January 25, 2014 was Sister Pyne's birthday in Missouri. Here is a flower arrangement she received from her mission companion, Elder Pyne. She also received gifts from her children, a dinner out, and many acknowledgements from the Sister Missionaries in the Missouri Independence Mission. She was well celebrated!
Our Ford Explorer was decorated to celebrate Sister Pyne's birthday.
A hallway to the Guides Room in the Visitor Center was also decorated.
Cakes and cookies were also baked to celebrate Sister Pyne's birthday.
Sister Raymer also celebrated her birthday the same week. She preferred fruit for her birthday, so Sister Pyne prepared mixed fruit, yogurt, and granola to recognize Sister Raymer's birthday.
Also, the same week, Ryan Brown, a regular visitor to the Independence Visitor's Center, celebrated his 28th birthday. Ryan is developmentally disabled, and comes from a neglectful and abusive home. The Visitor Center is his refuge. Here he is looking unusually sharp, because he is showered, shaved, and wearing a new coat and side bag given to him by the missionaries at the Visitor Center. We also gave him a watch for his birthday. He was thrilled by all the attention given him, including from Sister Ray and Elder Godfrey, to Ryan's right in this photo.
When we took the birthday celebration stickers off our Ford Explorer, we stuck them to the inside of the front door to our apartment.
We also stuck stickers from our vehicle on the door of our apartment closet.
Sister Jorgensen, Sister Heylen, Mark Pope, Sister Pyne, and Elder Pyne at the Historic Liberty Jail.
Sister Moore, Sister Jorgensen, Sister Ogletree, and Sister Heylen in the Independence Visitor's Center.
At the Departure Breakfast the morning of February 5, 2014. Sister Weng, Sister C. Wilson, Sister Ogletree, and Sister S. Wilson are returning home. This breakfast was held on the morning of a major snow storm in Independence, Missouri. The temperatures were below 0 with the windchill factor, and the roads barely passable, but we had a heart-warming departure breakfast in the Visitor Center, honoring these sister missionaries.
All the Sister Missionaries at the Departure Breakfast. The snow was too deep for the Historic Liberty Jail missionaries to attend, plus many of them were sick with the flu.
Another photo at the Departure Breakfast.
