The Fruits of Missionary Labors

Elder Monson and a convert family from Hutchinson, Kansas

Bob served a mission fifty years ago in the Central States. This convert family has grown to almost 100 members of the Church over the years. Many of them have served missions and baptized their own converts. Missionary work blossoms, spreading far and wide, as righteous individuals accept and share the gospel.

What a blessing to be part of this work.

Now Bob will be serving another mission with me. We are so very excited. We don't know the impact we will have yet. But it's nice to look back at his mission and see the power of the gospel in the lives of those he baptized.

We had a wonderful farewell in the Waterfall Canyon Ward on Sunday, March 9th. We will miss all our dear friends in that faithful group of saints. Many family and friends came to support us. Family included: our son and his wife, Chris and Lanae Monson, their children Sadie, Lucy, and Daphne, our returned-missionary grandsons, Randy and Eric Slaugh, Bob's sister and her husband, Ar and Ed Gray, their daughter and her husband, Lynette and Dave Hughes, three of their daughters Carlie (She has her mission call to Taiwan.), Ericka and Melynda, a niece and her husband, Cindy and Kent Hafen, their children, Ashlee and Spencer. Our temple friends, Ione Hall, Norm and Joyce Lilly, Jed and Carol Harris, Ersel and Roberta Blain, Robert Morley. Golfing buddies Arnold Peterson and Jim Jones.

We are busy taking care of lasts-minute business and details. Monday morning, March 17th we enter the MTC.

I am as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. I've wanted to serve the Lord as a full time missionary for many years, and now it's my turn. Here's the link to a blog post I wrote for Modern Molly Mormon (Marie Leslie is one of my favorite people.) that tells how I feel.

http://marieleslie.com/missionary-service/

I'll write an update each week. I don't know what day yet. We'll have to see what our schedule is. We send our love and prayers to each of you. Thanks for your love and friendship. You are a blessing in our lives and we are grateful to belong to you.