Receiving the Call

     We received our call on Thursday, October 2nd.  We had left the cabin the day prior to watch Giryan and Brecken play in their soccer games in Idaho Falls and then we were headed to Salt Lake City to visit Grandma Webb, go to Bradley Adams (nephew) wedding and attend the Sunday afternoon session of general conference. 
     Before we left we stopped into the  Mack's Inn Post Office to see if we had received a large white envelope!  It was not there, but Sister Gunnell, who runs the Post Office said they usually come on Thursdays.  Chris asked if she could call Thursday morning to see if it came in the mail before we headed to Utah because we would drive to Mack's Inn, get the call letter and then head to Utah.  I know . . . we are crazy.
     We had just dropped Grandma Jones off at her hair dresser and called Sister Gunnell.  She said the envelope did not arrive.  About an hour later, we got a call from Sister Gunnell, the large white envelope had arrived but was with the 2nd Class mail.  Grandma Jones was in the car, so we asked her if she wanted to drive to Island Park for lunch.  She said, "Yes." and we were off to collect the envelope.
     After picking up the letter, we tried to find a place in Island Park for lunch, but everything was closed for the season.  We ate lunch - a very anxious lunch - in Ashton.
     We drove that evening to Logan to open the call at Garrett and Kaydi's home.  They have faster Internet there than at the cabin.  All our sons were informed the CALL had arrived and a time set for everyone to be available at the time of the opening.  Blake set up a conference video call with the whole family and we proceeded to open the letter and read.  It was so fun to be together, even though we are now scattered from coast to coast. 
     We received our call to serve in the Philippines - Quezon City North Mission as member and leader support missionaries.  We enter the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on January 5, 2015 and will fly to Manila on January 12th. 
     While we were on the conference call, Blake looked up who our mission president was.  It turns out that Kim Bertin is our mission president.  I grew up with President Bertin in Blackfoot and even attended the same ward.  He graduated a year ahead of me.  His wife Jennifer is a gem and they have been so much help as we prepare to serve. 
     We called Elder Shayne and Lynette Bowen to tell them the good news.  Elder Bowen is now serving in the Philippines as 2nd counselor in the Area Presidency.  They, too, were happy about the call and just happened to be in Utah for General Conference.  We met them for breakfast at Village Inn in North Salt Lake.  What a fine reunion!  We talked and talked about old times, bore testimony a dozen times about instances when the Lord had blessed our families, and also ate a nice breakfast.  They told us so much about the Philippines and what to bring, what to wear, what to expect.  It was a very pleasant morning.