Our Assignment

Last Friday all the missionaries in our group and our trainers were all very excited for us to receive our assignments. First we had our daily devotional, then we had about 30 min. of final one on one training in the Training Zone and then we went downstairs and were treated to fresh homemade bread and jam that our trainers made for us. After that we went into the chapel (in the JSMB) for what is called the "Go Forth" meeting. We all sat with our trainers, who were just as anxious as we were. Ed and I had to laugh at the opening song, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go"! The Presidency did tell us that it was chosen by design.

We had a talk by one of the Councilors in the Mission Presidency and then the Mission President stood up and spoke. He told us that many of us would be receiving our assignments and not have any idea what we would be doing. With 22 zones in this mission and what little we have learned we can certainly understand that. Coming to this mission is definitely not a guarantee that you will be in the Library helping patrons find their ancestors. There is so much that is being done. I had no idea. So, after preping is all with that comment, her proceeded to call out our names and giving the zone name and introducing the Zone Leader. When our names were called he said, "Ed and Nora Moulder to the Historical Families Reconstitution Zone" . I looked at my trainer and said, "What is that?!" She told me a little and then at the end of the meeting we met our Zone Leaders, Elder and Sister Cook. I had met Sister Cook in the choirs already. She is very excited that I will be in her zone. Her husband was very nice and knew that we would have lots of questions so he tried to explain as simply as he could what we would be doing. This is all I have so far: We will be handling old records that have become available to the Church from places mostly in Europe before 1500 and making them ready to be available to the public. This zone used to be called the Medieval Zone, but it has expanded a lot so they changed the name. I know there are some missionaries there who are working exclusively on records from the Pacific Islands, natives who know the language.

Sorry, but until we get trained this week, I really have no idea what we will be doing. I do know that we are housed in a secured (locked) room in the basement of the Family History Library. We do not work with patrons. I don't think patrons are allowed in the room because you have to have clearance to enter although there is a doorbell, so I don't know what that means. I do know that we have a lot of flexibility in our zone and that the number of missionaries where we are is very small. Next week I will be able to give a lot more details I think. All missionaries had to sign consent documents that we will not disclosure any sacred or personal information outside our zones. I don't think that is ours. Mostly that is about personal diaries of the prophets and general authorities that are in the Church History Library or the Headquarters Zone where very personal information is handled. I think I will at least be able to tell you what I am working on that will be going public! Anyway, more next week.

We only had a few minutes with the Zone Leaders and then the missionaries, trainers and some of the Presidency walked over to the 11:00 Endowment Session at the SL Temple. Since my mom is an ordinance worker at the temple on Friday she arranged to be on that session and she was able to help me with my wheelchair. I told her I thought I could walk, but it probably was a good thing that I had the chair rather than doing all the standing and going up stairs in this temple. However, I did have a little scare in the wheelchair which I won't go into but needless to say I am getting out of that chair as quickly as possible!!!

Along that note, Ed and I joined the County Park sports facility up by the U of U campus. It is very nice and I was able to get on a recumbent cross trainer and work out for the first time in a long time. It felt very good and I am doing very well today. I have my first physical therapy session here on Tuesday so I am very hopeful that I will be walking normally before long. Ed hasn't had to align my legs for almost a week now and I can tell with the decrease of pain that the hips are in better alignment. I am being very diligent with my home exercises twice a day.

The weather here has been beautiful for us with Ed pushing me around from our apt to the JSMB each day. The Library is even closer, but returning from Church today we started to get sprinkled on before we got home. Ed tried to break into a run for the last block, but the wheelchair just isn't built for that and I was so nervous......it felt like the wheels were going to fall off they were shaking so hard. To him it felt like I was applying the breaks and he kept saying, "don't do that!" I didn't know what "that" was because I was afraid of another face planting and at high speeds! Finally I communicated to him that he couldn't go that fast and he realized it was the chair telling him to stop, not me. We didn't get too wet and the storm held off until we were safely in our apartment. I just need to get well enough to walk on my own!!

I appreciate your comments and emails and appreciate your support. We feel so grateful that we are able to be here. I had no idea it would be this amazing. I hope everyone has an opportunity to do this.