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| Brent and Charlene Lee in front of Johannesburg Temple |
Elder and Sister Lee were on the phone immediately to us, doing a great sales job and trying to convince us that we wanted to come here. Even though we found out there wasn't an opening for French-speaking missionaries here right now, Susan and I really began to feel that a humanitarian mission is what we needed to do. We haven't been sorry a day about our decision.
Our call was moved up 1 month because there was an important training conference coming up on January 12-16. 12 of the 13 "Country Directors" flew in for the conference. Susan and I arrived in country on the 10th. It was held at the Courtyard Marriott close to the temple (and Area office). The conference was really well planned and presented and we learned so much. The Lees together with the Kinghorns put together the whole conference and did a great job. Monday through Thursday, meetings were from 8:30 to 4:30, Friday from 8:30 to 2, then a temple session and dinner for everyone along with the whole Area Presidency. It was really a brutal week for us, trying to understand all that was being presented, and at the same time trying just to stay awake and alert.
I've posted this photo previously but this time I'm going to identify all the participants, partly because it will be helpful for us in years to come.
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| Conference room at the Courtyard Hotel |
Seated on the far right are Glen and Leigh Pond (Elder Pond behind the flower). They live in Mozambique but also have responsibility for Swaziland. Next, are Howard and Cynthia Bodily. They live in Zambia, and also oversee projects in Malawi. Next are Clark and Shelly Davis who live in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo and have responsibility for southern Congo. At the corner are Tom and Gloria Shakespeare. They live in Kenya and also have responsibility for Tanzania.
Standing in the corner is Dr. Peggy Toro (light blue shirt) with her husband Terry Liebel seated around the corner (don't call her Sister Liebel). They live in Rwanda and are part of the Uganda mission. Next is Jim Kirschbaum with his wife Kinne (Kinney), standing in the dark blue dress. They live here in Johannesburg, and are responsible for the projects in South Africa. They are assigned to the S.Africa Mission and not the Area. (Remember, the call for Susan and I was originally for the Johannesburg mission under President Dunn, but was later changed to be Area missionaries with Elder Cook as our ecclesiastical leader.
David and Carol Van Wagoner are next (David is facing away). They live in Burundi and are part of the DR Congo Lubumbashi mission. Next are Lester and Joan Moody. They are part of the DR Congo Kinshasa mission but live in Gabon and have responsibility for Gabon, Cameroon, and the Central Africa Republic (all French Speaking countries).
We've got a group photo of all the couples somewhere. When I find it I'll post it also and identify the rest of the couples.
Everybody kept telling (threatening) Susan and I that we would be doing this conference next year. The Kinghorn's (we'll tell you all about them later) go home in September, so it really will be used, along with Kinghorn's replacements, if they are replaced. The next conference is, in fact, already scheduled for next January.
Elder and Sister Lee are from Idaho (somewhere around Pocatello). He was an oral surgeon. Charlene was a clinical psychologist and family counselor. Several years ago, they decided to go on a mission and were called to Bolivia as humanitarian missionaries, where Brent did a lot of surgical work.
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| Elder Lee at the desk Susan will be using |
When they got home from Bolivia, they decided to go on a mission again and were called to Indonesia, again on a humanitarian mission.
When they got home from Indonesia, they decided to go on a mission again and were called to serve in Ukraine, again as humanitarian missionaries.
When they got home from the Ukraine, they decided to go on a mission again, and were promptly called to the Ukraine again, still as humanitarian missionaries.
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| One of his twice daily naps at his desk |
When they got home from Ukraine the second time, they decided to go on a mission again and were called to serve in Jordan. It was a humanitarian mission again, but quite different from their others because they worked mostly with refugee camps helping with emergency distribution of food and supplies.
When they got home from Jordan, they decided to go on a mission again and were called to the Africa Southeast Area office as Area Welfare Specialists. This was still a humanitarian mission, but for the first time they served in the Area Office instead of out in the field.
They have really loved this mission also. They, along with the Kinghorns worked with all the Country Directors to help them get humanitarian projects planned and approved as well as taking care of the finances relating to those projects. There is a very large budget for the humanitarian efforts in our Area. They have also traveled extensively throughout Africa doing training with the new senior couples as they come.
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| Sister Lee in Kinghorn's Office |
Because of their vast experience, they have been of great value here in the Area office. Their counsel and advice has been sought out and much valued by everyone.
The Lees have left for home (it is now in Draper, Utah [Suncrest]) and then they will be leaving pretty soon on another adventure. They have been requested to go to Iraq, again as humanitarian missionaries.
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