Auditor, then Perpetual Education Fund, and Welfare added after the Allreds left in November and had no replacements.

"All I need now are my boots," Elder Leckie said after his department at the area office gave him a leather gaucho hat as a going away gift. He had just come down to our office to show us.

Still in Mendoza Mission...

We love being with missionaries like Elder A. here.

Dr. Petersen talked with 15 or 16 missionaries today who had health questions.

Nothing serious...most of the time they just need to be reassured.

So far in the 3 zone conferences and two extra days of seeing them when zones came in for interviews, we have seen about 50 missionaries with health concerns of the 200 total missionaries in the Argentina Mendoza Mission.

We have one more zone conference tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 22) then we fly back to Buenos Aires. Our next mission health visit is Feb. 1-15 in the Argentina Neuquen Mission.

Missionaries love to have their photo taken with their "Mission Mom."

President Lindahl was interviewing this zone today.

We saw missionaries today at the Maipu Stake Center in Mendo WWe did take time out to have an evening dinner at this Italian Restaurant, sitting at one of the tables under the outdoor tent. It was peaceful and relaxing.

We described the experience as "delicious and delightful."

We love being with President y Hna. Lindahl.

Health Visit to Argentina Mendoza Mission...

We are on a Mission Health Visit to the Argentina Mendoza Mission.

Sunday morning, Jan. 17, President y Hna. Lindahl picked us up at the airport, had breakfast ready for us in the mission home, then we rode with them 2 hours to San Juan.

While the mission president interviewed a zone, we had private medical consults with those who had health concerns.

Zone Conference #1 was Monday, Jan. 18, where Dr. Petersen gave a 45-minute missionary health and safety presentation then saw more missionaries who had health concerns.

We drove back that late afternoon, then ....more later we're leaving again for some interviews and health consults.

Happy Birthday, Sam "11" today

Happy Birthday, Sam (front right), on your 11th birthday today.

For 2010 on of my goals is to put each of our family birthdays on the blog. Sam, we hope you are having a fun day in Rexburg, Idaho.

My Mom, aka "Grama A" - Verna Beth Albertson, had her 90th birthday last week, on January 14...so as soon as I have some photos of it e-mailed to me, I'll post a blog for her birthday.

Happy New Year - 2010

This is where we were on the evening of Friday, January 1, 2010.

Sr. Missioanries quickly bond into eternal friends. When we are so far away from our families, the missionary couples quickly become "our family away from home."

This is who we spent our New Year's Day with at "Friday Night at the (DVD) Movies." We watched "The Return to Snowy River." About every other Friday we gather at the Fuquas apartment - each bring treats - and enjoy each other's company after the 8-hour, 5-day missionary work week we're put in. Below I will explain the calling each couple has.

Elder y Hna. Burk, who came in December 2008 to the Uruguay Montevideo Mission as Employment Service Specialists, then were transferred to the area office in Buenos Aires as the executive secretaries were not there. Elder Burk was recovering from a severe cold. We missed them.

Above are Elder y Hna. Leckie - the most senior area Sr. Couple - they came as area auditor, but have been also asked to helped with the Perpetual Education Fund and Welfare over wheelchaires for church members. They will be leaving us January 29, 2010, fulfilling a 2-year mission.

Here we are...since I'm putting the photos in order of seniority in the mission.

Elder y Hna. Petersen - the area medical advisor and assistant. Our mission began Sept. 8, 2008. We are scheduled to go home March 11, 2010, but with no replacement in line, we may have to extend. Hope we get to go home in March. We're anxious to see 3 new grandchildren who have been born since we left.

Above are Elder y Hna. Wall - Area Humanitarian Missionaries.

They are from Salem, Utah, and came in December 2008.

Still more photos to add...but I have to get our granddaughter's letter finished, printed, and in the pouch by 2pm today to be on its wayt to: Hna. Fisher, Oklahoma Tulsa Mission.

Above are Elder y Hna. Barton - Area Employment Specialist Service Missionaries.

They came in January 2009.

Above are Elder y Hna. Fuqua - Area Perpetual Education Fund missonaries.

They raised their family of five sons in Oklahoma. Now live in Wellsville near Logan, Utah.

They came in August 2009.

Elder y Hna. Kroff - Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission

She is a great help to Dr. Petersen in being the MissionHealth Specialist for her mission.

He takes care of the Financial work in the office office.

They are from Tooele, Utah. We are always happy when they can join us.
Happy New Year - In 2010 we will be home again!