THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME IS HERE!!!

I think the following 3 photos are the only photos I've posted on this blog that I did not personally take, but this is a 'visual' blog so I need you to see what I see in my dreams and will soon become a reality:

My husband and I will have the privilege and opportunity to spend 18 months in beautiful New Zealand and the Islands of the Pacific.  To be specific, we will be representing our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as Public Affairs Specialists in the Pacific Islands International Public Affairs Mission.  Our home base with be in Auckland, New Zealand, but we anticipate spending most of the 18 months traveling and meeting people throughout this area.  We do not yet know the extent or scope of our responsibilities, but we do know our primary mission will be to make friends and relationships with the people in these areas in an effort to foster mutual respect and discover ways we can serve and contribute in their communities.  Our backgrounds have given us experience in public relations, and we will also receive training before we leave.   And we will be leaving on April 11!!  Not very much time to get our affairs in order before leaving for a year and a half!!  We are both thrilled and terrified at the same time, but mostly thrilled!  

Our days will be spent serving the people in the areas we are sent and this will be our focus and work, not photography.  My camera, however, will not be left behind and I hope to document all of the exotic places we visit and especially to capture the cultures and lives of the people I know we will grow to love.


As you might imagine, blogging will now take a back seat to preparing for this amazing adventure.  I will visit you all when I can, and give you updates on our progress from time to time but will not be blogging regularly.  But when our adventure begins, I will keep you all updated on what we are doing, who we are meeting and what we are seeing.


I know many of you are not too familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Mormon), with the exception of knowing of some of the more famous ones (The Osmonds, Mit Romney, Steve Young, David Archuletta, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and if you are a college basketball fan, you've definitely heard the name Jimmer from Brigham Young University); and I'm also sure you've heard about all the wacko groups that claim to have ties to the Mormon religion, (which they don't).  The most important thing for you all to know about the Mormons is that we are Christians.  We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He came to earth to atone for our sins and be resurrected so that we too, will live again.  If you have a question about the Church or how we came to be able to 'serve a mission' for our church, as we say, ask away.  I'm happy to answer any and all questions.  In fact, I'll answer one before it is asked.  No, we did not get to choose where we will serve.  There are many ways young men and women and senior couples, can serve.  We can suggest what we would like to do, but when we put in an 'application' saying we would like to serve, we are expected to serve wherever and in whatever capacity we are called.  But as it turned out, Jeff and I have been given our dream assignment, and so we are anxiously looking forward to the next 18 months with both fear and faith.....but mostly faith!