This week was a roller coaster ride for us. One of the toughest on our mission. Don't get me wrong, there was so much good, but in the midst of it all Elder Kaiser went home.
There were joyful times with Joan and Roy. There is something very special about Joan and her desire to learn. She has become dear to our hearts. We have shared three dinner meals with them. She is a generous soul. Joan lost a young child and the doctrine of eternal families really touched her heart.
We made a new friend a few weeks ago, Devan. He has attended church several weeks now. Even decided to wear a shirt and tie all on his own. His life has been filled with dysfunction and addictions. He even spent time incarcerated where he read the Bible enough to quote verses. He is especially drawn to the Book of Revelation. He has been homeless at times and came to Mackinaw City for summer season work which is winding down. He will be "wandering" again and says he thinks he will go to Los Angeles next. We are "planting seeds" and trying to help him feel good and draw him to Christ's love. Underneath it all he is a nice young man, a child of God and just needs to believe Christ atoned for his sins.
It was his decision to grab his Book of Mormon for this picture.
On Thursday night we got a call from President Peckham asking us to bring Elder Kaiser to Lansing the next day. Elder Kaiser needed to go home to work on some things. He had become quite connected to Elder Gibbons and I could tell he looked up to him a lot. He was trying really hard to be positive and brave, but it broke our hearts and we have prayed his family and Ward friends would scoop him up and love him as he develops a closer relationship with his Savior.
With Elder Kaiser gone, Elder Rogers had to be picked up by our Zone Leaders, Elder Sines and Elder Hom. We got to see Elder Sines again, but suddenly the work in Cheboygan changed. Leaving the missionary car here and their apartment empty, Elder Rogers drove away. So sad to say goodbye to all the missionaries we've come to consider "our boys." And we were without our missionaries.
Elder Sines, Elder Hom, Elder Rogers, Elder Gibbons and Sister Gibbons in the kitchen of our home.
On Friday, September 13th, we headed south to Lansing to the mission home and it seeing the look on Elder Kaiser's face told us it finally hit him that he was leaving the mission. In his short three weeks he had grown and come to love being a missionary. There is always hope he can come back out, but more likely that he could serve at home as a service missionary. We know is God loves him and the Atonement is real. We then drove back north and all the way to the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) to take care of the apartment inspections we had scheduled with three sets of missionaries. All in all we were gone 12 hours and drove 601 miles.
The next day we drove to Alpena once again to inspect the Sister's apartment only to find them without a car (it was in the shop unexpectedly) and that Sister Fowler was sick. Elder Gibbons gave her a blessing and we went to the store to pick up some things and to Jimmy John's to get them lunch.
With Sister Fowler and Sister Biggs
One day we hit 40,000 miles on the car. 
Sunday, September 16th:
Another milestone for Arthur Woollard and his family. He was ordained as an Elder and received the Melchizedek Priesthood. He asked Elder Gibbons to do so. And he and Sheree invited all their family and some came. What a wonderful thing to witness.
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