Knowing Where You're Going

The long-awaited "call" came Thursday May 18th to our "permanent" post office box in Layton, Utah.  It was the busiest time of Kay's 20-year teaching career, with two weeks left to wrap up the school year before retirement and our big family trip.  Only two weeks earlier, we had moved to Farr West after quickly selling our frontier home.  Potentially overwhelming!

Our agreement was to open the letter alone together, so we could process it privately as a senior couple before sharing the news.  After school, having parked at the LDS temple by our former home in Ogden, we opened the large envelope and read our assignment to serve in the ... (braced on edge of car seats, eyes focused with anticipation) ... 
Michigan Detroit Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
for 23 months.

It took some time for the location to sink in.  (Not Alaska or Argentina, Pennsylvania or Prince Edward Island.)  The "member and leader support" assignment was especially exciting.  What's more, we get to be full-time companions throughout our mission, and we'll be just across the river from Kay's dear Canada!  Gratefully, we had each other for discussion in solitude.  Immediate feedback from family & friends was positive -- first a text and cheerful phone call from our son Spencer, a bishop who has enjoyed recent business trips there and loved the big city and beauties of Michigan.  That spelled relief.

Such a peaceful setting for accepting a somewhat scary calling ... to live and work in central Detroit?  We thought about it and later pondered with the aid of comfort food at Kneaders Cafe.  That night, our acceptance online was short and sweet.

Kay & I trust that we will be needed in Michigan, and will love the people as we love the Lord. That is exciting!  In fact, the mission secretary called us a week or so later and asked if we would help in the office for the first month or two.  (Computers, etc.)

After years of planning for a mission together, it's great to know where we are going.  As on a flight or road trip with a map or GPS, it's important in life to know your destination.  Where would you choose to go?

leaving Santa Fe B&B 15 June 2017 – just the two of us