Called to Serve

Welcome to our blog! We hope to share some of our experiences, thoughts and insights as we travel this grand adventure. We hope this blog is informative and entertaining, but more than that, we hope this blog increases your faith in Christ and moves you to more diligently seek and serve Him.  Lives and families built upon the the Rock of Christ will weather the storms of life that always come, will feel peace, and will qualify for life eternal when this life ends. We know God lives and that He loves us and everyone who lives or who has ever lived on this wonderful earth.  It is an honor and privilege to serve Him as full time missionaries. 

So let's get going! We have been called and set apart as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to serve as Area Medical Advisors in the South America Northwest Area.  This area includes the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,  Peru and Bolivia.  We are living in Lima, Peru, working from the Area offices there but helping care for the missionaries in all 5 countries.  Our mission started several months ago on February 7 when we entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.  But the grand adventure started several weeks before that. 

On a late October afternoon I was headed out of town to hunt elk when my phone went off.  The caller ID was "The Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" on the screen. That was unusual. I pulled over and on the phone was Elder Weatherford Clayton of the Seventy.  He introduced himself and said there was a wonderful missionary opportunity to serve in South America as an Area Medical Advisor in Lima, Peru coming up in February and would I be interested. For about 15 minutes he explained the role of an AMA - to be a resource for the mission presidents and a guardian of the young, full-time missionaries - to look after the health of our young Elders and Sisters. He asked if he could email me more information. 

That evening, Julie and I read with interest the email from Salt Lake explaining the missionary opportunity and what it would involve.  In the first lines of the introductory letter was the phrase, "we hope you are the answer to our prayers".  February was just 3 months away and they had no one to fill the need. 

In October of 2021, I was busily working at the Wayne Community Health Center and Julie was very happy working one or two days a week in a wound clinic in Mosquite, Nevada. At age 60 I had been looking to slow down but not retire. But we felt it was an invitation from the Lord.  Would we leave our nets and follow Him? As we considered our circumstances we recognized the Hand of the Lord in our lives in preparing us for this call.  Our personal and family affairs were such that we could serve.  Recent strategic changes at the Clinic had positioned things such that I could leave without undo disruption.  And having Bret Hilton, PA, return to Wayne Community Health Center was a blessing to us all.  As we prayed, we felt the calm reassurance that this was right.  And just like that, our lives took a totally new direction.