Friends we'll miss

Lane and Amber Christensen left in February, and now Mark and Lora Spencer and Jana and Randy Ewing are leaving next month in July!

They've been with us since the beginning of us trying to learn how to survive here in Beijng.  Lane and Amber were our embassy sponsors and Lora is a member of the branch.  From trips to the Pearl Market, the Junk Man, Bairong mall, Walmart, nail parties, invitations to the park, camping and excursions, and trips to furniture stores with Jana to look for a couch, they gave us an amazing beginning to our four years here.  We'll never forget them!

Jana is tall and has big feet like Savannah, so we visited the Ewings to look through their give away piles.  Savannah found a few pairs of shoes and clothes, craft supplies, etc. to take home.  Jana had a small Chinese sewing machine and other craft supplies that were perfect for Savannah's handicraft tastes!  Jana also taught us her gluten free peanut butter cookies we'll never forget that she made us when we went camping and to the Great Wall (Gubeikou) for our first time!

Randy showed us his homemade puppets that he and Jana have used to make videos for their grandkids back home.  They're awesome videos that make us laugh!

Randy has been in the District Presidency for church and Jana has been our amazing Relief Society President.  Briant has really appreciated Jana's service and help as they've counseled together about the needs of the sisters.  Jana and Randy have done so much to help members of the branch, especially during Covid when most people evacuated and went back to the States.  They stayed through those long months when not many people were here, and they helped the college students that weren't allowed to leave the university campus.  It was a difficult time here.  They have missed a few weddings and grandkids being born, so they're ready to go back home now.  Our family and the branch family will feel their absence!