Our Mission Call

We received our mission call two weeks ago yesterday. It was hand delivered by President Fulks, second counselor in the Stake Presidency. We were set apart the next day. I asked Pres. Fulks, "What do we do now....just wait to be contacted by the director?" He told me yes. So we waited and waited and waited and finally I called the FHC on Thursday. They told me that there was a new missionary training meeting starting Monday @ 9:00 Am with prayer meeting at 8:45. Well, we didn't know for sure how long it would take to drive there and with all the lights against us and construction going on around the building, we got there late....about 8:55. We were welcomed anyway. Sister Hendricks took us in hand and showed us the ropes. Elder Killian, the FHC director, told us that this is the best mission we could possibly serve because we are able to live at home, and keep up with our family and friends. He told us it would also be the hardest mission we ever served because we were living at home and keeping up with our family and friends. He said we would have to set boundries, because family and friends tend to forget that we are on a mission because we are living at home. We would have to be commited. We were given a binder with a schedule in it. We will have the training classes for the next five weeks on Monday morning. We were told that we are to wear our name tags every time we are wearing our Sunday clothes whether it is to go to church, the temple, a reception, or funeral. It is good advertizing and a great conversation starter. We got home about 12:30. We also were assigned that morning to the days we would work. Wednesday evening, 1:00pm to 9:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm. I didn't realize that they had prayer meeting before the 1:00pm shift also (I should have tho't) so instead of being ten minutes early we were five minutes late. We were on time Saturday morning.

We are learning lots. Altho' I'm comfortable with the computer and know a little around the PAF program, I am learning something new everytime I turn around. My sweetheart knows nothing about the PC nor the PAF program, but he is willing to learn and I hope is not getting too overwelmed. He spent about three hours yesterday working with Elder McCary learning to get into and out of the PAF program the FamilySearch.com site and to cut and paste. He has to keep practicing patience with himself. I'm thankful that he is willing to get out of his comfort zone and do this with me.

I've been having trouble identifing my third great grandfather on my father's side. It is my Grandma Wendel's great grandfather, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780 in Blumenstein, Bern, Switzerland. There are only 53 Johannes Rufener born in the same place in a ten year peroid. The Johannes Rufener that my thrid great grandmother and her daughter have been sealed to (and therefore me too) was born in 1792 in the same place and I recently learned he must have died before his brother, Johannes Rufener was born in 1796. So therefore he could not possibly be my progenitor. (The one born in 1792.) Just this last Friday, I called Renda Smith in our ward to see if I could use her ancestry.com. She told me to tell her the names I was looking for and she'd look them up for me. She found Susanna Rufener who is my second great grandmother and had her parents as Johannes Rufener born in 1792 and Anna Rufener born in 1794. I felt so terrible when she gave me that information. I really felt bad. I said, "What do I do now?" Renda told me that's the way family history goes. Shortly after I had the impression to put into familysearch.com Anna's death date, 3 Dec 1822. When I did, it brought up her husband, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780. And a death date!! 14 Jun 1848. I got the most wonderful warm feeling come over me. I was thrilled thro' and thro'. I received the confirmation that these were my progenitors and they were the ones I need to be sealed to. This Johannes Rufener will need to have his work done for him then I can call Salt Lake and have the sealing changed. I will have to take a trip to the Family History Center and look at the original records and find out the parents for my Johannes Rufener.

Last Wednesday evening, Elder Hall helped me divide my and Karl's lines onto two different programs. He took us to the old Ancesteral File and put them on our respective lines. I started out with 712 names and now have over 10,000 names! I'm not sure how many my sweetheart has but more than he started with I know. While we were in the Ancesteral file, he went in and found out who had Johannes Rufener, 1792 sealed to Anna Rufener; it was Aunt Pearl! When I was telling someone about that Friday, I got the tho't that maybe she got over there and found out she had made a mistake and she's the one who has been "bugging" me. My Johannes Rufener also may be ready now and trying to let me know too. Anyway, I am quite thrilled to say the least and feel very blessed and thankful for this oportunity to serve this mission. It is the fourth mission for my sweetheart but my first.