The Beginning of the Lasts - Meatballs

Sisters Moon & McInelly, Hermana Brinkerhoff, Sisters Quinn, Drennan, Sargent, Young & Johnson

This week marks the beginning of President Quinn and my last transfer here in the wonderful California Santa Rosa Mission.

It’s a strange feeling. On one hand, we are excited to return home and reconnect with family and friends. On the other hand, our hearts are deeply attached to this mission, the missionaries we love, and the people and places that are now a part of our lives.

On Monday of this week it dawned on me that we are embarking on the beginning of “lasts.”

Our last senior missionary Bar-B-Q

*Senior Missionaries at the Mission Home Bar-B-Q*

Our last transfer day.

Our last farewell dinner and devotional.

*A “Thank You” for our departing missionaries*

Our last trip to the airport to greet new missionaries. (And for the first time, we picked them up in San Francisco—a memorable adventure all by itself!)

*Elders McIntyre & Wayment holding welcome sign at airport*

Our last new missionary orientation meeting.

*Sister Quinn & Crystal Villagomez - Chic-Fil-A for new missionary orientation lunch.*

Our last leadership Zoom training.

*Sister Quinn with Sisters Griffin & Mitchell our “tech sisters”*

*Elders Wilson & Wayment, The Quinns, Elders Bracken & McIntyre our AP’s - two leaving soon and two in training for our new mission leaders.*

Our last stake conference in Fairfield.

*Sister Quinn with Sister LeCheminant - Stake President’s wife*

The list of “lasts” will continue to grow this month and with each “last” comes a little tug on my heart.

I once heard someone say that whenever you feel like you’re about to cry, just say the word “meatballs.” It is supposed to distract you and help you regain composure.

As we sit in meetings, attend to missionaries, and say goodbye to people and experiences we have cherished, I am finding myself thinking, Meatballs. Meatballs. Meatballs.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it just makes me hungry.

What a blessing it has been to serve here. We have laughed, learned, stretched, grown, and witnessed the Lord’s hand in countless ways. We have come to love our missionaries, the members, our new friends, and this mission more than we ever imagined possible.

So yes, this transfer is filled with lasts. But perhaps that is because it has also been filled with so many wonderful firsts, blessings, friendships, and memories worth missing.

We are looking forward to the coming weeks of “lasts.”

Thank you for reading my weekly blog posts and letter home. I’m grateful for your support and love. Sister Elaine Quinn

This week we said goodbye to eleven amazing missionaries who are finishing their missions and welcomed twelve beautiful new ones! The work continues to go forward.

*Elders Hall, Szymanski, & Anglin with Sisters Sargent, Thueson, Scott, Hermana Austin, & Sister Moon with the Quinns*

*Elder Swindler was picked up by his parents and siblings.*

*Thank you to the Cawleys for there wonderful service to our mission. We will miss you!*

*Elders Stephenson, Anderson, Coffman, Polyak, Ollila & Gadd - Sisters Fergunson, Cheney, Wanstrom, The Quinns, Jackson, Gunnell, and King - new missionaries!!*

And here is our “Coming to Know Him” journal prompt #47 ❤️ As a mission we started this journal last July and we are planning on having five more prompts so we will have 52, a full year of prompts all together!. We are getting close to our last one. Thank you for your efforts in journaling!!

Our grandchildren are making paper chains to count down the days until we return home to Chicago and have a fun reunion there with them.

Here is a big photo dump from the week. I think the amount of photos I take exponentially grows the longer I have been on my mission! (more photo labeling to come)

Also, if you scroll to the bottom you will find our invitations for our mission report in July.