PreWeek in Utah

On Saturday, September 23rd we packed up our lives in two suitcases and a carryon each. Ready to go for the next 18 months. Lots of hopes, dreams and emotions as we left home to spend the weekend at my parents home and enjoy the company of my siblings and their spouses.

Monday September 25th we left Cherokee, IA for Sioux Falls, SD to be set apart as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assigned to Paraguay. Before meeting up with the stake president ( our regional ecclesiastical leader) we treated our chauffeurs to some excellent Mediterranean food at Saana's.

The blessings we received were so beautiful and comforting for the job ahead. Many great things await us.

We spent the night at the hotel that connects to the airport lobby as we had to be there early for our 5 am flight. We liked our flights on Delta and actually flew back over Marshall on our way to Minneapolis for our connection to Salt Lake City.

Our first order of business was to go and visit Ken's cousin (once removed) and her husband. It was such a delight to talk with them and hear their mission stories. They made a big breakfast for us and really got us excited to do great things. (We took photos but haven't gotten them from the Goodriches yet so we will have to post them later)We also learned that Ken's mom had been quite an athlete and specifically a good basketball player.

We are so grateful for our dear friends Mike and Lyn McCracken who are not only renting a room to Carter while he attends BYU but let us use them as home base for the week. They are good friends and we loved being with them.

Wednesday took us to Cedar City where we enjoyed lunch with a mission buddy of Chris's who is such an example of faith and grit. She drove up from her mission in St George to have lunch. We laughed and loved and lifted each other. It was amazing.

Our main purpose for heading to Cedar City was to participate in the sealing ordinance at the temple of another of Ken's cousins, Sandi. We believe that through priesthood power (the power of God given to mankind) a sealing ordinance can be performed that allows that marriage and family to be together through all eternity and not just until death. It was beautiful to be a part of helping families be forever. We love to be in the temple. And Sandi's daughter Stacia gave us goodies for our trip home that were fantastic.

The last stop in Cedar City was a short ice cream treat with the Pratts. We knew them from our Davenport IA days when Carol and I served together in the stake Relief Society. It was so fun to catch up, laugh and learn from them about keeping families together.

We laughed on the way home to Springville that Cedar City was three hours away, just a normal temple trip in the Midwest.

Thursday we didn't get any pictures of the Provo City Center temple but were able to enjoy an endowment session there with Lyn before heading out to Japanese food with Marcy and Ramon. Marcy was one of Chris's mission companions in North Carolina. In this pictures we were on our third course of the dinner, ice cream. 

Friday we walked to Walgreens for Ken's final Hep A shot and prepped for General Conference weekend. We always like to share some homemade pico and guacamole and make nachos with the McCrackens so they invite us back. We also made chili which has been a Myers/McCracken conference tradition dating back to the early 1990's.

We were able to attend the Sunday afternoon session at the conference center. It was the first time that both of us had ever been in person. Carter was able to bump into some of the missionaries from his mission too as we were walking from the TRAX. 

If you want to be uplifted by the Lord's prophets and apostles click here to watch or listen to them. Usually by Tuesday after conference there are also transcripts. So many wonderful ways to improve our devotion to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

 Tomorrow we head off to the Mission Training Center to begin our adventure. We want to thank all who have helped support us with texts, emails, Zoom calls, meals, ice cream, a place to lay our heads, donations to our mission fund, memories of Paraguay and loving encouragement. It means a lot to know we are loved. We will do our best to carry that love to the people of Paraguay.