How much do our bags weigh?

So now that we have your attention on the title for last post here is the answer. Our original call was to Scotland/Ireland. We were told we would be serving in Ireland and so we studied all about Ireland. Then we were told we were going to serve in Scotland. So we studied everything we could about Scotland.  Then we were asked if we could serve in London, England because another couple had to go home because of health reasons. So we studied all about London.Then the decision was made to go back to our original call of Scotland/Ireland and we will be living in Falkirk, Scotland. We are so excited to be settled.

HOW MUCH DO OUR BAGS WEIGH?
That was the comment we made the last few days leading up to August 18th. Each bag could only weight 50lbs. As Doug would stand on the scales and hold the suitcases, each one was a little under the magic number of 50. So the night before we would add a few small things here and a few things there.

We got up at 4am on the 18th to get ready for our flight and did the final weigh in. NOT GOOD NEWS. Doug's one suitcase was 56.8lbs. Another one was just a few pounds over. WOW! How did that happen? Move this here, there, put it in the carry on. Our previous organized suitcase was now very disorganized. We didn't know what was where, but we were finally on tract for leaving at 5:30am.

Our wonderful drivers to the airport. Ray and Sylvia Walker. They go way back in special friends. Ray used to drive school bus for our children. Sylvia taught them piano and now me organ.

Jennifer and family came to the airport to say goodbye to us. I just had to keep in mind the picture of us coming home from our mission to Cape Town South Africa and seeing almost all of our children and grandchildren there at the IF airport waiting for us.

Doug at the SLC airport and our shuttle driver and van to the Provo MTC. We were the only ones in the shuttle because the airplane had come in 1/2 hour earlier than scheduled. When does that ever happen? The flight was only 1 hour in duration to begin with. Twice as fast! Go DELTA.

Wonderful Elders were waiting for us to arrive and help us with our luggage and take it to our room. Do you see my orange carry on? My other two red bags are easily identifiable but hidden by the elders right now. Doug's are the black ones, a little difficult to find however he did tie two white handkerchiefs on the handles.


There are 44 in our group of couples. Six couples are serving in Hawaii, their assignments range from teaching at the BYU-Hawaii Campus,employment, human services,  other couples serve in the mission office in charge of cars, apartments, scheduling and member leadership support.. The farthest away is a couple going to the Congo. This is their second mission. They are from Montreal, Canada. We met a Scottish Elder from Glasglow going to Montreal Mandarin Chinese speaking. I gave him a BIG hug to take to his  mother and gran/grandfather when I see them in about 2 weeks.

We get up and go walking at 6am. This morning it was raining, not too bad initially but we turned around when it really started coming down and by the time we got to our apt. we were really wet. A warm shower and breakfast and then to our 8 am mtg to noon. We got to try out our new raincoats. They worked well.It rains 2-3 inches each month in Scotland.

We practice teaching each other and then had "Investigators-members pretending to be investigators", come Wed.and we taught a gospel lesson for 45 minutes. It was a marvelous experience, very real and filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Our investigator wanted to know about Jesus Christ. She wondered about all the different names He was known by. She had never read the Bible and had not attended church even as a child. She wasn't even sure she believed in a GOD.

We have lunch from 12-1:30 and then class again from 1:30-4:15pm then are free for the night. We can eat from 4:30-6:30pm. The foodl is great, and they do an outstanding feeding hundreds of elders and sisters. It is beyond compare. On Wed. when the new elders and sisters arrive we get ice cream for lunch and supper. We can eat other things too, like the Navajo Tacos that I had today. They always have soups, wraps. Elder had a hot dog last night. He was so excited.

The MTC just had over 700 elders and sisters arrive for 2 weeks of training if they are English speaking. If they are foreign they stay for 6 weeks if it is South American or European language, and if it is Asian or Russian they stay for 9 weeks.

There is such a feeling of love here that you think, this must be what Heaven is like. I loved talking with the elders and sisters at meal times and finding out where they are from and where they are going and encouraging them along the way. We are all one happy family. I wish we could all share this wonderful experience.

New Beginnings

July 15, 2014
Books are always doing flash backs, so it seems logical for me to do so also to bring you up to speed on what has been happening since we returned from our mission to Cape Town South Africa, March, 2012. when I arrived in Africa, I came across a wonderful talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, that he had given to the missionaries in the England MTC.  He talked about giving your all, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually on your mission, so that when you stepped off the airplane upon your return home, there would be nothing left. So for 18 months we both worked our hearts out and when we got off the airplane in Idaho Falls, Idaho, March 13, 2012, we were exhausted. If any of you would like a copy of the talk let me know and I will forward it on.

Recovery was quick and full and we were soon back in "normal life", whatever that is. I seemed to have a more difficult time adjusting than Doug. I just couldn't figure out where I belonged, except by Doug. There were very few people who wanted to hear about our mission. We gave our mission report at church, but only did a more detailed time to a few others.

I went to physical therapy to help with the pain in my left hip. As the months went on we decided it was from the scar tissue that developed from the dog bite in George, South Africa, October, 2010. I had been pain free until Dec. 2011. I don't walk with a limp any more and the pain comes and goes. I seem to be more bothered by inactivity. So, I joined Curves and walk with Doug for 2 miles each day, work in the yard and do what I want to do physically.

We enjoyed having Travis and Jamie and family in our home until January, 2013. Before we left on our mission I told Doug that I felt we needed to remodel the BP (bachelor pad) in the back and add a kitchen, ect. While Travis was there visiting and Doug was having both hips replaced over 8 weeks, the work was accomplished and we ended up with a new kitchen, bedroom downstairs, living room and bathroom. Now I know why. After we returned from our mission, Jamie and family continued living in our home for another 10 months.

Doug and I were called to serve as ward missionaries and enjoyed visiting with the missionaries each week, and making plans for sharing the gospel with our ward members. Doug felt he needed to be more involved with family history so volunteered as a consultant at the Family History Center. He served once a week and enjoyed increasing his knowledge with the training that was given.

We also started working at the Rexburg Temple, Doug as a temple sealer and me as a temple worker. It was a great experience except it began Thursday waking up at 4am and being at the temple by 4:45am. We would arrive back home around 11am.

Almost immediately after returning from our mission, I felt impressions that I needed to re-certify as a Nurse Practitioner one more time. I had no idea why, but knew that I would have to find someplace to work 1,000 clinical hours. The 70 CEU's would just be a matter of time and I could do those easily, in fact I actually had acquired most of them already. In May 2012, Doug and I traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to attend the national Nurse Practitioner Conference where I gave a visual presentation on Barriers to Immunizations in Namibia, Africa.

I made a list of all the places I had worked as a Nurse Practitioner and then started making contacts. The first call I made was to the Health Department in Idaho Falls. I had worked there for 6 years and enjoyed helping the less financially advantaged women with their health care. I had worked one day a week traveling on different weeks to Idaho Falls, Rigby, Driggs and occasionally to St. Anthony. When I talked with the director, he said they were not hiring. I knew that, but offered to fill in for vacation days, ect. He said he would call me if they needed me, he never did.

Call #2 was to Madison Women's Clinic where I had worked for 9 years. I began working 2 days a week after graduation in 2000, and then ended up working full time when I retired December 2010.  The office hired 2 nurse practitioners to replace me. So now, they were in the middle of a remodel to get more space, and had no physical room for me  After speaking with them twice I told them that I would next be going to their competitors, Seasons Medical if they could not find space for me.

Call #3 was to Seasons and I had a good interview with the manager. He told me they had room and would love to have me work there. He would call me back in a week. When he didn't call, I called and was told that they didn't have any room. They were in the middle of building a 3 story office where all medical providers: pediatrics, women's health, mental health, internal medicine, and general practitioners would be housed. I even questioned him about not having enough room even after the new facility was open. He said he was sorry,but that they didn't have any room. So as I pondered about this, I felt that there was another reason for the "no," but wasn't sure what it was.

I began to check into becoming an EMT. Jamie and Travis both wanted to pursue this. As we checked in to the timing of the classes it looked good. One was to begin in August/September, but it was postponed. Rexburg had one scheduled for October, but it was rescheduled for January 2013. I even bought the books and began filling my head with different procedures and knowledge and made it 1/2 through the book. By the time the classes were offered in Rexburg, I was too busy.

I contacted a woman on line about giving immunizations in the fall. I would have to set up my own clinics and they would ship the medicine to me, but this was a long process if I wanted to use these hours as my only source for the 1,000 hours needed.

I went to Joy's in July to help with a new baby and had some heart problems, so back home, cancelled the immunization plans and found out my heart was just fine. That was a relief.

In September, 2012, after checking with a doctor about working in a walk in free clinic I still was no closer to getting my 1,000 clinical hours. This doctor said he knew of another clinic who could appreciate my service, but no phone call referring me anywhere else.

I had always wanted to go to cosmetology school and now Rexburg had 2 schools. I called both schools and found out the cost and when the new classes were starting in September and was ready to make an appointment for an interview.

Still in the back of my mind was the 1,000 clinical hours needed to re-certify until 2020 as an NP. I knelt in prayer and told Heavenly Father that if He wanted me to do this, He would have to find the place, because I didn't know where else to go. Into my mind came the idea of the BYU-Idaho Health Center. I tried to call and couldn't get through so went to the clinic and talked with a Physician Assistant that I knew. She gave me the email and phone number of the man that I needed to talk to. I called and then it took 2 weeks to set the appointment with Dr. Bradbury. When I went to his office he told me he would like to hire me, but that they didn't have any funding. I had heard this story before. Then he asked, "Would I consider a part-time mission." Of course, it just felt right. He had the papers on the corner of the desk. I took them home that Monday night and called the Bishop and saw him and got his signature. On Tuesday the Stake President interviewed me and signed the papers and then they were on the way to Brother Southwick, in Rexburg for his signature. I told them this was to start October 1.  After a few more phone calls, it was official and I began taking internet classes for the University on their Policy and Procedures at the Health Center. I also did an internet class on CPR to be re-certified. I was to work Tuesday 8-5, and Thursday 12-5 after I finished my temple shift.

I had to learn the computer charting that they did at the University and then followed another Nurse Practitioner, Lori Parker, for 1-2 weeks. Then there was General Conference October, 2012, and the announcement that all worthy young men age 18 could serve a mission and all worthy young women could serve a mission at age 19. The Health Center was immediately swamped with these young men and women needing physical examinations and I was in place to be the extra person to do those sister  missionary exams. I worked full time in October and then went back to my two days a week. During the summer I did full time June, July and August in 2013 and completed my service two days before our Eastern Idaho Regional Family History Conference March 15th. In October I stopped my temple service until March 2014, so that I could increase my hours at the University. I would pick up temple shifts for other people during the week so that I could still serve but I could be in charge of when I would serve.

It was a very interesting experience to work as a service missionary. I never begrudged the volunteer service that I did at the University for the 17 months it took to complete the 1,000 clinical hours. I enjoyed meeting with the staff and beginning each day with a prayer meeting. The staff was wonderful and I felt appreciated and needed. When my service was over, I was fine with leaving. They gave me a going away party and a special book.

In January, 2014, as I was sitting in Sacrament meeting with Joy and family I received an interesting answer to my prayers. "I knew that the missionary age was going to be lowered. I knew I would need your help with the missionaries. I knew that because of your mission to South Africa, you would share things with the new sister missionaries, that they would need to hear. This was all part of the plan." What a feeling of peace swept over me. I have always wanted to be in the right place at the right time for Heavenly Father's purposes.

September, 2013, was also the time that Doug and I were called as Family History Directors of the Rexburg Family History Center. I was very surprised that I was called. So the end of September we took over and started serving. We met with all of the 60 staff members and got to know them individually, then started to get to know the patrons that would come in to the Center. I brought pictures of the temple from home and added them to the wall space, did bulletin boards each 6-8 weeks in the Media Room and looked for ways to improve the center. We did training twice a week for the staff.

The next 20 months of service were times of inspiration of what should be done. During potato harvest October, 2013, Doug did a 5 day Gift of Family History for youth who were not working in harvest. At the end of the week they had a nice computerized gift of family history for a grandmother or grandfather. He also organized a month long schedule of classes on different family history topics taught by many members of the community. Our attendance at the Rexburg FHC began to climb.

