By way of introduction . . .

On June 23, 2012, we will check into the MTC to begin our missionary service. We are looking forward to serving the missionaries and people in the Mexico, Guadalajara Mission. We have heard so many great things about the mission and the work President Saucedo and his wife are doing there now. Once we arrive in the mission field, around June 29, we will begin regular posting on this blog for all family and friends who may be interested in following the happenings of the mission over the next three years.

As for now, however, I thought we could introduce ourselves.

Wes was born in Colonia Dublan, Mexico and raised in Mexico City. His father began and served as the first director of the Benemerito de las Americas, the church school there. Wes served in the Mexico, Merida Mission and graduated from BYU in accounting and from the UofU with an MBA. He is a partner in a construction company in Arizona.

I was born in Salt Lake City, UT. My father taught business classes at BYU and is the youngest son of Joseph Fielding Smith. I lived in Salt Lake, Costa Rica (when my father served as mission president) and Orem, Utah. I also attended BYU-Provo and BYU-Hawaii before serving a mission in Quito, Ecuador.

Although I might be slightly biased, I am pretty sure I had one of the best mission presidents in the world. In fact I thought so highly of him, I became a permanent part of his family by marrying his son. (We were lined up on a date after I returned home.)

Thirty wonderful years later (we will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary about a week after arriving in Mexico) we have five children--four girls and one boy--two sons in law, one daughter in law, one granddaughter and three grandsons. And we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of twin boys sometime in June.  Our 21-year-old daughter is currently awaiting her own mission call, and our youngest will begin at BYU-Provo in the fall. We will miss them all very much.

Wes has served as a bishop, seminary teacher, counselor in the stake presidency, as stake president--and probably his favorite calling, stake athletic director. :-) He has enjoyed all of the callings but secretly aspires to Gospel Doctrine teacher.

I think my greatest love is the seminary program where I served for 11 years. I also enjoyed working with the young women, as ward activities chairman (I am always up for a good party) and now am totally in love with my primary class.

We are very excited, however, to serve a mission together in Mexico. Wes is thrilled to return to the country of his birth and serve the people there, whom he already loves. I am also very excited about our call. When I was twenty-one years old and ready to turn in my mission papers, I was sitting in church when I heard a voice say to me, "You are going on a mission to Guadalajara." I had never even heard of the place and had to ask my roommate where it was. Then I received my mission call to Ecuador. I was a bit confused, but mostly just thought it was humorous that my inspiration was so far off.

However, I remembered what I heard and when we opened our mission call this past February and saw Guadalajara, I knew the inspiration I received over 30 years ago was now being fulfilled.

And so with that we look forward to July!