Are We Going To Myanmar?????

After the earlier post on Tuesday I got a phone call. The caller ID said Washington DC! It was the embassy of The Union of Myanmar asking about our visa request. Wanting to verify that we were going to be visiting and staying with Dr. Win and how long we were staying. Well my mind just jumped ..... OK I need to make sure that what I say is correct, true and represents the church appropriately. Well I kind of know who Dr. Win is, but I'm not staying with him. Hurry Hurry get something to write on!!!!! So What are the right things to say???? We are not staying with Dr. Winn, we are planning to stay at the Sakura Residence. We are coming with Latter-Day Saint Charities. Planing to stay for a while.

Well procedures have changed and we

Must Redo Our Visa Requests and change from tourist to business.

Trying to keep my cool and write down every thing as fast as I can. Extra money is needed in the form of a money order, new pictures, new requirements and all new forms. I very calmly asked her name and a phone number if I had other questions.

OK, OK, Ok where is that phone number in the 3-4 inches of papers from the missionary department for the people that we gave our pass ports to and now what department would that be?????? Help

It would be the travel department and their phone number is in our welcome packet that we got with our call. After a few transfers I spoke with Norma, she said they Called YOUUU? I said YESSSS. I was able to give her all the right information from the call and she didn't say well, you really blew it, when I told her what I said. Even though no one would be able to decipher what I had written during the call, she said she would call them and then call us back.

When she called back, she did tell us to fill out the forms and get more pictures. I asked about the pictures and she said that they needed new ones, I told her we still had one from the first time, could we just scan them and make more. She said that should be fine.

Jim got them scanned and tried and tried to get them emailed to Sams to have them made. But it would not do it. So we went over to the store to get some help. But they could not do it either. After trying a number of different things. We finally decided that we would try Inkley's in the morning. We were just done! Jim went over to D.I. to see if they had some luggage that we wanted, while I went visiting teaching. When I got home he was watching a VHS video he had picked up for $2.00, "Apollo 13". We just kind of collapsed and had a real deep reflection on the "What in the heck are we doing". No crying or screaming just hug me please, hold my hand kind of event. Afterwards filling our the new paper work was frustrating. Already stressed, anxious, and concerned about the 4 pages each we had to fill out for the new visa's. They had to be in block letters with no corrections or crossed out anything. I had to redo one, Jim three, and he was so stress he said I'm not doing it, no, no more, no more tonight. We took sleeping pills and went to bed.

So this morning we got up and prayed asking for help and turned on KBYU instrumental music,

so that we could be more focused. We needed to do a few things and then go to Inkleys. When we got to Inkleys and asked for help with the photo's they said that they were not allowed to copy passport pictures. So they offered to take new ones for us and they would print more than just 2 for the price of $23.98.

So, what do you think?

Stressed out or what?

Answer To Prayer

Got a letter from Elder Christensen on Saturday. We were hoping that he would still be at the MTC when we came on the 9th of Nov. But alas he was to leave on the Oct 26th. at about 11:30. We had our second class at the MTC on the 26th at 11:00. So I prayed that if it would be OK with the Lord, to please help us to bump into each other.

WOW what a bump. We had just come in the front door and were getting our visitors pass and up walked Elder Christensen. We heard a yell and when I saw him, I just ran to HUG HIM but I didn't. Just rubbed elbows and linked arms and I did a dance. The dance was so intense we have snow today. We only had about 5 min before our class. So short and very, very sweet.

Here is the latest picture for our missionary plaque. Thanks Brother Harmon for a great picture.

We just finished our EIL classes. Sister Smith and I are proud owners of a diploma from BYU.

We taught our first classes on Friday and then again today. We met woderful Elders and Sister from all over the world. We met an Elder from Mongolia and during our discussions with him found out that he was scoutmaster in his community. We had a great time talking to him about scouting.

Today, we taught two young people the first and second lessons from our EIL course. Sister Smith used the music from "Goodnight Ladies" to teach I, we, he, she to them. They loved it and left the class humming the tune.

Good time was had by all.

