7.1.12

July 1st and we find ourselves beginning the process of living out of a suitcase, without a car, and spending one last week with friends and family before we officially start our training.

We flew into Salt Lake yesterday, Saturday  morning. Our oldest daughter, Kasi, picked us up from the airport. We spent the afternoon with our three kids, Josh, Kasi, and Bri and close family friends, David and Janet Fuller. Now we are in Logan, UT area with the Fullers. We will be here for a few days before we head back down to spend the rest of the week with our kids.

Thursday will find us with some preliminary training on software that we will be using while we are on the mission.

As I sat in Sacrament meeting in the Hyde Park 4th Ward one of the members spoke of a great uncle he had and his mission experience as a 22 year-old in the early 1900s. He left Canada to serve the people in the South Pacific Islands. The standard practice for releases at that time was in the form of a letter sent about three months prior to the end of their allotted mission time. The letter he received was from his mission president. In the letter his mission president informed him that he was ill and needed to return to Salt Lake. He was appointing the young missionary as the temporary mission president until his release that was soon approaching. I can't imagine, as a 23-24 year old, taking on the responsibility of caring for other young missionaries and the spiritual welfare for a large number of people even if it was a short period of time. He again waited for his release letter to arrive. The letter he received did not carry the news that he had been anticipating. The letter he received from Salt Lake informed him that he was called to serve as the mission president for the next three years where he was at. What a shock! Overcoming the shock, he did serve and he did so well.

We would like to thank the Richmonds for holding the open house for us on June 24. It was good to see those who were able to come by that evening. Marcia and I are truly grateful for those of you who took time away from your families to come and say farewell.

More tomorrow.... jsf