Our Missionary "Farewell"

We don't have missionary farewells in the Church any more, but our bishopric did ask Beverly and me to speak in church, two weeks and one day before we enter the MTC on October 13, 2008. (We couldn't speak next week because of General Conference nor the following week because of Fast Sunday.)

In Beverly's talk, she related experiences that have inspired her to want to go on a mission to Latin America. She told about our experience ten years ago in Cancun, Mexico, where we met several members of the Church and attended a conference in which President Hinckley spoke. She also talked about our humanitarian trip to Peru eight years ago. Then she mentioned her patriarchal blessing, which said she would be a missionary abroad, and her experience in the temple recently where she had special feelings about our going to Peru, even though at that point we didn't think we'd be able to go to Peru.

In my talk, I focused on the gift of tongues, and mentioned the common interpretation---a gift to speak in a foreign language. However, the most important meaning concerns the ability to talk with a new tongue, even the tongue of angels, in bearing testimony and bringing others to Christ. It's that gift of tongues that I want for Beverly and me in Peru as much as the gift to be able to speak in Spanish.

Here I am with my aged mother, who (thanks to kind help from my sister-in-law) was able to come to our farewell.


Here Beverly and I are accompanied by three of our seventeen grandchildren (Todd, Alec, and Kenna).