Senior Spotlight: The Hepworths – serving an extended mission in Camden, AL

Although Elder and Sister Hepworth were originally called to serve a 12 month, Member and Leadership Support (MLS) mission in Camden, AL, they extended their mission another six months in October 2014. 

Why?  “Because we felt we were needed here more than at home,” says Sister Hepworth.

This is not to say that they do not miss their five children and 18 grandchildren mightily, but with technology it seems that all things are possible.  From weekly family blog entries to regularly scheduled Facetime and Skype conversations, they are able to keep up with events at home just as well as if they were back in Centerville, UT. 

 At the close of a mission well-served, The Hepworths can look back to the start of their assignment to serve among the 1,900 people in this rural Alabama town from the beginning: a “self-designed mission” that reflected their own skills and talents as measured against the needs of the small Camden Branch.  Never, in all the callings that they have served in, have they felt as challenged or as fulfilled as they have in the many responsibilities they have undertaken. 

As just one of many instances, Sister Hepworth gave up playing the piano more than 25 years ago, simply because there were so many very gifted pianists in the wards they’d lived in – whether in Utah or in Portland, Oregon.  Yet, upon attending the first Sacrament meeting and finding that the music was provided by a CD Player, she knew immediately that she could no longer hide that particular talent under a bushel.

 Sister Hepworth’s Church service experience was almost precisely mirrored by her opportunities in Camden: as a former Primary President, she was able to help meet the needs of the Branch’s children; as a former Young Women’s President, she could assist in their further development; her service in Stake Relief Society Presidencies helped bring a renewed sense of sisterly kindness, charity and service – not only among the Branch members but others in the community. 

In fact, townspeople of different faiths and experiences have often referred to them as “Our town’s missionaries” when speaking of the Hepworths to visitors.  Small wonder, then, that when three of the Hepworth’s daughters visited recently, they were embraced and “nearly formally adopted” at the close of a three day trip.  The wonderful, plain-spoken and open people of Camden were “amazing” in how quickly they embraced The Hepworths as “immediate family.”  With quiet humor, Sister Hepworth compared the fixation that Relief Society sisters out West sometimes have with ensuring that the table napkins match perfectly to the simple, wonderful and loving character that she found in this little branch - just enjoying each others’ company, while working toward a common good.

Elder Hepworth’s previous Church service similarly prepared him to maximize his impact: everything from early morning Seminary teaching, Young Men President, three different High Councils to five years as a Bishop all gave him experience that would be for others’ good.  Yet, the most impact that their previous service provided to the Branch was their service as Temple Ordinance workers.  A concentration – in cooperation with two-time Branch President McIntosh - on Family History work led to much activity and activation, with one sister having recently completed the indexing of over 22,000 names; for others, it meant considerably increased temple attendance in spite of the 300 miles roundtrip.

At bottom, however, the Camden Branch didn’t grow and prosper the lives of the Saints there because of the Hepworths.  “All we did is help make ideas happen,” says Sister Hepworth.  She was quick to point out how Church members in this tiny branch already were leading the community – everywhere from the five year old who decided to take them to school as “Show and Tell” to the 17 year old President of the Student Body at the Wilkins County High School – who also leads the school’s chapel and prayer session each morning.

The difficulty that the Hepworths will have in early March will be to pull themselves away from these people that they have grown so much to love over the past 18 months; it will be compounded by the attempts by the Branch to keep their arms around them so they can’t leave.

Senior Couple Spotlight: The Kellys

Elder Rodney and Sister Bonnie Kelly

Three months before the sixth year anniversary of being called as a Bishop in Tampa FL, retired Marine Corps Major Rod Kelly was prompted that he and his wife should serve a mission.    Papers went in soon thereafter and just weeks after that release, Elder Rodney and Sister Bonnie Kelly departed for the Missionary Training Center, en route to service as a Military Relations Senior Couple at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.  They’ll be completing a year of their service in September 2014.

