Making Mission Memories in Mongolia

 Happy Mother’s Day! This marks the first holiday we have missed twice while serving our mission. One of the biggest adjustments for me has been being away from the everyday moments that come with being a mother, grandmother, and daughter. I miss grandma days, grandkid parties, baseball, football, and soccer games, dance recitals, volunteering in classrooms, first days of school, helping babysit when needed, hosting family gatherings, helping my mom care for my dad, troubleshooting technology problems for our mothers, and simply being there for all the little moments that make up family life. At the same time, one of the greatest blessings has been watching our family step up in such beautiful ways. I have loved seeing my daughters—the ones who made me a mother—carry on family traditions and gatherings despite their already busy schedules. It has been wonderful to watch them be such incredible mothers themselves, as well as making time to take their grandmas to lunch, helping with ...

 We’re back in Mongolia! Our journey from Palau to Ulaanbaatar began with a 2:00 a.m. flight to Guam. We arrived at 5:00 a.m. and faced a seven-hour layover—but this time it passed quickly thanks to breakfast with dear friends in Guam. While we waited for them at the airport, President and Sister Williams surprised us with one last visit. It meant so much that they would take time out of their busy schedules—especially so early in the morning—to come say goodbye. We will truly miss working with them and all of our Micronesia Guam friends. Around noon, we boarded our flight to Tokyo, arriving at about 4:00 p.m., where we stayed overnight before continuing on to Ulaanbaatar the next day. As we headed to clear customs, a news crew stopped us and asked if we would be interviewed for a show called “Why Did You Come to Japan?” We assumed they wouldn’t be interested once they learned we were only there for a short layover—but they kept asking questions! They were especially curious abou...

 This week started with a bang. On Monday, we had the opportunity to participate in the President of Palau’s weekly devotional. It was an honor to share music and spoken words with the Honorable Surangel Whipps, Jr., President of the Republic of Palau. The young missionaries worked hard to learn hymns in Palauan and did a beautiful job singing in their native tongue. J.D. shared thoughts from the Sermon on the Mount, connecting its message to the responsibility of public servants to be the salt of the earth and a light to the people. It was an inspiring experience and a special opportunity to share both our beliefs and our talents with the president.  We were honored that he took video of the entire devotional and then posted it on his personal Facebook page! CLICK HERE to watch the full devotional.     We wrote a story for the Micronesia/Guam Newsroom ( Click Here to Read)  about the unique experience and have since seen it circulating on Social Media on ...

Super Typhoon Sinlaku truly lived up to its reputation. Although its path shifted enough to spare Guam a direct hit, the island still endured 70–90 mph winds for nearly 48 hours. The damage has been significant, and even a week later, many residents—including our senior missionary friends—remain without water and power. Saipan, another island within the mission, was less fortunate and took a direct hit. With sustained winds exceeding 120 mph for 48–72 hours, the impact has been severe. We are grateful our missionaries there are safe, but there is a tremendous amount of cleanup ahead. Pictures I am sure don't do it justice and it’s difficult to fully comprehend what so many are experiencing, but Sister Snyder, a senior missionary on Chuuk, expressed it in a way that deeply resonated with us. She shared how these past days of washing clothes in a bucket, not having water to even flush a toilet, and no power, have given her a new perspective and a deeper empathy for the Chuukese peopl...

We are back in Palau! After a second week of training with the Adams, the time quickly came to turn over the office responsibilities and return to finish our work here. Our time in Guam was brief, but meaningful—we made dear friends and are truly grateful our paths crossed, even for such a short season. All of the senior missionary couples serving on Guam went to Ice Una, a Taiwanese Snow Ice Cafe on Guam.  It was very unique and delicious!  We loved getting to know each couple!  Our office compatriots, the Dungans.  It was a pleasure spending our days with them!  Sister Moessing, our office helper, gave us a sweet little note.  We enjoyed working with her and appreciated her help and sense of humor!  Our timing in leaving feels especially tender. Typhoon Sinlaku is now heading toward Guam and is expected to arrive Monday night into Tuesday. One of our final tasks in the office was to send an email to the missionaries’ parents, keeping them informed ab...