Senior Couples

One of the best things about my time in Hong Kong was the chance I had to associate with so many wonderful senior couple missionaries. They were some of my closest co-workers and we shared many wonderful jokes, lunches, spiritual meetings, and other experiences. The work they do is so vital to the Church. In the Asia Area Offices alone there are about ten couples with another 30-40 couples scattered throughout the Asia Area who carry on the Church’s operations in humanitarian efforts, family history, local leadership, legal affairs, CES, proselyting, and many other important activities. They leave family (grandchildren are what they really miss), friends, comfort, and go into the world to new challenges. It is not easy for them, but they love the work they do and the lives they bless. Before this trip I already looked forward to the day when I will serve missions with my eternal companion but I look forward to it even more now. They taught me an important lesson that serving a senior mission doesn’t just happen when you’re 65 or whatever age you leave at. It starts early in your life with a willingness to serve, wise financial management to get yourself in the position you can support yourself, and an ability to put your comforts and family aside for a time. I guess I have one more thing on my short list of things I desire in an eternal companion: a desire to serve senior missions. Here are some of the couples that I got to know in Hong Kong. I didn’t get pictures of everyone I would have liked to as some were traveling around Asia but I thank all of them for their example of faith and the love they shared with me. Also, a big thanks for all the meals they took me out to eat and all the baked good shared! It was like I had an extra 5 or 10 sets of grandparents for six weeks.

Elder and Sister Gibbons are the Asia Area Employment Resource specialists. They help train local leadership and membership throughout Asia on how to find and improve their employment. This is their second time serving in Asia as they also served a remarkable mission in Mongolia. Elder and Sister Aki are the public relations missionaries for Hong Kong. I wrote a blog entry about them earlier but they were such a pleasure to work with. Elder Aki is absolutely hilarious and Sister Aki is tons of fun too. For the last two weeks I think it was her personal goal to hook me and Annie up. Elder/Dr. and Sister Bench serve as the Asia Area Medical Advisors. They help keep the missionaries throughout Asia healthy and also train about health issues. Sadly they were down on the 8th floor so I didn’t get to spend as much time with them, but they offered me some wise advice about career-planning. Elder and Sister Workman serve as Branch President in the Victoria II Branch. They go to Church every day Tuesday to Sunday and help the wonderful branch members progress. This calling has to be one of the strangest in the world. Elder and Sister Baldwin (no picture) serves as Asia Area Humanitarian missionaries. They were always very kind and supportive to me. My last day in Hong Kong they gave me a granddaughter’s number and said to give her a call when I got back to Arizona. Elder and Sister Newell were my closest colleagues as they worked with me in the legal department. They were always providing laughs and making feel like a slacker because of their amazing work ethic. Elder and Sister Jackson serve as the Asia Area Presidency Executive Secretary. I’m not sure exactly how to describe these two but they are amazing. They have skills I can only dream about with technology and are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Elder and Sister Smith are the Asia Area Family History Specialists. Elder Smith served in the Southern Far East Mission when it included Thailand where he served. They were always very generous to me with their time and insights. Additionally, they were lots of fun and Elders Smith and Jackson, and myself enjoyed making Annie’s life difficult at times. Elder and Sister Toone are the Asia Area Auditors. They travel a lot around Asia visiting the local leaders and teaching them how to keep the books. They are from Gilbert in Arizona and were always there with a kind smile and word. Elder Toone is another Hong Kong mission alum so that’s worth big points. I love these senior couples! The Lord’s work needs all the help it can get and every Latter-day Saint couple should prepare to spend some time out in the Lord’s vineyard when the time is right in their life.