Wow, am I a blogger or what!  My last post was in the middle of February and now its the middle September!  It has gone quickly to say the least.  The end of February we were asked to become leadership trainers for the half of the mission that were assigned to Pres. Paul Eckel.  So we had our zone work plus the leadership training seminars to do.  Since that time, it has been pretty crazy.  We are working a lot harder than before we retired! 

This is a mission picture taken in May with the former Mission Presidency in front.

The biggest shock came during the last week in May when we were called to the mission office to meet with the new mission president who would be starting on July 1st.  We had been told all spring by Pres. Eckel that he was recommending Dale to be a counselor in the new presidency but we knew it was in the Lord's hands and, I at least, didn't really worry about it.  But the result of this interview, with H Ross Workman (Seventy Emeritus, formerly of 2nd Quorum of Seventy) and his wife, Katherine, was a request for Dale to become his 1st counselor.

Lots of tears and fears were associated with this request!  Our mission includes about 375 full-time missionaries, over 700 church service missionaries (serving on the average 2.5 days a week), and around 80 young elders who have health challenges that prevent them from serving a proselyting mission.  We have missionaries in the Family History Library, the Church History Library, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (working in departments of the Family History Department), and the Church Headquarters Building.  There are 20 different zones, doing everything from helping patrons to do their family history; researching, writing, and editing for the Joseph Smith Papers project, the Mormon Pioneer Overland Trail project, the Relief Society Project, the Country Profile project; working in Water Resources, Temple Construction, Church Finance, Military Relations, Missionary Department, Security; and working behind the scenes to get all that wonderful family history on Family Tree, including providing product support, indexing support, family history center support, ordinance problems support, and many, many other functions.

This is new presidency - Dale, Pres. Workman, and Pres. Glenn Johns

 It is a wide reaching mission located in a very, very beautiful setting!  Every season so far at Temple Square has been breath-taking.  The flower gardens right now are overflowing and such a wonderful sight to see on the way to work and home!

We have had some really memorable experiences as we have begun our work in the mission office.  The new presidency was announced during the first week in June at a special mission meeting at noon in the chapel at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Elder Allan Packer, Pres. Packer's son, is the head of the Family History Department and made the announcement.  There were three other members of the Seventy on the stand with him.  And there were two Apostles - Elder Scott and Elder Bednar! It was almost an unreal experience.  Pres. and Sister Workman had to talk for a few minutes and there was a short time during the meeting when it seemed like they had asked both of his counselors and their wives (US!) to speak also but as it worked out we didn't have to. I probably would have just passed out anyway!

We were able to tour the mission during the last week in June and learned a lot more about the many different aspects of the mission.  The highlight was probably going up to the Granite Mountain Records Vault and being able to tour that great facility, which I guess is not allowed very often.  It's under major reconstruction right now to upgrade particularly the information technology capability.  They hope to be able to store most records on servers.  They are also copying all the microfilms which have been made with acetate, to polyester films which should last for 500 years.

We had to document our tour of the Vaults.  We'll probably never be able to see them again!

We are working many, many hours but we love it and continue to feel the Lord's help in the things we are asked to do.  The work of the Church is indeed hastening.  You feel it very distinctly.  There are so many changes going on in both the Family History and the Church History Departments.  I'll have to write about some of the exciting things we are learning about!

Our biggest problem is we need more missionaries! This is such an easy way to serve the Lord.  We live in the "Garden of Eden", we go to church at a branch created for full-time missionaries, and we are involved in further the kingdom all day every day.  We are able to go to special family events, to see the sights around the mission area.  It really is hard to say we are sacrificing much! 

Our biggest sacrifice is we miss being around family and friends.  But when you consider what sacrifices our ancestors made to bring us this beautiful gospel, it doesn't seem like our sacrifices are
very hard.