Our Mission Begins

Sunday, August 15, 2010
We have completed our first week as official missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been a full week. I surprised myself on Friday afternoon when we came back to our apartment about 3:30PM and I was so tired I fell asleep! It was the middle of the afternoon and I was struggling to keep my eyes opened. Ed went out and walked again. He will be very happy when we get our assignment next week so we can set up an exercise schedule.

We began our mission on Friday, Aug 6th with a yummy luncheon in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). I was so excited to receive our name tags here. I feel so official! We met all the members of the Mission Presidency and their wives. We were seated at a "Texas Table". One of the Presidency are Elder and Sister Boye who are from San Antonio. Another missionary couple, Elder and Sister Wheeler are from Shilling, Texas by Amarillo. There is a Sister Missionary who is from College Station. We felt very proud that Texas was well represented in our group of 20 missionaries.

We also met our Branch President and his wife (who is the RS Pres.). They told us that the branch operates a little differently from other branches in that the missionaries do not receive callings per se, but the President will invite individuals (or you could volunteer) to teach a specific lesson or to play the piano/organ for a month, etc. Every couple will serve together as companions for home teaching. It was very fun to attend out first Sunday meetings and hear the congregation singing. Wow! There were a few people who had family visiting, but there were only 4-5 children in the entire congregation. It was very quite during the sacrament. Nice.

After the luncheon on Friday we had multiple pictures taken. I did not enjoy this part very much. Then we went back to the training room on the 3rd floor of the JSMB and met our trainers. Each of us is assigned and individual trainer. Ed and were assigned to a cute couple who are serving as missionaries from South Jordan, Utah. They drive in each day and attend their home ward. Sister Rogers is very sweet and Brother Rogers is a computer guy, perfect for Ed. We didn't do much in the way of training on our first Friday, but it was good to get started.

We were given the weekend to get our affairs in order and rest up for an intense week. We were very happy for this. We went shopping that evening and basically got everything we needed.

On Saturday we celebrated Autumn's birthday. She wanted to go to Tucano's for lunch. It is a Brazian restaurant we had never been to but she loves it. I think Ashley had introduced her to it. Fortunately it was close by our apartment. We invited my mother to join us and then we all went to our apartment so they could see it. We then played games and ate the fruit pizza I made for her since she doesn't like cake. It will be fun to be close to Autumn/Derrick and my mom and other family members while we are here.

Monday morning begins with a devotional meeting at 7:30AM. From there we go for instruction from the Presidency or for training at our computers. We have an hour for lunch. We have been shown around so we know how to get to the cafeteria in the Church Office Building (COB) where there is a wide variety of food available at very reasonable prices. We also have enjoyed having a cup of soup from the Nauvoo Cafe in the lobby of the JSMB. It is much easier on Ed because he has to wheel me everywhere.

Yes, I am in a wheechair for most of the time. Even though our apartment is just two blocks away I am not yet able to make the walk, but I am confident that I will be able to make it soon.
Things are getting better for me it seems each day. The 3 weeks of traction and the fact that the therapists in Houston showed Ed how to help get my hips realigned has made a big difference.
The new exercises they gave me to do have also helped, so I am encouraged. Ed is certainly ready to have me fixed! He doesn't mind pushing me around but he really doesn't like being responsible for fixing the meals in our little kitchen. I do what I can, but I can't stay on my feet standing very long yet. If I am walking I do much better, but standing is still very painful.
We are seeing a neurologist here tomorrow morning.

We have had a few adventures with the wheelchair. It seems that Ed isn't able to judge the door openings really well. He also doesn't have a great ability to watch for bumps....
Walking home one day we took the crosswalk in the middle of the block between temple square and the conference center. There is a significant dip for a gutter. We made it down the first and scraped the foot rests then crossed the street. Ed didn't learn from the scraping of the feet and charged ahead not noticing that there was another significant dip and a little lip on the street side. I saw it coming but only had time to put my feet down a little bit. The wheelchair hit the lip and stopped and I continued the forward motion. There were several people around us and Ed of course did his usual yell as he realized what was happening. I was airborn for a split second but my feet saved me and I fell back into the chair. I was so happy that I was able to stop myself before face planting on the sidewalk. It was very close.

Thursday last week we went for a tour of the new Church History Library. They described to us some of the work that is done there so we would have a little idea of the work done in that part of the mission. Some of us may be assigned there. I was so impressed with this facility. So much has been done and is continuing to be done. There are a lot more volunteers/missionaries needed.

Actually that is one thing we learned. In the last year the Church has seen a decline in the number of senior couples serving. I'm sure part of that has to do with the economy, but it has had an impact on the amount of work that is done.

We have enjoyed going around stores getting the things we need. We are supposed to wear our name tags wherever we go. We are not supposed to wear jeans anywhere except if we are working in a yard or exercising, etc. so we have had many people come up and start talking to us about our mission. Most are surprised when they find out we are from Texas and then they start telling us about their missions or other people they know who are serving or they say, "I really should be doing more research and family history work than I am doing."

This is the transition that I have felt this week. Each day we have been inspired regarding this work, both the genealogy and the family history. A sign in the training room reads something like this: Genealogy without the history is just mythology. We have heard over and over again about the importance of this work and the many individuals who are waiting for their work to be done. We have been counseled to make prayer, scripture study and journaling a more important part of each day so the Holy Ghost will be able to teach us, and guide us to the names and histories of those who are waiting for us to realize the blessings of the ordinances of the gospel.

One of the messages we received from our Mission Presidency is to keep the TV off. This was so funny to me. Ed had told me before we came that he wanted to get a TV. I told him that I didn't think we should be watching TV at all. (Ashley told him the same thing, "You should be focusing on your mission, Dad!") When we arrived at our apartment we found that the previous missionaries had left a TV. It was an old one and after getting it hooked up Ed said that he would want to get a better TV. Then when we heard this counsel from the presidency Ed slowly turned his head towards me and I just smiled. We haven't turned the TV on once during the week. I think we will not be spending money on a new TV anytime soon. Let me just say here, I love my husband dearly.

We have another full week of intense training this week. There is so much to learn. Each day I am so concerned about my ability to remember the new stuff that I was taught that day. There is so much! On Friday we will receive our permanent assignments. We have learned that the Family and Church History Mission has 22 zones where we could be assigned. On Friday, we will meet our zone leaders after getting our assignment and then we finish our training by going to the temple as a group; missionaries, Presidency and trainers. It will be a great way to finish our general training. The following Monday we will report to our assigned places and receive another week or two of training in our specific assignments. Stay tuned!