Tender Mercies

This has been an unbelievable experience. Extremely busy and exhausting, but I see the hand of the Lord our lives every day and wanted to record some of the tender mercies we have experienced.

1)Saturday evening we were very tired after our trip to Vancouver. Len told me we needed to get up early and travel about an hour away to go to church in Grandview. It was a very small ward of about 70 people. They were so excited that we made the effort to visit their ward. Len was able to meet with two of our missionaries and then we went another hour north on our way to Selah to visit another ward and two other missionaries. Today in a letter from our missionary serving in Grandview ward, the elder expressed how touched the people were by our visit and how our visit had opened doors for him and for the work progress in that area. I couldn't believe that such a small thing would make any difference. I am thankful that Len listened to promptings and that we could see the hand of the Lord in this work.

2) Today we experienced our first real transfer. We met at the transfer site with enthusiasm and a little trepidation. How were all these elders going to get in the right van with their luggage and get to the right place? It was a mass of confused organization. Len started humming, "pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone goes, everyone knows 'bout Brother Love's show! Hallelujah!" We laughed until we about cried. Right after we had a prayer pleading that all these missionaries got to their assigned areas, E. Zimmer (office) told E. Austin (assistant) that he moved the spare tire and the jack from the very back of the trailer full of luggage, bikes and beds to the front just in case there was a flat. E. Austin shrugged and set off for the five hour trip with a van packed full of new missionaries. At exactly the half-way point, they got a flat tire!! Luckily, there were not on the freeway, and fortunately they were able to access the spare tire easily and make the change quickly. The Lord watches out for His missionaries.

3) On Sunday, after a very full week, Len came down with a nasty cold and cough. I'm certain it's because he has shaken everyone's hand who lives in the southern part of WA! On Monday he was worse. I was worried because on Tuesday we had a very full day with 11 missionaries departing and 16 arriving. I didn't know how Len would be able to accomplish everything we had planned plus interview all the new missionaries and assign them their trainers. I prayed so hard that he would be healed. I didn't know it, but Len also prayed and asked to be healed. He woke up Tuesday morning and the cough was gone. He interviewed everyone, gave his welcome speech, laughed and enjoyed the missionaries and never once coughed! We both commented on the miracle we had witnessed. As we began our scripture reading before we went to bed that night, the cough started to come back again. Today he's coughing a little and although I'm sure he's now on the mend, yesterday no one heard even a little hiccup.

We have been blessed with added strength and energy. I cannot describe it. If you would have told me I would feed 13 for breakfast, 25 for lunch and 25 for dinner and not be falling over--I wouldn't have believed you. The missionaries are energizing! When we're around them, we're not tired. The Lord has blessed our bodies to be able to endure this rigorous schedule. It is truly a tender mercy and a miracle. We love this work, we love our missionaries, and we love our supportive and wonderful family.

Portland Temple

Elder Malan, Elder Angell (from Glendale, AZ), Elder Johnson, Elder Terry and Elder Wilberg

Our first visit to the Portland temple was with five of our missionaries who are going home next Tues. The temple is beautiful and has a lovely atrium located inside the foyer so pictures are allowed inside. We are in the atrium located inside the temple. pretty cool, huh!

Our first ZLC (Zone Leader Council)

Our amazing zone leaders! These are tremendous, hardworking dedicated young men. We love them and are so impressed by their goodness.
The ever hard working assistants!
Elder Kelly from our home stake!
Elder Black, Elder Collier and Elder Sanders.
Elder Smith, Elder Collier (again) and Elder Sanders (again).
Elder Petersen, Elder Fangupo, Elder Prawitt, and Elder Seymore
Elder Garret, Elder Brewer, and our recently called, NEW Assistant! We love Elder Baker!
Elders Lemperle, Anderson, Black, Wilcken, Reynolds, and Smith.
Elder Burgin, Elder Hortin, Elder Kelly and Elder Johnson
Back: Elder Sanders, Elder Becerra, Elder Montoya. Front: Elder Tolman, Elder Linstrom
Elder Denny, Elder Killian, Elder Jenkins, Elder Morse

We had a great experience at our first ZLC. There were about 40 young men there. They ate fifteen pizzas, two watermelons, two costco size cartons of grapes, four costco cartons of cookies, some redvines and two cases of water!

