Our Next Great Adventure

Well the time has finally arrived. After marrying and raising seven children, we are now on to our next great adventure.

This one is serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in South Africa, Cape Town Mission as member and leader support missionaries.

We have spent the last nine months attending to all the details of preparing for our mission.

First we needed to request an opportunity to serve a mission by submitting a missionary recommendation to church headquarters which included filling out forms about us, our past education, work history and skills, personal health and abilities to serve, skills, talents and experience serving in the church.
After we received our call to serve in South Africa we needed passports, medical and dental checkups, law enforcement clearances from the local agency’s as well as the FBI. We needed to complete a list of requirements for a Visa which among other things needed a letter from a physician stating that we had no mental health problems and were of sound mind (this one worried me some but I passed).

Here we are on the eve of our great adventure with all our tasks completed, clothes purchased and packed, house taken care of, farewell talks given, and good bye’s said.

We flew down to Salt Lake City three days ago and are being graciously taken care of by our daughter Cheri and her husband Nate. We have received some sound wisdom from them on embracing new cultures (they are world travelers), been taken to great eating establishments, and watched our daughter run in the Salt Lake City ½ Marathon.

 

We left Spokane with its unpredictable weather.
 

And now we are trying to get into the South African flow by thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather here in Utah, where the trees and lilac brushes are in full bloom. What a sweet treat.

My wife and I have received our missionary haircuts,

We have read and underlined portions of the “Preach My Gospel” book, charged the batteries on our computer and camera, and have a ride to the MTC in the morning. I think we are ready.