For those that missed it here is the "bamboo hut" we will be living in. It's call Sakura Residence in Yangon, Myanmar (Google it).

Just spent 4 hours in our first official training seesion at the MTC. We did EIL (English as an International Language). I knew our language was hard to learn but now I have to teach. Holy Snikees.
We did get to meet several other couples going to different missions and doing the same thing. Kind of cool to see their perspective on their missions.

Another gathering has begun to take place on the family tree. I have family names back to 1600's. I'll never have time to finish this up.

More gatherings

Last night,just before bed, I was reviewing the "things" we need to take to the MTC in three weeks. It says that we need to take our family group record sheets.
I have worked on it off and on for several years so I thought I was okay. Low and behold it was incomplete.
I went to the Family Search site and found some bits and pieces so I "googled" my names, again.
Four more generations are now filled in. Technology is a gift and a curse.
The Lord works in mysterious ways His wonders to behold.

Stress, stress everywhere. Now I have chest pains, stomach cramps, back problems and plantar facitis. Whats next, kidney stones or brain cramps.

Talk about an uplift. I recieved a testimony of repentance this morning. Thank-you Lord for showing me the way and cleansing my imperfections.

Boy has today been a wild one. This morning we purchased a wind generator for the family and then attempted to pack up all our belongings so that Justin could begin moving all of his things downstairs after we leave. That didn't go so well. Colleen and I had several sharp disagreements. Dumb stuff but it sure spoiled the atmosphere around here.

We had to go downtown to sign up for our medicine overrides because we couldn't get our fax machine to work. Stress!

We did get to see Jeremiah and talk to him for quite awhile. That was a great plus.

Tomorrow we go get our missionary photos for our plaque.

I was schooled this morning and that is the only way to describe it. The extended family has assigned me to find a way to make a wind generator for the call out. This morning I was taught to get on the stick and build it. Jon has been looking into solar energy. I think we can combine the two.

Sleep didn't come willingly this morning. Finally dozed off at 4:30 but woke up at 6:30. Going to be a long day.

As I sit here (sleep having fled) it gives me time to reflect on this journey we are about to take.Are we ready to go, really ready to go? Is my family really ready for us to leave?I got a call from my oldest brother, Pastor Bob Smith, wondering when we were leaving. He had heard that we were having a "gathering" before we leave. He wanted to come up and visit before we left but when he heard that it was Oct. 25th he had to decline because he will be in Texas that day preaching. He calls me Elder Jim (I hope a sign of respect) and introduces me to others in his church as such.On November 8th we will be set apart in our home by our Stake President. Cozy, no fanfare just a quiet moment when the spirit can speak to us all.There are those that say we are lucky to be able to go at this time of our lives. Luck had nothing to with it. The Lord has directed us on this path. We promised to serve Him, to consecrate our time, talents and everything else to Him. He has blessed us in so many ways that I'm afraid I can never repay or repeat them. Guardian angles have watched over us, protected us and chastised us on many occassions.We have "dodged the bullet" to many timed to count. But as I reflect back over the past 56 years I realize that I was have headed for this time, for this day, for this mission.Are we afraid to go to a country as far away as Myanmar? NO! Are we concerned that we will fail? NO! "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us" Rom. 8: 31.We have learned to turn our backs on the things of this world.We don't have a fancy car, a boat, a large trailer, fancy truck but we are out of debt.We have dreamed, contemplated and hoped for this call since we were married. Colleens' mother was trying to get her to go on a Health Services Mission even after we were engaged.So, here we are, five weeks until MTC. Seven weeks untill liftoff. Not enough time to get everything done but we will leave it in the Lords hands.

I believe that this is going to be our blog for Myanmar. This is the first time for me? I guess we need to add a picture. what do you think

Here is how it works

K guys
You should be able to log in under your comcast email. It will take you to the dashboard. From there you click on new post and it will pull up a posting page.
To add pics there is a tiny icon on the tool bar of the compose box. It looks like a scenic pictures. Then you can upload pics from you computer files.
Try and lets see how it goes.