In retrospect, perhaps they could have seen it coming even sooner: as converts in adulthood, they had already sent off two sons and two daughters on missions of their own – sons to Dallas TX and Japan; daughters to Louisiana and Chile.  As a military family, they all had considerable experience with relocations to distant places.  Further, as is most often the case in military units of the Church, opportunities for service abounded.  Elder Kelly served as a Counselor in four bishoprics before his own, as well as having been a Scoutmaster, Young Men’s Counselor, Elders Quorum President, Executive Secretary, five times as a ward clerk: clearly he was no stranger to demanding callings in The Church.   Sister Kelly, enjoyed the same levels and types of callings as well: Young Women’s President and counsellor, Relief Society President and counsellor, nine years as a Gospel Principles teacher  (not to mention those six children).  

Current calling?  Absolutely the best calling in The Church

Senior Spotlight: The Spechts

Twenty-three months ago, Elder Clifford and Sister Christine Specht left their home in San Diego, CA and entered the Missionary Training Center en route to their assignment in LA (Lower Alabama).  After almost two years in the mission field, they have “seen and done just about everything.”

As Member and Leadership Support missionaries, Elder and Sister Specht have served in numerous Church positions in the Greenville Branch in the southern-most reaches of the Alabama Birmingham Mission (please remember, that there is still more of Alabama below them – the part that contains the second best mission in the Church).  In addition to their activities in the Church, they’ve also been busy being representatives of the Church as well.  Small towns throughout the country have benefitted from such MLS missionaries, and Greenville is no exception.

The Spechts have participated in everything from crochet clubs to yoga groups at the local YMCA, as well as an Interfaith Council of ministers that’s led to new relationships and opportunities to introduce the Restored Gospel to members of the community.  Not only have the Spechts invited many, many different people to Church activities, they also found great success by participating in – and even helping with - activities of other groups and denominations.  This has led to not only community members reciprocating with visits to the chapel for such programs as talent shows – helped by such wonderful younger missionaries such as Sisters Lewis and Thorup – but also in holding “open Family Home Evenings as many nights a week as possible,” regular Family History nights, and with many of those who are not-yet members accepting invitations to – and completing – the active Addiction Recovery Program.

Elder and Sister Specht, as adult converts, have now followed their children into the mission field, although Alabama is far from Uruguay and Brazil where two of their children served.  Unlike their children, however, as MLS missionaries, this Senior Couple has not been actively “proselyting.”  Nonetheless, people they’ve met and helped teach have accepted the Gospel and been baptized.  In fact, “baptizing through not proselyting” has come as an easy and natural thing.  People who watch and observe see true happiness in a companionship; as they themselves are helped, they see the principles of The Gospel in action and want more that for themselves.  And, in a wonderfully circular way, the Specht’s own testimonies of Gospel Principles have grown dramatically.

Elder Specht, with his Nebraska roots as a highschool wrestling and football coach has forever attached himself to Sister Specht’s Southern California roots.  Now, they’ll add family members – Church family members – from the South to their children and twelve grandchildren in Washington State as they complete their great service.  Their message to potential senior couples?  “There’s no life like missionary life!”

Senior Couple Spotlight: Elder and Sister Champion

Elder and Sister Champion

The Champions say that this is their Best Possible Picture -
"with these wonderful young missionaries in the background!"

Elder Herbert and Sister Linda Champion are representative of the exceptional, locally-called, Church Service (CS) Missionaries who do so very much for branches and wards that need augmentation.  In much the same way that Member and Leadership Support (MLS) missionaries are called, CS Missionaries like the Champions provide their years of Church and professional experience to members and local Church leaders.  Unlike MLS missionaries, however, they remain at home – for an infinite variety of reasons ranging from health issues to family matters – rather than serving in distant locations.

Elder and Sister Champion are members of the Northport Ward, Bessemer Alabama Stake (Northport is the superior city to its better known neighbor, Tuscaloosa).  Both converts to the Church, the Champions are also both US Navy veterans, and both worked in the field of cryptology.  Elder Champion mixed both land as well as sea duties over the course of his 20-plus year career; Sister Champion spent all of her time on land-based projects.  Upon his retirement, Elder Champion used the GI Bill to finish his collegiate preparation for a second career in accounting, and worked for the Veterans Administration before retiring again.   They’d returned after their military service to Sister Champion’s hometown of Northport; to Elder Champion, a “Navy brat” raised all around the world, it was clearly his home too.

