Near the first Saturday of every transfer, President David A. Palmer and Sister Palmer gather the missionaries assigned to the Mesa Maricopa North Stake and hold a get-acquainted breakfast at their home. It’s a 7 a.m. start – and more often than not, there is service planned after the breakfast, so the missionaries arrive in work clothes.
President and Sister Palmer are terrific people! They watch over the Elders and Sisters assigned to their stake as if they were their parents – a kindness Sister Sweeney and I appreciate. The menu is almost always eggs in many styles – maple flavored sausages, buttermilk pancakes with “Grandma Treats” (that’s Sister Palmer’s name among her grandchildren) buttermilk syrup, fruit, sausage gravy and biscuits (have we gone far enough to make your mouth water?), and milk and OJ. The Palmers almost always offer everyone whatever has ripened in their garden over the past week or so. It’s delicious!
Everyone gets to visit, get acquainted and share their personalities – but the highlight is often after the meal. President Palmer has taught the missionaries “sticks” – a game played in a large circle with each missionary holding a 5 foot stick in one hand and attempting to spin, or move right or left leaving the stick behind you for the other person to grab before it touches the ground. Last one with a stick standing is the winner.
Here is the “after-sticks” picture – and it’s a happy group!