Called to Serve

Called to Serve

Five months ago I suggested to my honey that he call and see what service options may be available to us for a Military Relations mission in Europe (we were thinking Germany) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were planning to be retired by the end of 2015 and were hoping to serve a mission at that time. The news was that no openings were available for that type of mission until Spring of 2016. We were disappointed, as we didn’t want to put it off that long, so he asked if there was anything available sooner overseas at all?

“Funny you should ask…just an hour ago the couple who were supposed to serve in the England London mission withdrew for health reasons….Could you be ready to go to the UK in June?”

Thus began an intense scramble of activity to get passports, visas, driver’s licenses renewed, medical tests and immunizations and a myriad of other requirements to be able to leave for two years. It all seemed overwhelming at first, but throughout the process the way was cleared and miracles occurred to make it all possible.

We enjoyed a couple weeks of fabulous family time with our loved ones whom we will sorely miss over the next two years; I bade farewell to my career as a Library Manager on July 2nd; and on our Nation’s birthday we were on our way to Provo, Utah to enter the Missionary Training Center.

I will be using this space to document our experience and hope you will stop by periodically to see what we are up to as we serve the Lord and his children in the UK over the next two years.