History of our mission

There's a long background to our being able to serve a mission for our church for the next year (maybe a year and a half). I (Lorraine) was able to serve a mission to the Switzerland Geneva Mission in the early 1970s. I loved that year and a half for the opportunities I had to get to know a lot of special people and to teach a few of them.

When Johnie and I were dating about six years later, someone expressed an assumption that he certainly wouldn't have any more children since he was almost finished raising his first set of children. His response went a long way toward convincing me that he was indeed the right person for me: "Most of the valuable things I have learned in life I learned from my children. Why wouldn't I want to have more?" Of course, I'm sure there have been those days since when he has wondered about that stance. But I was and am still grateful that he was willing to go down that road again.

Just like raising children, a mission has its peaks and valleys. And yet we have yearned for the opportunity to serve through all the years of our marriage. We weren't quite sure how it was all going to come about, but we kept hoping. And the miraculous forces combined to make it possible. So we started preparations about a year ago.

Our application went in to Salt Lake on the evening of February 10. They said the usual turnaround time was two to three weeks. But looking back, we realized that might have been back in the old days before the huge influx of missionaries subsequent to the announcement of the lowered ages for the "junior" missionaries. That didn't help us lower our anxieties much as the days came and went with no "big white envelope" in the mailbox.

However, on Saturday, March 9, Johnie (who had been assigned to get the mail until it came so he would have the experience of seeing it first) returned from the mailbox trek bearing the long-anticipated missive. When opened, it indicated that we had been called as member and leader support missionaries in the Washington Tacoma Mission, to report to the Missionary Training Center on May 6. Way back then, it seemed like a long time. Now, with less than three weeks left before our departure date (the morning of April 30), it seems pretty short.

We are so grateful for family and friends who have shared in our excitement. So many have rallied around us and made it possible for us to leave our home in good hands. Even more, we are grateful to our Father in heaven who is giving us the privilege of serving His children full time for a year.

And one of the coolest things about being able to serve as senior missionaries is that we don't have to wonder who our companion will be! :-}

Anyway, stay tuned. We'll try to update the page as newsworthy events take place. Come and visit whenever you wish. Always enjoy hearing back from you and will be glad to answer any questions.