Both Elder and Sister Champion had long awaited the opportunity to serve a full-time mission, yet when the opportunity came, the need to remain close to their health care provider prevented them from serving at a distant location.  Offered the opportunity for a CS Mission by their Stake President, they jumped at the chance and have served for the past 18 months in the small Demopolis Branch in the extreme southwestern corner of the Mission.  As the Southern phrase goes: “They do it all, y’all.”  They assist in locating and teaching those who may be less-active, they teach Gospel Principles, Elder Champion serves as the Branch Clerk and she is a Relief Society instructor.  (For visitors to the Christmas-time blog photography, you’ll recognize Elder Champion also leading the “Elvis Presley look-a-like singing troupe” that brought down the house with their version o f “White Christmas.”  Especially, the patented Elvis shaking leg – stopping short however of any inappropriate hip gyrations.)  

Elder Champion performs Elvis!

Most fulfilling, however, has been their work in the Book of Mormon Reading program, which has a fundamental purpose of reducing illiteracy in the area, but also to enhance an appreciation of the Book of Mormon.  Although not specifically designed to foster missionary work itself, the Champions have seen two baptisms since the beginning of January 2014 and another three – and possibly four – new converts are in the wings as they attend the literacy program.

Since they remain at home and are Missionaries on a (so-called) part-time basis, they remain in their own home, near their one child who lives in Alabama; the child in Arizona would be far away almost wherever they served.  At the same time, however, their service is not solely within the Demopolis Branch boundaries, since they also find time to volunteer in local community-service activities as well.

What will they do now?  They’ll return to their usual approach to Church service in the Northport Ward and Bessemer Stake where he has served previously as Stake Sunday School, High Councilor, High Priests Group Leader, Ward Mission Leader, Executive Secretary among others; Sister Champion probably won’t be called as the Relief Society President again, although Compassionate Service and Activities Committee work has occupied much of her Church life. 

Do they recommend a CS Mission?  Absolutely!!  It’s one of the greatest things they’ve ever done!!  Would they serve a Full-time mission elsewhere if circumstances permit?  Certainly.  But, the important thing is that The Lord knows who needs what from whom – and the Champions have certainly given their all to this call.

Senior Couple Spotlight: The Tylers!

Elder Val and Sister LaWana Tyler

             The first thing many missionaries open after they’ve opened their mission call is an atlas to find – or at least find out more – about the area and people they’ll be serving.  Not so Elder and Sister Tyler from Evanston, Wyoming.  Elder Tyler served as a missionary from 1965 to 1967 in the Southeastern States Mission, and in North Alabama for a year; Sister Tyler had been doing extensive family history research on her forebears from Alabama for years.

Senior Couple Spotlight: The Mays!

Getting ready to leave on another task within the Mission.  
This really captures the Mays' spirit: their truck doors 
are always open, and the engine is running.

Elder and Sister May have served in the Mission since April of 2012 and return home at the end of March 2014.  Although they had originally been called to serve for eighteen months, they voluntarily extended another six months while awaiting the assignment of another professional nurse to replace Sister May.  (One more indication that Sisters are always more important than Brethren.)

The Mays hail from the major metropolitan area of Rockland, Idaho.  They are the parents of 11 children and 43 grandchildren – 5 of whom were born while they have been serving out here.  Elder May owned and operated a family telephone business, with exchanges in six states, providing internet and telephone services in rural areas.  Sister May, retired after a fulfilling career as an Emergency Room/Intensive Care Unit nurse.

