MAINTAINING A MISSION CAR

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates a fleet of several thousand recent model automobiles assigned to the missionary department and deployed worldwide. Fifty of those cars are in service in the Maryland Baltimore Mission representing a capital investment of more than $250,000 just to cover the purchasing cost.

Elder Gibbons instructs missionaries on car maintenance

Since most of the missionaries who drive these cars are between the ages of 19 and 23 and the Church is self-insured, Church leaders are fully aware that as a group, young elders and sisters are poor drivers. As you might expect, there is considerable interest among Church leaders to ensure that each vehicle be driven safely and properly maintained.

Our mission has been designated as one of 25 missions in the United States to be involved in a pilot Driver Accountability Program. An electronic device has been installed in each mission automobile to monitor the driving habits of each missionary including use of seat belts, speed, "catching air" (going over bumps too fast so the car becomes airborne), turning sharply at excessive speed, etc. Infractions are reported automatically to the mission office and Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. The device also "speaks" to the driver warning him or her about driving infractions before they are reported.

This is an inspired program that is intended to help missionaries to follow safe driving practices while helping to protect both the elders and sisters as well as the mission vehicles. Monitoring how the cars are being driven will also improve gas efficiency, extend tire mileage, and  lengthen the life of brakes.

Elder checks the air pressure in the tire

Elder Gibbons who manages the mission automobiles provides basic instruction for our elders and sisters regarding how they should frequently check tire pressure, oil and radiator and other fluid levels in the mission vehicles. In contrast, Sister Lindsay and I as senior missionaries are fully responsible for all of the expenses (operating, maintenance, and insurance) pertaining to the use of our car while we are on our mission . . . the missionaries think that we are lucky that we have unlimited mileage.

THE FUNERAL PROCESSION

A funny thing happened unexpectedly on our way to an appointment today . . .

As Sister Lindsay eased our car onto the Baltimore Beltway, the traffic seemed heavy for early afternoon. We remained in the right hand lane, because the Interstate 95 exit heading north towards New York was only a quarter mile away. We were driving to Bel Air, Maryland to conduct our monthly inspection of the local missionary apartment.

With a sudden burst of speed, a vehicle that was beside us in the next lane pulled ahead of our automobile and immediately cut in front of our car. It seemed a bit odd that the driver didn't use his turn signal; but instead, he had his emergency flashers engaged. When I looked in my passenger side mirror, I found that the vehicle behind us was also using his emergency flashers. Looking forward again as we rounded the gentle right-hand curve of the elongated entrance ramp headed onto Interstate 95, I could plainly see that there were several more cars in front of us with their flashers blinking on and off like so many fireflies flying in close formation.

And there at the lead end of this fast-moving parade was a large white hearse . . . we were smack-dab in the middle of a funeral procession traveling to a cemetery! Well, what do you do when you find yourself is such a situation? Sister Lindsay calmly turned on our emergency flashers and maintained our position in line, so we looked just like everybody else in the funeral cavalcade.

We did our best to look appropriately solemn like the other mourners until we were on the Interstate; and then my wife shut off the emergency flashers, activated the left-turn signal, and hit the gas pedal. Just for the record: Sister Lindsay's smooth, intuitive reaction when she found herself unwittingly participating in a funeral procession was made possible by the fact that this isn't the first time she has done this. She had a similar experience back home in Carolina a few years ago. To be sure, there is no substitute for experience!

Oh just in case you were wondering,  the hearse pictured above wasn't exactly like the one we encountered on the highway, but this image is so captivating that I decided to include it anyhow.

LET'S HAVE SQUIRREL FOR DINNER!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consciously makes a strong effort to provide medical support and consultation services for elders and sisters who are serving full time missions. Elder and Sister Mikesell are senior missionaries assigned to provide such support and service for twelve Church missions including the Maryland Baltimore Mission. Elder Mikesell is a retired physician who is on call twenty-four hours a day to handle medical issues as needed.

During a recent missionary conference in Annapolis, Maryland, Elder and Sister Mikesell presented some wise suggestions regarding the things that missionaries need to do in order to protect their health. They pointed out that one big problem for the elders and sisters is gastrointestinal disorders, which are frequently caused by contaminated food and water.

During the question and answer period, the mission president's wife expressed her concern to Dr. Mikesell about whether it was safe for the missionaries to eat cooked squirrel? It has been reported to her that some Church members, especially in West Virginia and far western Maryland have been feeding the missionaries squirrels when they come to their homes for dinner appointments. Since the Mikesell's had addressed the common problem of stomach disorders among missionaries, she was looking for his support in banning squirrel meat from meals where elders and sisters were invited to eat.

Flying Squirrel . . . gourmet delight?

"Ground squirrels taste terrible," the doctor responded with a smile; "but tree squirrels are wonderful to eat. Just make certain that the meat is cooked!" That certainly wasn't the answer that the mission president's wife had expected as evidenced by the shocked look on her face.

Sister Lindsay and I have been invited to a number of member homes for meal appointments since we started our mission in Maryland; but to date, no one has served us squirrel!

MOTHERS WOULD BE IMPRESSED . . .