Our first new missionary/our assistants

Our first new missionary! Elder Gudjenov just returned to us from having knee surgery and is ready to start anew. He was born in Bulgaria and his family came to the US in 1996 after much persecution from joining the church. They have an amazing story and he is a wonderful young missionary and is eager to serve. We love him!
Our amazing assistants! I can't tell you how wonderful they've been to us. We would absolutely die without them. It will be a very sad day when they leave us. We've already grown extremely attached to them. Elder Austin from Preston, Idaho is on the left and returns home in August and Elder Lavin from Riverton, Utah is on the right and will be with us until Oct. We love these young men! We want to extend their missions for 36 more months!!

Here They Are--All of our missionaries!!

The Vancouver West Zone! Lots of Spanish speakers here. Two Hermanas on the left.
The Tri Cities West Zone! These are the missionaries who serve in our ward and stake.
The Pasco Zone! Sister Hawkes on the very left went to HHS and I knew her there. Small world!
The Dalles Zone! Right in the middle of the mission on the Columbia River. The Dalles means the shallows and the river was very shallow there before they added the dam.
The Walla Walla Zone! Elder Conover is great friends with the Ipsens so he loved me instantly! Can you tell?

The Hermiston Zone! Elder Kelly over my left shoulder is from our stake in Gilbert. Elder Cunningham, to his left and behind E. Fitu was in my class at HHS when he was a freshmen.
The Yakima Zone! Elder Blomquist--two over from Dad is from Mesa and knows the Ipsens also!
The Longview Zone! This is the most west zone in the mission--almost to the ocean, but not quite!
The Vancouver North Zone!
The Vancouver South Zone!
The Selah Zone! Up North in the Yakima valley. Lots of sisters!!
The Kennewick East Zone! Right in our back yard.

Aren't they darling? I just love them. The Assistants tell me I'm not allowed to call the elders darling anymore, but they're really cute and sweet and want to please. We lose 11 missionaries next Tuesday, but we gain fifteen new ones!

Love you all!

The Belnaps!

Our fabulous office staff!! They are the best. We couldn't do anything without them--they lead us by the hand and are very patient. L-R Elder Bartholemew-recorder, Elder Zimmer-secretary, AP Elder Austin , Sister Beutler-office manager/finances, Elder Beutler-cars, AP Elder Lavin. They're the best.
The wonderful Belnaps--Paul and Elizabeth.
Saying goodbye at the mission office. Elizabeth and I are both crying, but for different reasons!
Elizabeth and Julie bonding in front of our staircase. She's a lovely lady who will be greatly missed.

The two Presidents!! The outgoing and the incoming. They are so similar they're like brothers from a different mother.

They have been so wonderful to us! We love them.

MTC last days

The Arizona people! We loved to have lunch together and visit on breaks. Turks to Peru and Gulbransons to Argentina. See you in three years!
The three new Washington mission presidents. Greers to Kennewick, Larkins to Seattle, and Wilsons to Everett. We all had the same classes and got to know each other well.
Brian Fleming-my former Highland student who Dad set apart to be a missionary. Now returned and working in catering at the MTC.
Two Taylor cousins I met at the MTC. President Taylor and President Dorius. We're all related to John Taylor. He's our Great, Great, Grandfather.

The MTC was wonderful and tiring. Elder Holland, in his closing remarks, said that we all looked simply ashen when we reported on Wednesday. Now that we've gone through four days of intense training, he said we looked hysterical. I think he's right! On to Kennewick!!