Preparations to be Missionaries in Africa

Let's start with immunizations.  Let's see ...there is diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitits A & B, polio, yellow fever, meningialcoccal meningitis, typhoid, and malaria.  We kind of felt like pin cushions, which would have been fine but Craig actually got hepatitis from that vaccination.  It was scary, long lasting and no fun at all. 
Secondly, we needed to send over in containers the products that you cannot get it Africa for our personal use.  When Craig picked up an overly heavy one, he herniated a disc in his low back after having rapidly moving out all of the things from our home of 17 years and ...just before we had to move into our new home.  Guess who couldn't lift let alone walk?
Thankfully, our son, Michael was able to give him excellent care!

Thirdly, we needed to get instruction from those who have been to the D.R. Congo, so we were blessed to have lunch with the Livingstones, Hendersons, Coxes and those who will be accompanying us...the Packers and the Giles. They gave us priceless insights!

Fourthly, we have had the opportunity to attend the Swahili Branch in downtown  to meet and get family referrals of those native africans who are from the areas we will be going.

Next,  we needed to buy all the things we need to pack and take with us. Wow!  We certainly have alot to put into our suitcases with limited sizes and limited poundage.  Wish us luck!

This past week, we attended the Preach My Gospel instruction at the Missionary Training Center.  What a marvelous experience to be with 40 other senior couples who are going all over the world to spread this message of truth! This coming week we will be trained to set up a new mission office in the D.R. Congo Lubumbashi Mission.

We also were able to be in Pres. B.K.Packer's office as he set apart our new Mission President, who happens to be his nephew. We count our many blessings at this time that "the opposition in all things" principle was observed and learned from. (Hebrew 11:40 JST)

Home Sweet Home

Happily, we own a new home!  It took us many months and we had a hard working angel as our realtor and dear friends that helped us with the mortgage and title.  We will be moving in this week which will be a great blessing to us. Unpacking will probably be minimal.  Alot may stay packed.  Luckily, we won't have to leave it empty because we will have wonderful children living in it and caring for it.  We hope this will bless their lives, as well.
It has been a very interesting experience going through soooo much in such a small time period, but we have felt the love of our Father in Heaven all the way through it.  Things have not been easy.  "Opposition in ALL things" is a true principle. We are also very thankful for so many wonderful family members and friends who have generously blessed our lives. 

Officially Called

Well the call is now official as we have received our letter from the Prophet. Before the letter came, in response to our submitting papers indicating our willingness to serve, we had been called by the mission president of the new DRC Congo Mission. He called us to accompany him into the new country and help set up the mission home. Then after everything is in place we will be sent to another country to establish the church amongst thousands, who, like those in Nigeria and Ghana some 15 or 20 years ago also petitioned for membership.  After reading the Book of Mormon, organizing into congregations and then wanting authority and the fulness of the restored gospel these faithful saints-to-be recognized that they needed divine authority.  We will be leaving sometime in June, still being set, to respond to these new petitions in a new country to a people who hear and recognize the shepherds voice.  There is much more to tell but some of that will have to be orally as we speak in Sacrament meeting May 23rd in the Dimple Dell ward in Sandy on 17th east and about 107th south at 11:00am.

While Waiting

We moved from our home of 17 years with the blessed help of our family, wonderful ward members and friends on April 9, 2010 for reasons we did not know. The Martins, our dear friends have generously allowed us to stay in their beautiful studio apartment while awaiting our new home in Draper to be ready. We have submitted our mission papers.  We are in the throws of learning and renewing french skills, vaccinations, preparing supplies to be sent to sustain us in the next two years of our lives in a new land. Our adventures are just beginning.

             

Waiting and wondering

We still await the official notice of our new adventure. We have lived through a shower of whispered puzzle pieces for nine months wondering what each was all about. But the puzzle seems about to assemble...stay tuned.