We’re Getting Baggy!

No, this has nothing to do with our anatomy, although it sounds fitting for senior missionaries. This refers to an old mission expression and is one of several characteristics that were unusual and perhaps unique to the Guatemala – El Salvador mission of yesteryear. In most missions the expression was “Trunky”. It refers to a common condition that afflicts some missionaries who think they are getting close to going home. The implication is that they have already quit working and have packed their “trunks” and are sitting on them, waiting for their ride home. Depending on the missionary, trunkiness could set in anywhere from a week to several months early!

Now we of the Guatemala – El Salvador mission were smart enough to realize that, even 40 years ago, no one was packing trunks to go on missions. That ship sailed many years before. So we preferred the updated term “Baggy” as we all traveled by air and had bags, not trunks. (“Suitcasey” just doesn’t work.)

In our case, however, we are not getting “baggy” to go home, but to get to Guatemala! We planned to take this week to finish our preparations, get our bags and our apartment packed up and to move out this coming Saturday. But after just two days of working on it, both efforts are mostly complete and we have six more days of civilian life left! So our bags are literally almost fully packed and we are ready to go. We are going to have to take a couple of days off so that we don’t end up on the street too soon!

Ready, Set, . . .

What all do we have to do to make this happen? In the past six months we have:

1. Sold our home and moved into an apartment
2. Entered our recommendation information on line
3. Got medical and dental exams and tests
4. Got our call to serve
5. Got a multitude of immunizations
6. Retired from work
7. Got International Driving Permits
8. Amassed a small mountain of clothing, shoes and luggage
9. Spoke in church and fed the multitude
10. Have been learning and brushing up on Spanish (listening to telenovelas on Univisión, while boring, is helpful)

In the next two and a half weeks we will:

1. Get our motor vehicle reports, background checks and letters from the state affirming we are not criminals
2. Shut down our internet, cell phones and utility services
3. Submit change of address (for our local mail drop – thanks Eliza!) to everyone who matters
4. Sell our truck (thanks Jon!)
5. Pack our luggage
6. Pack up our household furnishings and move them into storage
7. Spend our last two nights before reporting in a hotel thinking of all the things we forgot to take care of in time

How We Got Here

Serving a mission together fulfills a lifelong dream for both of us! Ralph joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a student at UCLA. After graduation he was called for two years to the Guatemala-El Salvador mission. Today that same area is covered by seven missions.

Jolene is a life-long member who wanted to serve a mission after high school but Ralph found her before she got to age 21. She put her mission desires on hold for 37 years until we could serve together.

We will begin our service together when we enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo on March 5, 2012. On March 10 we will fly down to “The Land of Eternal Springtime” to begin our 18 month service in the Guatemala City Central Mission presided over by Joseph and Emily Brough.