It all started in March 2017

John and I were sitting in church one Sunday listening to a missionary couple as they talked about leaving on their mission. You have to know that ever since we returned from Romania we have wanted to serve another mission. However, with my eye problems the doctor has never given us the go ahead until earlier this year. That day, when we asked him for probably the 50th time, he finally agreed that we could go as long as it was to a country with good medical care! We thanked him and decided that we would know when the time was right for us.

That Sunday afternoon as we listened to this couple speak, suddenly we were both struck with a powerful feeling that now is the time. We looked at each other at exactly the same moment.

“Did you feel that?” John asked me.

“Yes! It’s time.” I said.  We both knew that no matter what was going on in our lives, it was now time to put our papers in. The spirit was very powerful and both of us were surprised, but recognized that now was the time.

We went to see the bishop the next week and started the process of filling out the paper work, doing our medical check ups and trying to figure out our finances and other things you need to do to actually leave home and family for another year or two!

We got our mission call the second week of July. Our kids were all excited for us to open it. To make it a special occasion we went to dinner at Sundance and while waiting for our food one of the kids insisted that everyone take a guess at where we would be going. They guessed places all over the world. I was the last one and I said, “Pocatello, Idaho.”

“No, you can’t guess that. Now give us a better one.”

“Okay, New Zealand”, I said.

John had handed our daughter, Nikki, the letter to read to us and right after I gave my guess she started reading. When she read that our call was to the New Zealand Auckland mission everyone was stunned. Me most of all!

Was that revelation? Not really but they thought I had been struck with some marvelous insight and we had great fun with that!

Life got pretty hectic after that! Getting ready for a mission is a big job and now we had to work on getting visas and making plans for our home and a million other little details!

Photo: After our dinner with Nikki and her husband Bart; Brandon and his wife Emilie; Curtis and his wife Giovana, and Hannah, our granddaughter. We missed the other kids but this was a special night for all who could be there!