Public Affairs Training -Putting on the Badge

January 22 – 25, 2019

At the conclusion of Public Affairs (PA) training this past week, it was exciting and humbling (is it possible to feel both at the same time?) to put on our name tags and realize that we are now “official” missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Exciting because up to this point, we have just been talking about the mission, and it has now become a reality! It was also energizing to learn alongside five other senior couples who will be serving in New York City, New Zealand, Japan, Kenya and Germany. We became fast friends and drew strength from their faith and testimonies of the Savior. It will be exciting to hear about their experiences as they serve in other parts of the world.

Humbling because we still have so much to learn, and most importantly because we now wear the name of Jesus Christ above our hearts. We were blessed to have leadership from the Church’s PA Office and Elder and Sister Berg share the spiritual context of the work, teach us some basic skills and offer logistical support services while in the field.

This week our decision to serve was reconfirmed through the Spirit as we were taught the unique purposes of being PA missionaries and look forward to the work.

Time to Leave

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019

After church, we gathered at home with our family as President Sean Glenn of the Mountain View Stake shared tender thoughts and set us apart as full-time missionaries.

He gave us both beautiful blessings of health, strength, confidence in our abilities and the capacity to touch others on our mission. His blessing also included assurance that our family and home would be safe in our absence. A spirit of gratitude and love filled our home that evening as we shed tears with each other.

Bodines with Grandma Erma Bodine and Aunt Mary Ellen Kerr

We had been working for months to get ready to go, so it was now time to officially take down our mission prep checklist. It felt like such an achievment!

On Monday morning, we got together again for final goodbyes with Bosa donuts! At 9 o’clock we hugged all our children, their spouses and the grandkids and had family prayer.

By 9:15 AM we were in the car leaving with Micah at the wheel and the grandkids ran down the street after us.

We made it to the airport with all of our belongings for the next two years, and even stayed within the weight limit!

We made it to Salt Lake City to begin the first chapter of our mission journey. The city introduced us to what it would be like living in Britain’s cold weather. Brrrrr!

Speak in Church

The time for our missionary training is rapidly approaching! We speak in church Sunday, January 13, 9:00 a.m. at the Highland Ward building on DesMoines and Lindsay. There will be also be an open house tonight at our home 7:00 to 9:00. All are invited.

We leave for Salt Lake, Monday, January 21 at 11:30 a.m.

We begin Public Affairs Training in Salt Lake City, first thing Tuesday in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

We are anxious to begin this exciting and wonderful new adventure!

A British Christmas Eve

It has been our family’s tradition to have homemade Mexican food (tacos or shredded beef enchiladas) for Christmas Eve. Later, as our family grew and grandchildren were in the mix, we simplified the menu to cinnamon rolls and hot coco. As part of the evening, each family member provides some type of “talent show” entertainment, followed by a re-enactment of the nativity and then a testimony meeting.

This year we decided to change it up a bit and “go British” with an activity and dessert to experience how people in England celebrate Christmas.

We started the evening off with wassail and popping crackers. Crackers are brightly wrapped paper tubes with a paper hat, small toy and a message inside. These party favors are opened by everyone gathering in a circle, crossing arms and pulling the end of the wrapper with the person standing next to you. When opened, the cracker makes a snapping sound and the person left holding the larger side of the cracker gets the prizes inside.

Chocolate Mint, Berry Dream, Raspberry-lemon Almond

For dessert we had three different trifles; chocolate mint, berry dream and raspberry-lemon almond. The trifles had layers of angel food or pound cake, Bird’s custard or pudding, whipped cream and fruit (yes, chocolate is a fruit). We couldn’t decide which kind we liked best, they were all delicious.

While this was our first run at an English Christmas, we look forward to celebrating the next two in the UK!

Delynn Retires!

Delynn and Butch walk with Splash (the Rio Salado mascot)

It is true! After nearly 12 years of working for Rio Salado College and the Maricopa Community College District, Delynn retired on December 13, 2018! She spent her career working in public relations for the President’s Office and in Institutional Advancement.

What a great way to prepare to serve a public affairs mission in England!

Family Photo Before Departure

Since we will be gone on our mission to England for almost two full years we felt it important to have one family photo prior to us leaving. We have 6 children (three boys and 3 girls) and 17 grandchildren.

