How do you know when you've grown up?

If it's when you quit doing laundry at your parents' house, then I'm not there yet.

It's our last night here at the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah, after a 5-day training seminar that can only be described as wonderful.  

We visited my dear father this evening after the end of the seminar, about five miles south in Springville, Utah.  

Mom passed away last year, and Dad is lonely, and we all, including him, wish for his release soon.  It was a poignant parting, knowing that we probably wouldn't see him again; not too many 94-year-olds make it to 97, when we will return.  We leave for the airport at 5:15 AM tomorrow morning, to arrive in Lima tomorrow night.

But we still threw the stuff in the washing machine.  Maybe I'm not as grown-up as I thought.

We hope your goodbye's are sweet also.

Dave & Paula

How Do I Know If It's a Henderson Activity®?

That's easy!
1.  It's got to be outside.  

2.  It has to involve movement.

3.  There must exist a significant risk to body, or at least to equipment.

4.  The more gear the better.  Double the score if carbon fiber is involved.

5.  The activity must be ibuprofen-worthy.

6.  At some point you must ask yourself, "Was this a smart thing to do after all?"

7.  If you don't hurt afterwards, why do it?

8.  It's got to be fun.

We've continued Henderson Activities® over the last couple of days, but today we enter the Mission Training Center here in Provo, ready to begin the seminar for new Mission Presidents, and start the next three years of our lives, laying aside the less important stuff.

And no, they don't allow wetsuits.  It'll be suits and ties for me and dresses for Paula. 
We hope that this next Henderson Activity® will at least include #8.
Dave & Paula

Getting Ready to Ascend

We'll be at altitude in Peru very soon, so we thought we'd better acclimatize some while here in Utah waiting to begin the training seminar on Saturday.  

OK, I admit, that's not us, and we'll only be living at about 10,750 feet, but will have to go over a pass at almost 16,000 feet to get to Huancayo, and that can be uncomfortable.

So, we thought we'd do some hiking in the mountains.  

The grandkids were thrilled.

Or at least some of them were.

We also hiked with Mike, our son who's a junior at BYU.

Meanwhile, Paula has been looking at fashions that might be useful in Peru.

We hope you're getting ready for whatever is coming up in your life also.

Dave & Paula

Some things we'll miss

There are things to be missed over the next three years.  Such as:

Princess granddaughters washing the family pickup.

The warm, sandy gloriousness of North Carolina beaches.

Gardening.

Chocolate covered bacon at the North Carolina Sate Fair.

No, hold it.  We're actually not going to miss that.  Or the deep-fried pickles.  

But, looking ahead, there's a lot to be excited about.

We hope that your bacon looks better than that.  And your chocolate.

Dave & Paula.

"Hurrah, hurrah for Israel!"

For better or for worse, it's time to leave Raleigh for three years.  Our ultimate departure was slowed when my right knee went bad this week, and due to the fact that I know an orthopedic surgeon better than I should, he was able to get me on the operating schedule this morning to fix a torn meniscus.

Instead of watching TV in the waiting room, Paula went back home and finished packing and cleaning, and returned to get me.

So, time to finally leave.  However, a couple of hours after a general anesthetic, one often continues to feel some effects, and the surgeon said, "No loading suitcases!"

In addition, Tropical Storm Andrea is passing through, with flash flood warnings and heavy rain and wind. 

Paula and Jacob Jaskolka, our faithful renter, carefully wrapped the suitcases for the back of the pickup. 

I could only supervise.  

All of this reminded me mildly of the account of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball leaving for their mission to England in 1837.  They and their families were very ill, and Heber gave the following account:

“‘It was with difficulty we got into the wagon, and started down the hill about ten rods; it appeared to me as though my very inmost parts would melt within me at leaving my family in such a condition, as it were almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could not endure it. I asked the teamster to stop, and said to Brother Brigham, “This is pretty tough, isn’t it; let’s rise up and give them a cheer.” We arose, and swinging our hats three times over our heads, shouted: “Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.” Vilate, hearing the noise, arose from her bed and came to the door. She had a smile on her face. Vilate and Mary Ann Young cried out to us: “Goodbye, God bless you!” We returned the compliment, and then told the driver to go ahead. After this I felt a spirit of joy and gratitude, having had the satisfaction of seeing my wife standing upon her feet, instead of leaving her in bed, knowing well that I should not see them again for two or three years’” (Orson F. Whitney,Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967, pp. 265–66).

I can in no way compare our relatively comfortable departure to that of these men, but it's still a little hard leaving our home and family.  Paula has had a chance to pull some weeds and tidy up her gardens, and I've enjoyed the brief respite in a place dear to us.
But, time to go.
We hope your knees and weather are holding up better than ours.
Dave & Paula

An unexpected present

A big box arrived several days ago.  That's not unusual, considering how much Amazon.com and others have come to love us during our preparations.  However, this one was from a daughter.  On opening it, a wonderful gift of love and remembrance tumbled out, a quilt with pieces representing each of the kids, handprints from all the grandkids (they sat still long enough to trace their hands?!) and outlines of Colombia, North Carolina and Peru.

We will truly treasure it!
Meanwhile, we're about done digging through closets,

organizing shoes,

and getting the few little odds and ends we're bringing all ready to pack up and leave Raleigh in two days.

We sure appreciate the meals, the laughter and the opportunities to re-acquaint ourselves with good friends and family.

We hope you can organize your shoes also.

Dave & Paula