Final Transfer Day (6 January 2015).  A long travel day--Berlin to Amsterdam to Detroit to Salt Lake City--followed by a happy reunion with family and friends.  To interject a brief personal statement, I express my gratitude to Heavenly Father for Reese's joyous and faithful mission and for his safe return.  What an incredible blessing Reese's missionary service has been to him and to his family.  I am truly grateful.

Here is a photo of Reese and the other finishers at the Berlin Tegel Airport in the morning:

And here are a few photos from Salt Lake City when he arrived late that night just before 11:00 pm.  The first picture is of the group coming down the elevator at the airport and the rest are of Reese and family.

Finally, the Germany map (with the Berlin Mission outlined in red), which has been pinned to the kitchen wall is coming down:

Week #5 in Berlin (5 January 2015).  Reese worked steadily right up to the end and had one final chance to do a baptism interview of a sister who was baptized on Saturday.  Today, Reese went to the mission home for a final dinner and testimony meeting.  Reese said that for the last couple of weeks he has just kept trying to tell himself that he had "two more years."  But, tomorrow he will leave Berlin for home--traveling from Berlin to Amsterdam to Detroit to Salt Lake City.  He concluded his letter:  "The mission has taught me a lot of things but it just really makes me thankful. I'm thankful for everything that I have been given.  I know that the Church is true, simply due to the fact that it makes you happy. I cannot explain why, but it is just that way. I know that Christ is our Saviour, and that we can become perfect through Him and following His example. I guess I'm kind of like Nephi - "I know that God loves his children, but I do not know the meaning of all things." I really do not, but I know that God loves us, even if it doesn't seem that way. The Gospel really is that good."  Here is the traditional Germany Berlin Mission photos of Reese with President and Sister Kosak and Reese with the other elders who were finishing their mission one week early to return home for college.

                                    Back:  Elder Christensen, Elder Schmidt, Reese, Elder Davis
                                    Front:  President & Sister Kosak, Elder Poch

Elder Christensen, Elder Schmidt and Elder Poch, all joined Reese for the entire trip.   Four happy families greeted their sons in Salt Lake City.  Finally, here is a screen shot of the Mission Blog with the same photos.  President Kosak has done such a marvelous job of keeping up the blog for all of the missionaries and their parents.