Missionary

You know, if we are going to go - we need to go. We were just getting used to the retired life. And, it's not hard to get used to. We had sold business and buildings and were in a position to serve. However, the feeling of waking up with, "What do I want to do today?"is pretty comfortable. It's so easy to push good intentions needing sacrifice down the road. What would we sacrifice? Well, first and foremost we would be physically distant from those we loved most - our family. One of the most fulfilling things we have known is watching babies grow. If you think retirement is good, just add that to being popular with kids. This would be hard. Not just the distance, but for some of them and our own kids there was also a feeling that somehow we didn't care to be around them that much. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The desire to serve a mission comes from somewhere inside that truly believes it will somehow benefit everyone.

So, we clicked all the buttons that make applying happen.The starting line is letting your desire meet curiosity. You can actually see what missions are available. Once you start looking, the pathway gets easier. An excitement begins that creates visions of adventure in far-off places. Europe, the orient. Who knows where? If you're not careful, you start to feel like you're booking a cruise! We were offered the chance to prefer 8 places. We could also indicate preference of activity. Public affairs seemed to fit me the best and Sheri was fine with selecting missions primarily geared toward that experience. We made our preferences known. England - where I had served as a 19-21 year-old missionary, Japan, New Zealand, Korea and France. We would have a cultural experience along with serving the Lord. In the process, we also chose the Nauvoo Temple. Of all, it was the outlier.

It's. a funny thing to click 'Submit'. There was a palpable pause. As though we were about to bungee jump.'Are we really ready for this?'

And we jumped.

We had been told that we would probably hear in about 5-6 weeks. Also, we would probably receive phone calls asking for some clarification and further information that could better place us. None of the happened. In the 3rd week, we received electronic notice that our call was ready to be viewed. We were nervous, excited and committed to open the news with our family and some friends present. We didn't peek. On Tuesday the 2nd of May, we stood in front of our laptop 'Zoom' camera, and in front of family and friends in our kitchen. we clicked and read.

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to honor the covenants you have made with Heavenly Father, keep the commandments, maintain the highest standards of conduct, and follow the righteous counsel of your temple president.

Wait. Temple President? We were expecting Mission President. Our minds skipped a beat - if that's a thing. I continued reading aloud to the live and viewing audience.

You are assigned to labor in the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. Your assignment will begin on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

I fear that the oft-seen prospective missionary dynamic was kicking in. Those watching would see our smiles, but they would also see our minds chewing away at what was a bit unexpected. We weren't jumping for joy, but we were positive. We needed some time to ponder this. To be honest, we thought that we would be flying off to some far off country to acclimate to a new culture. We weren't disappointed. Just surprised. But it was official. We would become missionaries. We knew when and where we were going. And with that, there came a great feeling of peace and some fulfillment. Let me explain.

When we made the transition from 9-5 (and in reality, 6am- 8pm many days) we had discussed going on a mission. When it came right down to it, as I stated previously it was hard to imagine leaving home and family and freedom to choose each days activity. Each day I thought about it, it was a little discouraging. Inside I knew we could serve, but part of me didn’t want to leave. I was really enjoying our new Bear Lake home, playing pickleball with Charlie and doing little building projects with ‘Little Guy Services’. That was the name Charlie and I coined for all the manual labor we had been performing including the restoration of the front of the historic John M. Browning building in downtown Ogden. We literally spent about a year tearing out, rebuilding, painting and admiring our progress on the 3-story structure. It had actually been the final stomping ground of John Moses, Matt Sandefuer, and Jonathan Edmund Browning. Other Browning brothers, George and Samuel were also part of the mix. I would tell people as I toured them through the building that world history had been changed here. It was, after all the space where the gas-powered machine gun had grown up and become a formidable weapon. For example, 8-model 1919, 30 caliber Browning machine guns were mounted to the sleek Supermarine Spitfires used by the Brits as they took to the skies over London - downing over 1700 German aircraft. This setback for the 3rd Reich had contributed to Hitler turning east toward the Soviet Union. Hitler’s right-hand man, Herman Goering has been credited with saying that if the Germans had the Browning, they would not have lost the battle of Britain.

I digress.

Charlie and I were proud of our hard work, and it helped sell the building. That sale enabled Sheri and I to serve. We knew we should, but we put it off a bit. That delay caused some discomfort, but as soon as we engaged in the process, a momentum ensued that seemed to fit everything in place. The cessation of worry was wonderful. No more thoughts of, ‘we really need to do this’. The commitment we made was already blessing us.

I won’t spend a lot of time telling you about getting ready. Suffice it to say that you just about need 6 months to get a house ready to rent. I think we learned that when the house is ready – the renter will appear. And that’s what happened. Our renters moved in the day we left. That’s exactly what they and we wanted.

I will also not get into the numerous discussions on just how much stuff we would be driving to Nauvoo. Sheri’s vision included a U Haul, while I could comfortably have driven her small SUV. So we compromised and got a U Haul!

Just kidding. We fit everything in our Ford F150. I would be very good at Tetras about now.

The thought of driving through Nebraska did not thrill us. So, we drove north to Devil’s Tower, Dead wood and Kansas City. The drive to Nauvoo was relaxing. We arrived in Nauvoo on Thursday, October 26th around 6PM. We were met by the Petersons who helped us settle in. Our address is 865 Parley Steet #1. I am sitting on the couch in that very spot as you read this.

My hope in starting this blog is primarily to share what has been to me already, some of my most spiritual times. I warn the prospective reader that this will be not only my chronology while here, but more importantly the baring of my soul as I intend to write about my experiences. Perhaps a few people might enjoy and possibly benefit by following me for the next year. Stay tuned!