Our Mission Call

After a 5 week wait, our Mission call came on June 7, 2013. Many family members gathered around and those that live a distance were waiting via phone to hear as we opened our call. It is an exciting time when you think that you could be assigned to anywhere in the world. Our hearts skipped a beat when we read Montana Billings Mission and that we were to report Sept. 2, 2013. The Mission covers all the state of Montana and about a third of Wyoming down as far south as Lander and Riverton. A couple of week after our call came, we received a phone call from the Mission President Mecham. He told me that he had reviewed our application and thought we were the perfect couple to be given a new assignment. He asked if I was ready to be a pioneer. He said that a committee had been formed among the brethren in Salt Lake of which Elder Hales and Andersen were part of it, and they reported to Pres. Boyd K. Packer. There has been 3 or 4 areas in the United States identified that needs to have a special effort in bringing the Native American Indians some hope. He said they are in a dark place and need light brought into their lives. He said that we would be assigned to work in the very Northeast part of the state on Montana. We would live in Poplar but would also work in Wolf Point and perhaps Frazier. These communities are on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation where Sioux and Assiniboine Indians live. It would be not an entirely white shirt mission and would be the first humanitarian type mission in the United State. All other humanitarian efforts are out of this country.

Much of the summer was spent preparing to leave a 160 acre farm and our home. Richard had much to do keeping crops watered and repairing and updating the irrigation system so that it would be easier for someone else to run the wheel lines and pivot. Cleone tried to go through every room organizing, discarding and packing what she hoped would fit in the car. We did get us a more suitable vehicle for winters in Montana, a 2004 Honda Pilot. Things were going along on schedule then about 2 weeks before we were to leave our pivot crashed. An electrician had made adjustments so that the safety switches did not activate and stop the pivot from walking when it got out of alignment. That disaster caused a bit of panic to get dismantled, repaired and operation again before we were to leave. We were blessed and thanks to the aid of family and others, a functioning upright pivot was a reality. Later in the summer our MTC entry date was changed to September 9, 2013. Besides doing the "Preach My Gospel" training we were asked to stay another week and also do Humanitarian training which is only offered once a month. I commented that you always wish you had just one more week before some big event, well we got it.

FHE and Going Away Party

Many of our family gathered for a last Family Home Evening and "Send-Off party" on September 2, 2013. After a song and prayer, we took the opportunity to explain in simple terms for the benefit of the young grandchildren what we we might be doing on our mission, and that is helping people with problems like alcohol, drugs and family problems in the little city of Poplar, Montana.  

Ella leads us in a song.

Many listening ears.

In the back yard we enjoyed fun activites organized and conducted by Sheri. It was the guys against the gals. We played a Missionary Taboo Word guessing game, then we tried to arrange, in chronological order, Gospel Art posters of the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, followed by the game "Name that Tune" sung in la,la,la,la fashion of the Primary songs.

What a pleasant time it was being with our wonderful family.

It was the guys against the gals.

Everyone got a turn.

Young and old had a great time.