By the time we return, our youngest son will be a practicing Physical Therapist, our son-in-law will have expanded his law practice with a new location and another will have finished his Nurse Practioner schooling. Our two oldest granddaughters will be dating and either driving or close to driving a car. Two of our grandsons will be ordained to the Aaronic priesthood as Deacons. The two youngest babies in the family will be toddlers and will only know us through our video chats.

Only heaven knows how many teeth will be lost to the tooth fairy!

Biometric Fingerprinting.

Visa Paperwork.JPG

As a final step in our visa application to the UK, Delynn and Butch were both required to have biometric fingerprinting.

“We will fingerprint visitors who need visas, and those planning longer stays before they arrive”, the website says.

All applicants are now routinely required to provide 10-digit finger scans and a digital photograph when applying for a UK visa.

Biometric fingerprinting included presenting fingers on a glass screen, plus having a digital photograph taken; no ink, no mess. The actual process took about 5 minutes or less. The wait time was about 25 minutes.

Our visa application will not be processed until we have provided the necessary biometric information. The finger scans are electronic so staff does not need to use any ink, liquid or chemicals. We had our digital photograph taken at the same time. We had to make sure that we did not have any decoration, or any cuts or other markings on our fingertips before having our finger scans. We also made sure that we did not have any cuts and bruises on our face, or they have healed or disappeared before we had our photograph taken.

The UK government says about biometric visa

It helps protect applicants and their family from identity theft.
It helps keep visa applicants and their family safe from crime and terrorism through ensuring that we can make traveling to, and being in the UK more secure;
Visa applicants won’t be accidentally mistaken for another person with the same or similar name.
In the longer term, applicants’ biometric data will be used to facilitate fast passage through automatic gates of entry at UK ports and airports.

More About our Mission Duties and Location.

Our call is for 23 months because if we stay any longer we must apply for UK citizenship. We will be based in Warwick which is a quiet town. It is south of Birmingham between Stratford-on-Avon and Coventry. It is considered “posh” or well to do by some. There are no large shopping malls but many quaint shops. There are two grocers in the area, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
The Public Affairs missionary flat (apartment) is currently in downtown Warwick, about one mile
from the office building (which is in the Warwick Chapel). The Birmingham International airport is 16.4 miles (33 min) from the office.

Warwick_Castle_May_2016 — Warwick Castle

Our calling includes providing support to the National Directors of Public Affairs and Communications from Great Britain, Ireland, France [and French-speaking Belgium, as well as Luxembourg], the Netherlands [and Flemish-speaking Belgium], and Norway. The Core Purpose is:
‘To build strategic relationships with opinion leaders who affect the reputation of the Church, and whose action and influence can help or hinder the Church’s mission.”

The senior missionaries – two couples in Warwick, one couple in London – are the support team. There is a wide variety of things to be done: training, office work, filing, accounting, reports, computer, emails, letters, mailings, ordering equipment, organizing, planning lunches and working with or meeting with VIPs…and whatever else is needed.

We will help train National Public Affairs and Communications Council members and provide ongoing support so UK church representatives can focus on the important activities and issues for their individual country.

We have one year from the day of our arrival to get a UK driver’s license. It may cost up to £500 by the time we have lessons and take the three required tests, a theory, a hazard, and a driving test. It is considered one of the hardest driving tests in the world. Most Brits could not pass the driver’s test now if they had to and they admit it.

Butch Retired!

Dual Enrollment Thursday, October 25, 2018, Butch retired from regular full-time employment.

The individuals pictured above are his colleagues from the dual enrollment department at Rio Salado College. Butch spent the last couple years of his career working with high school administrators, teachers, students, and parents, promoting early College experience.

Now that he’s retired he will be able to devote more time to our mission preparation such as selling a car, leasing our house, completing medical checkups and exams. Delynn will be retiring the middle of December.

17th Grandchild Born

Olive Whitney Klein born October 5, 2018

Friday, October 5, 2018, our 17th grandchild was born. 6 pounds 19 inches long Olive Whitney Klein.

This will give our daughter Kasey and her husband Tyler 4 children, all girls.

This means that the only way Olive will know grandma and grandpa are via Facetime and video conferences from our mission.

She will be two years old by the time we return.