In the month of December we sponsored a nativity program, Nativities and Family Memories. We had over 100 different nativities that families were invited to come and view the first week of December. With each nativity the family had written why this nativity was special to the person donating it. We also had youth come and play the piano or violin. People could view a short  Christmas video and also look at different family history gifts that could be made during the following week.

January through April was filled with classes on family history from Ancestry to Find a Grave. We began to plan for a Rexburg Family History Conference  in March, 2013 at our center. We were able to find wonderful people to speak and teach. We had 300 people attend with classes in the Rexburg Tabernacle, Library Conference Room, our center, and Madison School District Offices. All of these were close around the center and easy to walk to. It was a great success.

You can imagine the number of hours that we spent at the center helping the staff feel comfortable, making sure the programs worked well and that the patrons felt welcome. It was more than a full time job. It was very rewarding and likewise very challenging, but we both loved the service.

We attended a family history Open House for Rigby, Idaho, and thought, we should do that for Rexburg, so we began to make plans for that to be held in October, 2013. We scheduled the old Madison High School and invited the public to bring items that showed how they taught family history in their homes. We had about 700 people attend the Family History Celebration on Saturday. We had the church wards donate homemade bread and jam and also a recipe from an ancestor. So on the day of celebration the community walked through a wide hallway where Family History Vendors showed them family history products that might be of benefit to them, then they entered the commons where they were met with red and white checkered tablecloths and warm bread, butter and homemade jam. Then if they wanted to taste an ancestors recipe they could. The next hallway brought them to 60 displays to view. It was a most amazing experience. Families came and stayed for hours visiting and getting excited about sharing family history in new ways.

We repeated the Harvest Experience with a few new twists, classes in October and then Nativity Around the World focusing on the culture of the British Isles, Sweden, Norway, and Africa.. We had hundreds again come in and view the nativities and learn about the different ways these countries celebrate Christmas.

When we were working with the Family History Celebration we were also working on a Regional Family History Conference to be scheduled at the new Madison High School March 15, 2014. Doug received much inspiration through out our service at the center and it usually came about 2:30 am. We would implement it and it would work. Then would come the next inspiration. In the summer we had approached the CEO of Family Search and asked if he would be our keynote speaker. He said he would be happy to, but it depended on how many people would be invited. When we finished the planning it would include the areas of Pocatello north to West Yellowstone and east to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Through many miracles, Dennis Brimhall was our key note speaker that day.  We had speakers from Utah and Idaho and when all was said and done we had 770 attend.

We concurrently held a conference for youth on Family History at BYU-Idaho with an attendance of 3,300 youth. We had started out planning the conference for youth to be held at a nearby stake center and planned on shuttling the speakers back and forth. Then we moved it to the Taylor Chapel on campus with a seating capacity of 1,000, then we outgrew that and added the overflow area which gave us another 400, then finally had it scheduled for the Hart Auditorium where it was filled to capacity. What a blessing for Rexburg and the youth that attended. It was the 2nd largest Family History Conference for youth.

Doug and I had felt we would like to serve another mission and had planned on going in the fall of 2014. We attended the Roots Tech Conference in SLC, Utah February 2014. As we visited the large vendor hall we visited with a couple serving as Family History missionaries, with the responsibility to get couples to serve in Family History.

We put our mission papers in in March and then began to wait to receive our call. After working 10-12 hour days on the conferences,  since January, we were looking forward to a release from the calling. We traveled to Florida to visit Josh, Robin and family for two weeks to get a little R&R and returned to work in the FH Center. While we were in Florida we received our mission call. We had a neighbor open our call letter and scan it and send it email to us. We were called to serve as family history specialists in Scotland/Ireland. We were officially released June 1, 2014. The new couple is going to be wonderful. Another answer to prayer.

During the month of June we traveled over 7,500 miles visiting family, friends, alive and dead. We visited many cemeteries! We met with  Doug's brothers and wives in Kirtland, Ohio for a wonderful Church History experience.

Before we knew it we were being set apart as full time missionaries and a new part of our life was just beginning.