Last week in the States

We are a week out from leaving to go on our mission to the Marshal Islands Mission serving on the Island of Tarawa in the Nation of Kiribati. We will be serving at Moroni High School as TVET missionaries serving as counselors and support to the faculty and administration at the school. It will be a 23 month mission. We are so excited to finally be leaving. We started this process clear back in May of 2016. As our paperwork was being processed we were asked if we could be in the MTC on August 29th. Then they called and said that because of visas the soonest would be October 10th. When our official call came we were to report to the MTC on November 28th. Then just 2 weeks before we were to report we were asked to change our MTC date to January 9th. This change was needed to get us more on the school schedule. The kids will be back to school the second week of February. Then we were contacted and asked to change from the Provo MTC to the New Zealand MTC and report to Auckland New Zealand on January 19th. So it has been a long preparation period for Susan and I. We are both excited that the time is finally upon us.
This last week has been busy getting last minute details done. I still have my truck to sell but Susan and I got a Power of Attorney for Douglas so that he can finalize the sale of my truck if it doesn't sell before we leave.
We did spend one day packing our luggage to balance our weight out.

We still will have to repack next Monday to insure we have everything and that the bags aren't over the weight limit.

We have a laundry bag that my sister Nanna made for me when I went on my mission back in 1975. Then as each of my sons severed their missions I had their names added to the bag. Well this week I had Susan's name added to the "missionary laundry bag". This bag has become kind of a family tradition/heirloom.
Our days and evenings are spent visiting with kids and grandkids, building puzzles, playing games. We have been very grateful that our son Douglas has let us stay here in his home as we get ready to leave.
I have done a few projects around the house for Douglas and Amanda.

These projects have been fun to do with Douglas. It has added a little customized touch to his home.

This Sunday we will be set apart as Missionaries. Then afterwards we are having our son Robert give us a blessing.

Our next post will be from Auckland New Zealand.