The MTC

On Monday, January 28th we reported to the MTC in Provo, Utah.  We picked up our missionary tags, attended the getting acquainted meeting and then returned to our home.  This being our third time to the MTC and our daughter was still in the hospital, we asked permission to be excused from the first week's training.   The humanitarian training is usually the first 3/4 days of the second week.  Having this extra time at home was a blessing as our daughter was released from the hospital on Tuesday, January 29th.  This gave us the time to help with her care and recovery at home.  We also had a few video calls from Germany. 

On Thursday, January 31st, we taught our last Project Analysis Training class to the new humanitarian missionaries in the evening.  Doing this training was part of our previous church-service mission.  Basically it was training to help couples serving as humanitarian missionaries better understand the fundamental principles of humanitarian projects.

Friday afternoon, February 1st we were back at the MTC for a briefing of our next week's training.  Below is a picture of our fellow humanitarian missionaries.    

L to R E/S Zwahlen, E/S Winters, E/S Hadd, E/S Asay, E/S Adair, and E/S Davis

On Monday morning we were back at the MTC bright and early for our humanitarian training.  This was the first week of a brand new training program.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  The first day consisted of different people teaching us about emergency response, story telling, legal issues, and how to live peacefully together 24/7.

Our second day consisted of learning how to develop humanitarian projects with some good hands-on experience and role playing.  While at lunch on the 2^ndday another senior missionary came up and stood by Gary.  We immediately recognized him.  He and his wife had served in the Adriatic North Mission until he was called as a mission president to Cebu, Philippines.  We visited for a few minutes and coordinated a time to get together with some of the young missionaries we worked with in Bosnia.  

Our third day began very early as it snowed heavily during the night.  It took us nearly 2 hours to make the 40 minute drive to Provo.  This entire day was spent getting hands on experience with a data-base program that is used to monitor humanitarian programs throughout the world. 

We were able to reconnect with several of the missionaries we served with in the Adriatic North Mission for dinner or lunch.  It was great to see they were all still our brethren in the Lord.

Gary and Susan, Elder Rick and Sister Jan Tanner, and Eric West

Elder West and Elder Kroff

Elder Sheridan and Elder Quinn helping Susan celebrate her birthday in Bosnia

P.J. Quinn

Lewis Sheridan and his fiancee', Maddie

"Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren's in the Lord. . . 

Alma 17:2

Rearranging Our Priorities

We had good intentions to start our blog before we entered the MTC.  But sometimes life deals you a difficult hand and you need to rearrange your priorities.  

Mid-January one of our daughters felt like she had the flu.  As the week continued, she started complaining about a pain in her hip.  She was experiencing severe pain.  By Sunday the 20^th, she could hardly walk and the pain was excruciating. Her husband took her to InstaCare, who in turn referred her to the hospital.  She was admitted to the hospital and thus began her 9 day “get away”. 

The doctors began running tests trying to figure out why her white blood cell count was 22.6 (normal is 3 to 10).  They did an MRI on Monday, but could not determine why she was in such pain. Her pain was usually an 8/9 on a scale of 1-10.  10 being the worst.  She also had a constant headache.  On top of this, her stomach is not the strongest.  Therefore she had to take anti-nausea medicine each time they gave her any pain medication, which in turn may or not stay down.  

By Tuesday they still did not have any answers and her white blood cell count was still high (19).  Another MRI was scheduled for Wednesday morning.  The results of this MRI showed that she had infection in her hip.  When the MRI was read, the doctor suspected that it was Strep A Necrotizing Fasciitis.  They recommended to move her to a different hospital and consult with an infectious disease specialist.  

She was transferred by paramedics to another hospital on Wednesday evening.  The exploratory surgery was scheduled for Thursday morning. She began her fasting before surgery at midnight on Wednesday.  Thursday morning came and went, but no surgery.   Finally, about 3:00 pm Thursday afternoon she went into surgery. The results of the surgery confirmed that yes indeed she did have Strep A Necrotizing Fasciitis. The specialists had to dig deep into her hip tissue and suctioned out as much of the infection as they could.  A drain was left in to continue to suck out the infection. Luckily the infection had not gotten to the bone yet.  A picc line was inserted and she started receiving antibiotics continually for the next two and a half weeks.  

Necrotizing fasciitis is a bacterial skin infection, also commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria or flesh-eating disease, that spreads incredibly fast and kills soft tissue.  We feel extremely blessed that she came out of this whole ordeal as well as she did.  We learned later that 1 out of 4 people die from this.  If they survive, many lose a limb.  We know the Lord was watching over her and are thankful that she is still with us and recovering, even if it is slower than everyone would like it to be.

"It is good advice, even for normal life challenges to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions."

Dieter F.  Uchtdorf - The Gospel at 30,000 Feet

So Many Things to Do List

One of the many requirements to serve a mission is to have complete physical examinations and dental check-ups.  Susan also needed appointments with her cardiologist and her heart rhythm specialist (pacemaker) for permission to go.  If you are wondering why a cardiologist???  Susan had open heart surgery (June 2016) to replace a leaky tricuspid valve shortly after we returned from our mission to New Zealand.  A pacemaker was placed in her chest at that time to monitor her heart rhythm.

The test results with our primary care physician started a snowball of additional tests and procedures for Gary.

Initial tests showed that he probably had kidney stones, requiring an appointment with the urologist.  Later tests showed two kidney stones.  The stones were so large that it was necessary to have shock wave lithotripsy.  An appointment was scheduled and we reported to the outpatient clinic where they performed the procedure on September 24, 2018.  However, because there were two large stones, he was lucky enough to have another procedure two weeks later on October 12, 2018.  Now you would think that would be enough right?  Wait!  There was more.  The urologist referred him to another specialist who did further testing which showed that he also had an over-active parathyroid.  Another surgery was scheduled.

On January 8, 2019 he had one of his four parathyroids removed in hopes to lower his calcium levels.  Since then his test results show his calcium levels are now normal.  No more stones!

All prepped for his parathyroid surgery.

Susan did better - she received permission from her doctors to serve a mission.  Her device (pacemaker) will have to be disconnected from its remote monitor and she will need to visit a cardiologist every six months while in Germany to have her device checked.  

The dental check-ups were much easier.  Susan had a crown replaced, but no surgeries.

Indeed, this life is a test.  It is a test of many things - of our convictions and priorities, our father and our faithfulness, your patience and our resilience, and in the end, our ultimate desires.

Sheri L. Dew

Receiving our Call

On October 9, 2018 we received a text stating:

"Your mission call can now be viewed at missionary.lds.org"

We clicked on the link.   Below are our call letters.

This link also showed a countdown for how many days till we were to enter the Missionary Training Center.

There was also a link for a Badge.

"What greater gift could grandparents give their posterity than to say by deed as well as word, ‘In this family we serve missions!’”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Should we go on another mission?

From October 2016 to January 2019 we had been serving a church service mission as technical specialists with the Welfare Department, Humanitarian Services.  Our assignment was to help improve the missionary training experience for senior humanitarian missionaries.   

About May, 2018 we started getting requests to apply for another mission as a Area Welfare Specialists.  They needed experienced couples in Hong Kong and in Germany.  We researched both options and received counsel from friends in Humanitarian Services.  

In early August after meeting with a close friend  regarding the options of both Hong Kong and Germany, we knew that we should go to Germany.  We began the application process;  filling out forms, getting physicals, and all that fun stuff.  

We completed the application process and submitted our papers in September, 2018 and have been moving forward with anticipation.

“We need many, many more senior couples. … Make yourselves available to leave home and give full-time missionary service. There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “As We Meet Together Again,” Ensign, November, 2010.