Sea, Surf & Service

What do we do as Senior Missionaries? This is a common question, and one that many people (including us!) have wondered and asked. The answer is - many things! We have filled our days with quite a few things. We mostly try to think "What good can we do today?" Lots of times in our regular lives at home, we want to do good things - but many things seem to get in the way of it. Now that we are full-time missionaries, we can dedicate more time to helping those who need help. Some of the things which we've done include:  Driving young missionaries all around - to appointments, to the grocery store, to church, etc.  They have bikes, but sometimes the distance is too far, and sometimes the rain prohibits them from biking. Also at times they were living too far away to make it to the church and to appointments, to the grocery store, etc.  Baking cakes Studying scriptures and conference talks  Taking loads of photos and sharing them with others Language(s) studies - both...

Welp, here I am again, trying to figure out how to catch up and keep up! We have been keeping so busy here in Bonaire, that it is hard for me to write anything on here/Facebook/Instagram when we are finally back home! I just tend to want to put my feet up and as Elder Ridd likes to say (and I hate to hear) - "take a load off!" Lately it has been quite a load, as my New Year's resolution of losing weight has been a losing battle for me thus far! But every day is a new day, and I guess I'm willing to take that challenge and trial to face/conquer versus other way-harder ones! What have we been up to? I will try to start on our recent 'stuff' and go backwards.  Every Tuesday we have an entire "Mission Devotional" via Zoom, and we Bonairean missionaries usually meet over at our little chapel in Nikiboko. We have prayers, updates, an inspirational message from one or 2 of the missionaries (young and/or senior missionaries) and also a "Spotlight" ...

Well, the day finally arrived! We were scheduled to report to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on November 7 at 9:30am. We packed up our things from the hotel and drove the 5 or so minute trip over to the MTC. We were given our keys and key cards, and packets for orientation. We went to a Meet and Greet where they had cookies and fruit, along with stations where we picked up more information from the booths.  We got our picture taken in front of the infamous world map, and we ran into President and Sister Pickerd! It was so fun to see some familiar and friendly faces. The Pickerds were Lukas's and Hanna's mission president and his wife/mother of the Italy Rome mission. They have been so supportive, and they even came to L + H's wedding in the Las Vegas temple, as well as to their reception and also to their wedding open house up in Midway! They are serving right now in the mission presidency (and Relief Society Presidency) of the MTC. We even had the privilege ...