Taiwan Taichung Mission, 2013-16: November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Friday, November 28, 2014

Our Daughter, Sister Caitlin Blickenstaff, Arrives from the Korea Seoul South Mission!

The day finally came: Friday, November 28.

Directly from Incheon International to Taichung Airport!

So happy to see our missionary:)

Sis. Gong helped us make this sign:

Connecting with her brother in California:

She'll be home in time to attend his wedding next week!

Just couldn't wait to have her sit on my lap again:

Welcome to Taizhong!!!

The 18 months literally flew by, and here we are realizing that now our own mission is half over.

So fast it is almost sad!

11-2014 Mission Tour with Elder and Sister Gong

GAOXIONG CONFERENCE

Tuesday, November 25

President and Sister Chen started baking turkeys on Monday evening, finishing Tuesday morning.

Sweet sisters in the kitchen helping...

...and in the cultural hall setting up:

Our senior couple, the Schwieders, helped put on a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with mashed potatoes & gravy, cranberry sauce...all the holiday fixin's topped off with pumpkin pie:

Gaoxiong East and West Zones:

Evening visit to our beloved Jiayi district president's family:

JIAYI CONFERENCE

Wednesday, November 26

The Gongs greeting missionaries by district:

Our senior couple, the Wheelers, started baking the hams at 7:00am in Taichung, then brought all the food down to Jiayi and had the buffet ready before noon!

The meat goes fast around hungry missionaries!

Zhongxing, Jiayi and Tainan Zones:

THANKSGIVING DAY at the MISSION HOME

Thursday, November 27

President's specialty: grilled pork tenderloin!

Lots of side dishes from our senior couples:

Sister Blickenstaff's a pie baker: chocolate banana cream, pecan, and apple:)

Senior couples and office missionaries with the Gongs:

TAICHUNG CONFERENCE

Friday, November 28

Leadership meeting:

Greeting missionaries by district:

The sister at the end of the serving table warmed my heart when she told me she had been craving funeral potatoes all week, and gave me a big hug for making them:)

Beautiful smiling sisters!

And just as beautiful smiling elders:

The Schwieders came up from Gaoxiong to help with our Taichung Conference. Many of our missionaries would not have enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner this week if it hadn't been for our senior couples!