CINNAMON BUN FUN ON THE RUN

 

Karlan Richards is not only the mission president's wife, but she is also the "Mother" of the Maryland Baltimore Mission who is responsible for the health and well-being of some 120 "sons and daughters" (young elders and sisters who are presently serving here). In this dual capacity, she makes it a priority to find special ways to let the missionaries know that they are loved.

 

When young men and women first arrive at the Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport from the Missionary Training Center in Utah, they spend their first night at the mission home, which includes a wonderful home-cooked dinner prepared by Sister Richards with some assistance from the senior missionary couples who serve at the nearby mission office. And then when the time comes for these missionaries to depart for home at the completion of their assignment, their last night here is also at the mission home with one final dinner prepared by this same caring person.

 

If there is a meal involved during mission conferences and training sessions, everyone knows that the mission president's wife has had a hand in it's preparation. During the last week of October, every elder and sister was given a bag of  Halloween "treats" of their own. Sister Richards is even sensitive to the needs of those missionaries who have diabetes . . . she gives them apples!

 

Last Tuesday there were six mission training meetings held simultaneously on the same day in Winchester (Virginia), Martinsburg (West Virginia), Frederick (Maryland), Columbia (Maryland), Annapolis (Maryland), and Baltimore (Maryland). So what did the Mission Mom do for all of the elders and sisters? She spent her entire Monday before the training sessions in the mission home kitchen baking iced cinnamon buns even though she had injured her foot a few days before and found it difficult to stand for any period of time.
 

As if she hadn't already done enough on Monday, this remarkable lady then packed her baked goods into the car early on Tuesday morning to deliver them to the training sites. Sister Richards wanted to have her cinnamon bun fun on the run, and that's exactly what she did by staying at each location just long enough to shake hands with or give a hug to every missionary and get the goodies into the kitchen while placing someone in charge of heating them in the oven for a few minutes before serving them to happy missionaries.