Sayonara, Albrechts

I guess you could say that the past couple of weeks have been full of HIGHS and LOWS.  On Thursday, June 21, we held an all-mission "good-bye" conference for the Albrechts.  All 169 missionaries, plus we 10 senior missionaries, were in attendance.  We had a very spiritual morning with wonderful talks and instruction by President and Sister Albrecht. 

Then at about 11:30 we broke for lunch.  Elder G had ordered 200 subway sandwiches from the base and had bought individual packets of potato chips and about 18 cases of soda (also on base) for the event. The missionaries all thought they had died and gone to heaven! Then the Albrechts furnished ice cream for sundaes--with all kinds of toppings--and Sister Albrecht's 5-inch chocolate chip cookies as well.   We also played some "How well do you know the Albrechts" games, and some guess-how-many-candies-are-in-the-containers games (winning them if your guess was the closest). At 1:00 a church musical group from here in Japan (Bless Four...google them) gave a free one-hour concert.

They have lived and performed in America and have done so here in Japan as well, performing at Tokyo Disneyland, on TV, etc.  This was followed by a great testimony meeting in which all the missionaries who were returning home on July 17 bore their testimonies as well as the Albrechts.  It was a really, really nice day!  Everyone was thrilled with everything, and from beginning to end it could not have gone more perfectly!  It felt comparable to pulling off a big wedding!  ha!

Next, on Thursday, June 28, we had a "seniors" missionary conference at Fussa (near Yokota AFB where we  spent our first 3 months).  Including President & Sister Albrecht, there were 12 of us in attendance.  

One of the couples (Harrisons, third from the left) had just arrived on Saturday, the 23rd.  Ironically, we were the ones who picked them up at the Narita airport that day.  And on the way home we were visiting, when they asked if we knew a Randy Galbraith (Elder G's brother); we wanted to deny it (ha), but we soon learned that they had spent 3 years together at Upper Heyford in England.  What a coincidence!!!  Sister Harrison also knew one our other sisters-in-law, Marie, who is  married to Bruce!  Randy told us that Brother Harrison had retired from the air force reserves as a brigadier general.  Oh, they also have 12 children!  They're an amazing couple!  After the conference we all went to Chili's on the base, and President Albrecht paid for lunch for all of us.  It, too, was a very, very nice day.  I had to laugh because Sister Albrecht said we'd never know how much she enjoyed talking and socializing with adults!  I guess after constantly working with and listening to hundreds of 19-year-olds,

that some "senior company" can be quite rewarding!

The very next day President Budge and his almost-19-year-old daughter arrived.  She will stay for about three weeks and will then leave for the MTC to prepare for her mission to Sapporo, Japan.  How, you ask, can a 19-year-old female go on a mission?  Well, we learned that sons of mission presidents can go at 18, and daughters can go at 19.  Interesting, isn't it?!

Somewhere between SLC and Seattle, President Budge's 13-year-old son lost his passport!  Consequently, he and his mother had to stay at his brother's home in San Francisco while they waited for a new passport and visa.  I'm sure they did not want to start their mission like this.  

The Budge family has lived in Tokyo for many years...2 year mission (for him), then the family spent 5 years here, went home for a few years, returned for another 10+ years, retired at 49 and went home for 3 more years, and are now back for 3 more.  Obviously, President Budge is very fluent in Japanese.  He had been the owner of a bank here, sold it, and then retired before he was 50 years old.  However, the Church currently has other plans for him!  His family plans to attend an English-speaking ward; we're assuming it's because they want their son to have some American friends, etc.  And it's also

the same ward they attended here for over 10 years.

And then, "all of a sudden," it seemed, the Albrecht's last day had arrived.  Saturday, June 30, was a very sad day as they finally left for Orem, Utah, that morning.

We took one parting shot of President and Sister Albrecht, us, the two office Elders, the three Assistants, the two Sister missionaries, and the Kodama couple from the ward before they boarded the van. 

 I know we'll come to love the new leadership, but it just won't be the same.  President and Sister Albrecht were close to our ages for one thing.  But, most importantly, they were both excellent examples to us of how to live your religion--not just by church attendance and keeping the visible commandments, but also by truly loving everyone, desiring to serve them and to introduce them to a happier way of living, and choosing peace over contention, just to name a few of the many attributes they lived and taught us. 

Although they, too, were sad to be leaving many wonderful friends and experiences behind, they did have much to look forward to.  One thing they were excited about was meeting SEVEN new grandchildren born while they've been over here!  Sister Albrecht has since emailed me that they slept most of the way on their 11-hour flight back to America.  Without a doubt, I', convinced that this was the best sleep

they've had in three years!

Sayonara, Albrecht fufu!