Elder and Sister May in their Natural Habitat -
with missionaries, in front of their all-purpose vehicle,
in a chapel parking lot.  (Purple ties are not optional)

While here in the Mission, Sister May’s experience provided a nearly custom-made background to help meet the medical needs of such a large missionary force as we have in Alabama and Mississippi (and bits of Tennessee, of course).  Elder May, who served as the Housing Coordinator was also in near-constant motion – identifying apartments and other forms of housing for nearly 150 companionships, negotiating with landlords, power and utility firms, arranging for furniture and large appliances to name just a few.  Obviously, his business experience had direct application to the on-going and challenging needs of the missionaries he supported.  

When not so engaged, he also served in the Lorna Branch Presidency.  His experience as a young missionary in Argentina prepared him well for that language intense need here in Alabama (see an upcoming blog article on the work of Spanish speaking missionaries in Alabama.  Who would have thought, eh?)

The choicest aspects of their missionary service was the opportunity to serve under the two best Mission Presidents in the Church.  The most difficult part of their mission was having to watch illness or injury cause some valiant young missionaries to have to return home before the completion of their full assignment. 

And, what do they look forward to after seeing their extended family again?  Serving another mission wherever The Lord sees fit to call them. 

New Series!! Meet the Senior Couples of the Alabama Birmingham Mission

As of October 2013, approximately 80,300 full-time missionaries were serving round the world. This represents a significant increase from the 59,000 who were serving at the time of President Monson’s historic announcement in October 2012 and most of the attention has – appropriately – been focused on the new minimum ages for both Elders and Sisters. However, there has been no dramatic change in the number or even percentages of Senior Couples who are serving in widely diverse and important missionary roles around the world. That is not to say that they are not needed any longer. Their contributions are widely diverse, highly influential and necessary roles – and may even be needed more than ever as The Church continues to grow. In this series of our blog, we’d like to profile the Senior Couples who are also serving in various capacities within the Alabama Birmingham Mission. These profiles will not only spotlight those couples, but also describe the diversity of experiences they bring as they contribute to the work going forward. They are not unique, however; other stories of Senior Couples working around the world can be found at https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/senior-missionary-stories?lang=eng 

 You can find these posts tagged with the label "Senior Couples".

Senior Couple Spotlight: Meet the Eliasons!

Elder and Sister Eliason of Provo, Utah are nearing the end of their Member and Leadership Support (MLS) Mission in the New Albany, (Mississippi) Branch of the Tupelo Stake.  Serving in one of the most far-flung areas of the Alabama Birmingham Mission, the Eliasons were also serving in one of the geographically largest branches as well, located midway between Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo and his springboard city of Memphis, Tennessee. (It’s important to understand such vital data when serving in The Great American South). 

The relatively recent change in Senior Couple missionary opportunities that permitted six-month missions – in addition to the 12, 18 and 24 month missions – seemed ideal for the Eliasons. Elder Eliason had previously served in Mississippi as a young man and so he had a pretty fair mastery of the language even before coming out. 

Following a 40 year career in the Church Education System in Utah and California, Elder and Sister Eliason devote several months of each year to providing Church History tours to young people during vacation cycles. Had it not been for the six month opportunity, the Eliasons’ small business obligations would have prevented them from serving a longer mission. 

Contrary to popular (mis)conceptions about Senior Couples and their extended families, absence from home was not a major concern for the Eliasons. Even though through their 10 children they have 47 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, they gained uniformly great encouragement from their family – encouragement that was often expressed as gratitude for their example to their children and grandchildren. As many families in these technology-rich days, they were able to keep in regular touch with their family in Boston, Texas, Idaho and Utah – just as they did from home, using Skype and FaceTime. Such mechanisms made it seem that they were missing hardly anything in the lives of their family.   

In exchange, they believe that this may have been the very best six months of their entire lives on several levels: First, they felt an actual slackening of responsibility because they knew that they had the blessing of having the entire Church praying for their success; Second, while they had been close throughout their marriage on many dimensions, being 24/7 companions gave them a unity of purpose that they had rarely felt before; and Third, getting to know and love the people in the New Albany Branch was more like a “perfect vacation” than the hard work and sacrifice that so typifies missionary work. 

Their advice to any Senior Couples contemplating serving a mission? “Do it, Just Do It – It will be the very best time of your life!”