Serving a mission

Last August Liz and I headed for Utah, intending to spend the entire month discussing our life and future options.  We started talking about missions for Seniors during that month and had a chance to listen to presentations by the missionary department at BYU.  We looked at the many options for senior missionaries.  There are needs all over the World and we decided we wanted to serve overseas, but not on an island, nor in Africa or Asia.   We were very interested in some opportunities in New Zealand and Australia.  But we decided our first choice would be to go to Croatia, which is in the Adriatic North Mission.   It is an Auditor/Member and Leader Support mission.  This means most of the time we would be supporting, encouraging, and serving as experienced members of a branch in an assigned area.  But twice per year we would go visit every branch in the entire mission to perform an audit of their financial and membership records.  That means we would do more traveling than most seniors do and would meet members from the five countries.
  I decided to post on this blog, starting with when we get our mission call.

December 3, 2019
  I got a text message from the church:  "Your mission call can now be viewed at [missionary portal on the church website]".   Logging into that link I got a letter that includes this:
...
Dear Elder Ashurst:
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You are assigned to labor in the Adriatic North Mission. Your primary assignment is to labor as an assistant area auditor and member and leader support missionary. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 23 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, February 10, 2020.  Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary