MISSION CALL TO FRANKFURT, GERMANY

SUMMONS OF A TRUMPET: Once again the trumpet has summoned us to the work. Last Thursday we received a mission call signed by President Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, calling us to serve as Area Mental Health Advisers to the Europe Area. The Europe Area, shown on the map below in blue, is fairly extensive, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, British Isles, Netherlands, Denmark (including Iceland and Greenland), Norway, Sweden, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, and Poland. It DOES NOT include countries of eastern Europe, such as Russia, Baltics, Belarus, Finland, Ukraine, etc.

We will be located at the Area Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. Most of our work will be as consultants to mission presidents throughout the Europe Area, regarding missionary mental health. Elaine may have some added assignments, but Stephen will be preoccupied with counseling those fine young missionaries who struggle with discouragement, depression, anxiety, adjustment, and other maladies exacerbated by their mission circumstances. We are there to help them and to advise mission presidents on what treatment or help should be given.



We enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo on Monday, 5 January 2015, and are slated to serve for 18 months. We look forward to this assignment. Stephen served a mission in Berlin, Germany in 1965-67, and is looking forward to trying to recapture some of his German language. We served a mission as student psychological counselors at BYU-Hawaii (Honolulu Mission) in 2007-2009. Stephen has been a psychological and addictions counselor for about 20 years, so, this seems to utilize his skills well. We also served in branch presidencies at the Missionary Training Center and in BYU stake and wards, preparing young students for mission calls. We love young missionaries and the work of spreading the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

We hope that you will follow along with us in our adventure. We will keep regular postings on this blog with pictures and updates.