We are called to the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission

The letter arrived today with our mission assignment.  We wanted all our children to be around so we decided to meet at Jared's home.  Jared's family and Ashley was there. Christian was at work but on the phone, Jason and his family skyped in, Allison was also on the phone from work and Gary was at home on the phone.  We were so surprised. That wasn't even on our radar.  We got to see what the mission home looked like and where we would live.  I learned that Wisconsin has a heavy German influence.  We also learned they have very cold winters. What an adventure we are about to begin.

Our First Letter Arrives

What a unique day.  We rose early to attend the Court and Clergy Conference at the Congregation B'nai Israel in downtown Sacramento. This conference brings together many religions together to discuss conflicts between religious beliefs and the law.  The reason we were invited was that they needed monitors and Jack was asked to help.  The best part was that the afternoon speaker was Elder Dallin Oaks. He spoke and answered some difficult questions posed to him. He was wonderful!

After the conference we hurried home so that I could get dinner ready for the missionaries, Elder Wingard and Elder Miller.  Just before they arrived I opened the door to let out our cat, Bebe.  On our doorstep was a box and a FedEx envelope. I prayed it was from Salt Lake City, which it was.  Jack arrived home soon and we opened the envelope. It was the official letter from the First Presidency calling us to serve. In the box were two mission president handbooks, 2 Preach My Gospel manuals, General Handbook #1 and #2, and two missionary handbooks (the little white books). We were not to tell family, until this official letter arrived.

Our Mission Call

Exactly three weeks after our call from Elder Cook's secretary, another call came on Jack's phone.  He had left his phone in the house while he went out to the back yard to pick pomegranates from our tree.  I was visiting with Ashley in the kitchen when I heard Jack's phone and looked to see who had called. Recognizing the area code, I quickly told Jack and he went upstairs to return the phone call.  Later Ashley told me she knew something was going on because of the way were were acting but didn't know what.  This call was from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's secretary.  A teleconference appointment was arranged for Wednesday, October 14th.  At 9:50 President Uchtdorf appeared on our computer. He was in his office and we were at Jack's business office so that we wouldn't be interrupted.  President Uchtdorf was very cordial. He officially extended the call of mission president to Jack and to me as his companion.  He also told us there were no German speaking missions open and that it would be in an English speaking mission. When Jack shared some cities in Germany where he had served, President Uchtdorf remarked that his accent was very good.  He also said to not share the call with family for two weeks and no one else until the current mission president was informed

.  He advised us to begin studying Preach My Gospel.  Then study it again because things that weren't apparent will surface as we study it again. He asked Jack to close in prayer. It was such a wonderful experience.

How it began..

It all began on a Monday. The morning of September 21, 2015. A call came in on Jack's cell phone from Elder Quentin L. Cook's secretary, Donna. She arranged for us to receive a call from Elder Cook the next day. After some technical support on setting up a teleconference we met with this wonderful apostle at 11:30 am.  He was very friendly and explained that this was an exploratory interview to see if we would be a candidate for a position such as a mission president. After several questions regarding our family, our finances and work obligations, he explained that we would be placed on a list of possible candidates but that it wasn't a certainty and to go about our lives as if nothing had happened.  Elder Cook explained that the church leaders were busy getting ready for General Conference so if we were contacted it would not happen until the middle of October.