COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH: 

Since my last post, announcing our mission call to Europe Area, we have been preparing to leave. It seems that we are living in three dimensions of time: closing out our past work and church assignments, living out our lives in the present with family and friends, and trying to familiarize ourselves with the medical websites, information, and schedules that will soon assault us with entry into the Missionary Training Center and Frankfurt.
     Elaine has three days of work at the MTC remaining, after which she will retire from work. This is a major milestone in her life, as she has loved so dearly her work with the missionaries and staff at the MTC. Her position in the District Presidency Office has given her opportunities to talk with and influence young missionaries who are going through struggles. This has richly prepared her for this new assignment in mental health counseling for missionaries in the European field. Meanwhile, Stephen was released as Webelos Den Leader in the ward, and has been boning up on his mental health knowledge, reviewing the Church's medical/mental health website, and preparing spiritually for his role as the Area Mental Health Adviser to mission presidents. Elaine teaches her last primary class this Sunday. We both spoke in sacrament meeting on December 14th.
     We had a fun family gathering with most of our children/grandchildren during Thanksgiving, and will meet one more time on New Year's Day for one last council. Eighteen months is not a long time, but much can happen in that time. That unknown is the one difficult thing about serving so far away. Not that we could control the outcome of anything anyways, but being close at least allows some support in case of emergency. We have given our promise to the Lord that we would serve heart, mind, and strength, and that we would place our complete confidence in His willingness to watch over our loved ones while away. It is a little scary at our age and the age of our siblings to yield that trust for we have some who are frail and some who are failing in health. We don't know what will happen to them or us in the intervening 18 months of service. All we know is that we trust the Lord completely, and are willing to submit to His will.
     Already we have seen some tender mercies. My older brother's wife, Colleen, suddenly passed away on the 5th of December after eleven years of significant suffering, allowing us to be here for her funeral and to support Howard. Just a week later, Elaine's sister's husband, David Baker, suddenly died. David had been seriously ill for a long time, and we assumed that both he and my brother's wife might pass away while we were gone. This timing allowed us to say our goodbyes and have closure before leaving. They say death comes in threes, so we wondered who the last would be. It turned out to be our daughter, Melanie's, dog Harley. At least, that is it for the present.
     On Sunday, 4 January we will be set apart for our mission by President Allen C. Ostergar, our stake president. He set us apart for our first mission to Honolulu, Hawaii in 2007. The following day, we enter the Provo MTC for a week of Preach My Gospel training. The following week we receive four days of medical training in Salt Lake City. On Monday, 19 January, we fly for Deutschland! From the schedule shared with us by those who we are replacing at area headquarters, we will quickly be in the saddle of evaluating missionaries, contacting and introducing ourselves to the several mission presidents with whom we are to work, and to begin the remarkable work of helping in the work. It has been 47 years since I returned from my mission in Berlin and North Germany. I so look forward to returning.