Sister Lindsay and I believe that the many of the parents of the young full time missionaries would probably be quite amazed to discover how their sons and daughters become adept at taking their suitcases, boxes, and other items accumulated while serving here and successfully stuffing them into member vehicles on transfer day. After all, aren't these the same young people who prior to leaving home may have had trouble finding the floor of their bedroom or the laundry basket?

 

Take one vehicle and add all of these ingredients

But something wonderful is happening to these young people as they work together as servants of the Lord and as teaching companions to each other. They are growing into responsible adults; and in the process, these elders and sisters are learning how to plan, establish priorities, and become better organized in their day to day living. Whatever skills and attitudes they may have had prior to missionary service about keeping their lives and possessions in order are being positively reinforced every day.

Well-organized missionary apartment

The well-defined standards for cleanliness and organization within all missionary apartments together with monthly inspections by senior missionary couples helps encourage young men and women establish personal goals for taking care of their clothing and other personal items. Because we perform monthly inspections at many of these apartments, we can see firsthand the marvelous results of how well the elders and sisters keep their houses in order.

And now, it amazingly all fits into the vehicle!

We have also found that prior to their departure for home, some of these young people give much of their clothing away to their fellow missionaries or to the bishop's storehouse where it can be distributed to the poor and needy in the Baltimore area. Because of this training and experience, these individuals will be better prepared for marriage and parenthood in the future.

PINEWOOD DERBY RACING

Fifty-nine years ago, Cubmaster Don Murphy organized the very first pinewood derby in Manhattan Beach, California. Murphy's son was too young to participate in the popular Soap Box Derby races, so he came up with the idea of racing miniature wood cars. The cars had the same gravity-powered concept as the full-size Soap Box Derby cars, but were much smaller and easier to build. After Don Murphy's first race in 1953 the Los Angeles County Department of Recreation copied the pinewood derby with Murphy's permission.

Full time missionaries enjoy pinewood derby racing too 

For more than half a century, pinewood derby racing has been embraced not only by Cub Scouting, but it has a strong following with the Girl Scouts, other youth organizations, and adult groups too. Within the Church, an annual pinewood derby competition is frequently held in conjunction with another fun activity . . . the chili cook-off.

On March 3rd, Chesapeake Ward families had a wonderful evening together enjoying many "special ingredient" chili recipes while cheering on their favorite homemade pinewood derby racers in a double elimination tournament. All of the race cars had to weigh-in on a scale set up at the registration table for that purpose.

Everyone had a chance to race his car!

Even little children were allowed to use the racetrack for their "unofficial" racecar entries. And those folks who didn't have a derby racer enjoyed the opportunity just to visit with each other and eat chili.

Odds and Ends 4

Many people have asked us what we do as senior missionaries. Do we knock on doors like the young Elders do? Our "official" job description is "member and leadership support." With that in mind, I have compiled a list of some of the things we do, or have done, as senior missionaries.

• teach investigators
• feed misionaries
• conduct and speak at a funeral
• move missionaries from one apartment to another
• re-teach less active members
• speak in Sacrament meeting
• help out at the Mission office
• attend missionary conferences
• teach Sunday School
• transport missionaries to new area assignments
• bake cookies for missionaries
• inspect five missionary apartments monthly
• attend specialized training meetings every other month
• teach Temple Preparation classes
• take investigators to the DC Temple Visitors' Center
• attend weekly district meetings
• deliver bikes and other surplus items from missionary apartments to Mission office
• work at the Bishop's Storehouse
• visit members, both active and less active
• sing in Ward choir/attend choir rehearsals
• take missionaries to medical appointments
• attend 7:15 am Ward Council meetings on Sunday mornings
• give spiritual message to members in their homes
• sit in funeral home in support of member whose father died
• go to dinner or lunch appointments
• help Empty Nesters Family Home Evening group get started
• attend funerals of members we never met
• administer priesthood blessings for the sick

Hopefully, this will give everyone some idea of what it's like to be a missionary in the Maryland Baltimore Mission! Are we having fun? You bet!

THE STARFISH STORY

In his sixteen page essay entitled "The Star Thrower" published in 1969, Loren Elseley (1907-1977) shared what is now known as the Starfish Story, which is a brief thought-provoking account of what can be done by a single individual to make a difference in spite of what others might think to the contrary. Although this tale has been told and retold many times with slight variations in the telling, the message remains clear:  we may only be one, but we are still one and can determine that we will do something that might mean everything to the one we help.

Here is the essence of Elseley's story . . .

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”


As we serve our mission here in Baltimore day to day, we have become sadly aware that among the 700 or more members of this urban congregation there are hundreds of individuals who, for whatever reason (and there are many different ones), are no longer being spiritually sustained by the life-giving strength of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their plight is not unlike the starfish who have washed ashore and are in danger of dying without a helping hand.

Admittedly, there are moments when Sister Lindsay and I occasionally feel somewhat overwhelmed at the magnitude of the work that needs to be done and the limitations that keep us from doing more than we have thus far been able to accomplish. But our search prayerfully continues for finding new ways and more helpers among the good saints in the Chesapeake Ward to personally identify and rescue those souls who need to be helped. There is promised joy in this life and the life to come for those who are saved as well as those who reach out to them.