Dare We Go Tracting?

Kirk and I decided to jump right into the fray, swallow our apprehension, and go tracking our 2nd week on the mission. Since the Stake President asked us to concentrate our efforts in Veyo (and even transfer our records there), we chose the apartments by the Spanish Trails Store. I was pretty nervous, thinking we’d get yelled at or mashed potatoes spattered on us (like in Elder Holland’s 2014 conference talk).

Well guess what? I was right! (well not about the mashed potatoes). We parked our car across the street and walked up to the front of the apartments where a young man, and a "crusty" older man were taking a smoke break. When they noticed our missionary name tags, they didn’t even give us a chance to say anything before they lambasted us about the church, the general authorities getting rich off our tithing money, forcing our religion on others, corrupt church, corrupt governments, corrupt police officers, rude Utahns, and on and on. And to make matters scarier for me, Kirk turned to the young man and began a conversation with him, leaving me facing the more obnoxious accuser. But . . . . by the end of our visit, they became our best buddies, kept introducing us to other neighbors, and gave us suggestions on which people could use our message. It was fun! We talked with people in six different apartments and met a family who said they were interested in having their daughter baptized.

Kirk says they softened when the older man stopped as I put on my sunglasses and told me I looked like Jackie Kennedy. Hmmm . . . what do you think? I think he definitely had a few too many!!

Veyo is a little farming community about 1/2 way between our condo in St. George and our home in Pine Valley - about 20 minutes either way. It is called Volcano country, and is home to the Spanish Trails gas station (in the famous Horse Crazy movie that Kirk stars in for 20 seconds!), the famous roller rink above the Spanish Trails, lots of tractors, horses, cows, crawdads, and wild blackberries. 

Hangin' with the Sister Missionaries

We have the privilege of working with the young Sister Missionaries, Sister Pugmire from Las Vegas, and Sister Rizzo from Kenai, Alaska (yes Elder Smith is trying to wrangle a fishing trip after we are done). We are all assigned to work in the St. George North Stake. They have done an awesome job training us (still a work in progress) and we have loved spending time and learning from them. Part of our responsibilities as Senior Missionaries include being a support to the young Elders and Sisters as they are away from home and sometimes need a Mom, Dad, Grandpa or Grandma type to lean on. We know our sons, especially Mike in India, benefitted greatly from the love and attention of Senior Missionaries. Our time to pay it forward!

I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go

Kirk and I have planned on a mission pretty much ever since we got married. Neither of us went on a mission when we were young: girls didn't go much in my era, and Kirk joined the church at 19 and went right in the Army and to Viet Nam. But we always knew we would go together when we retired, and we knew we'd say "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" even though seniors can request anywhere. We pictured Samoa, or Africa, or Fiji — somewhere exotic. Well, aren't we the luckiest couple ever —— we got called to the Utah St. George Mission!!! Its one of the most exotic, beautiful, places in the world. Tourists come here from all over the world. The mission goes from Manti, south to Mesquite, Nevada, even to Grand Canyon Village, then east over to Moab. It has national parks galore: Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches. It has national monuments and state parks, and mountains and deserts.

We are doing a "Live-at-Home" Full Time Mission. Since Scott was diagnosed with M.S. three years ago (in addition to his challenges with high functioning autism), we knew we wouldn't be able to leave the area for a mission. What a blessing it is for us that we can serve full-time here.

Here's a Map of the area our Mission covers: