Welcome to Elder SK Tan and Sister Hazel Tan AND Elder Lynn DeBry & Sister Deanna DeBry!!

We "limped" along on our Missionary Shift of 2 couples--the Mumfords and the Youngs and Sister Miyashiro for one whole week before these 2 "new couples" arrived in the Mission. The Tans came directly from their home in Singapore--a 26-hour flight--if you count plane changes and short layovers.
The DeBrys have come from Salt Lake City, Utah, having experienced the  ""Temple MTC " in the Salt Lake Temple for 3 days. That is such a choice experience and special preparation for a Temple Mission. 
Here are just some brief "bios" of these 2 wonderful couples we will be serving with here in the New York Manhattan Temple. This information was sent out to all Temple Missionaries by Pres Bench, our Temple President, so we could know a little bit about them before we actually met them

I have been blessed to be able to spend the last week "Training" Sister Tan--and seriously, I am sure Ilearned more than I taught!! She is so capable and people are so "drawn" to her because of her goodness and her gracious ways! Now that she will go "solo"--I will truly miss our one-on-one time together and feeling of her "extra-special" spirit.  Sister Holly Young was asked to Train Sister DeBry and I am sure she has had a similar experience to mine--these new Sisters have both had such rich previous experiences of Service. 

On this Monday evening, June 26th (2017) we will have an FHE in Pres & Sister Benches' apartment with dinner and then a WELCOME to these new couples. Stand by--more to come!!

The Temple Presidency and Matrons and all Full-time Temple Missionaries did meet in Apt 4B on Monday evening, June 26, 2017, to have FHE and a Welcome Dinner for our 2 newest Missionary Couples. It was a truly lovely dinner, planned by Sister Melba Grimley. She decided on "Hawaiian Haystacks, Grimley-style" and it was so good. We had both white and brown rice and over 10 toppings to put on that rice!! Plus fresh fruit--oh so good. I love "Summer meals"-- so light and simple! It was also Pres David Bean's birthday--so Sister Bench made two chocolate chocolate bundt cakes with chocolate chips inside and Sister Nixon made her special "hot fudge sauce" to go with ice cream and it was "anything but light" but oh so good!!  After dinner and dessert--we listened to each new person give us a "glimpse" of who they are.  It was so enjoyable!! Then we sang the new
song by Brother Michael Moody, who used to be the Chairman of the Church's Temple Missionary Dept, entitled "COME TO THE TEMPLE"--which Sisters Bench and Harris had been practicing a lot the past few days (determined NOT to make a mistake--and with S Benches'optimism--almost "perfect"!! Beautiful music--this may be the song we sing to "Welcome" the new Missionaries and the tearful "Go Now in Peace" to bid departing Missionaries GOOD BYE.

Elder SK Tan and Sister Hazel Tan

Elder Lynn DeBry and Sister Deanna DeBry

At Present--our Full-Time Temple Missionary  Group

Back row, L to R: E Ralph Young & S Holly Young, E Spencer Brown & S Jeanine Brown,

 S Shellie Harris & E John Harris; then it goes- Pres Kem Nixon with S Pat Nixon in front, 

Pres Mark Bench with S Dorothy Bench in front ,  Pres David Bean with S  Natalie Bean in front, then Back row continues with S Barbara Heideman, E Kent Heideman, (peeking from back)

 S Kathy Nabors, S Fusako Miyashiro, E Ron Mumford, S Carol Mumford, E Terry Grimley and 

S Melba Grimley; and on the L side of Front Row--E SK Tan & Sister Hazel Tan and on R side of Front Row--E Lynn DeBry and S Deanna DeBry

These are the wonderful people we spend so much of each day serving in the Temple or enjoying some great "out of the Temple" activities together. We love you all!!