Friday, March 21, 2014

Angels in Chile

It is our privilege and blessing to serve with the very best senior couples in the world. We feel so lucky to serve with them and can't imagine doing this without them. The following is from an article in the Deseret News -
"Make no mistake about it, Elder Holland said. Senior missionaries do mean a lot to the LDS Church's overall missionary effort.
"It's almost impossible to say how much these couples mean to the work," he said. "Every mission president in the church wishes he had more of them."
"The couples report to the field with strength that the young single missionaries do not have due primarily to age, experience and maturity in the gospel...The only problem was," he added, "we didn't have enough of them."

Elder Holland remembered a time during his service in Chile when the parent of one of the Chilean missionaries died. The mission president was far enough away that he couldn't get to the missionary quickly.
"But there was a sweet older missionary couple serving in the area. They came and sat with that missionary and tenderly cared for and comforted him until the mission president could make personal contact," Elder Holland recalled. "We had great young missionaries in our missions, but no young single missionary could have done for that elder what that couple was able to do."
Similarly, senior couples are often "literally an answer to prayer" for bishops and branch presidents in the areas to which they are assigned.

"Our numbers are small in many areas of the world, and our local leaders are relatively new to the church and somewhat inexperienced," Elder Holland said. "Can you imagine what it means to a branch president who has only been a member of the church for a few years to have ready access to veteran church members who have served as bishops and high councilors and auxiliary presidents and teachers? The value of that resource is absolutely incalculable".

We are losing several of our senior couples soon. We will miss them. They have become our friends as we have served together.

Chile Concepcion Senior Couples - February 2014
Back Row, left to right: The Moras - they are from Chile and are serving in a little Branch as Member Leadership Support missionaries. This is the second branch they have served in. They have helped to reactivate several families and were able to help some families prepare to go to the temple and be sealed. They will complete their mission in June. The Herreras - They are also serving as MLS missionaries in a small branch. They are working wonders by visiting the less actives and inviting them back. They are here until September. The Baldens - They are medical missionaries and she serves as the nurse for our mission and the Chile Concepcion South Mission. Elder Balden also helps with the mission finances. If they weren't here I would have to take care of all the medical issues. Yikes! The Kenningtons - They are assigned to our mission but we don't get to see them as often as we like. They are working with the Perpetual Education Funds.
The Kauers - They are our new office couple. We are SO grateful to have them here. They have so much faith.
The Scholes - They are working with a branch as MLS missionaries. Elder Scholes is retired CES and is also teaching our missionaries teaching skills. Elder Scholes and Elder Pulsipher were missionary companions in Chile 45 years ago!
The Kimballs - They were our Office Couple until a few weeks ago. They served well and faithfully for 18 months. We love them and miss them.Front Row: The Pulsiphers - Elder and Sister Pulsipher have accomplished miracles during their time in Chile. They have worked with a government list to find the addresses of all the members of the church in Chile. Many are less active and now we can find them and invite them back. Elder Pulsipher is also serving as a counselor in the Mission Presidency. Sadly, the Pulsiphers will be returning home on Monday. Sister Pulsipher is an amazing cook and all of the missionaries here will miss her. The Fuentes - although they are not serving as Senior Missionaries yet, President Fuentes is serving as a counselor in the Mission Presidency. He has been working with our branches and districts and is takes such a load off of Kent.

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