WHY WE CHOSE TO SERVE A FULL TIME MISSION

Stephen ZoBell and Barbara ZoBell became Elder ZoBell and Hermana ZoBell on May 28, 2012.  Our call is to serve in the South America South Area.  We are assigned to work with the Missionary Health Department of the Church and under the direction of the Mission Presidents and their wives whose missions are in the Area we provide mental health support for full time missionaries.  Steve was called to be the Area Mental Health Advisor for the South America South Area and Barb was called as Area Mental Health Advisor assistant.

Many years ago we felt that as we became 'of age' that we would like to serve a senior couple's mission.  Our patriarchal blessings indicate this would be a good idea, over the years we have felt inspiration in talks given by our prophets and apostles to consider full time missionary opportunities, Barb's folks served three missions and provided a great example for us to consider.  As well, some of our associates served or are serving missions.  We heard of and knew senior missionaries who absolutely loved the opportunity to serve, we read of the blessings of serving a couple's mission, some of the promised blessings going on for many generations.  These seemed like good reasons to consider a couple's mission.  But, we didn't know when we should actually go out and serve.

In October of 2010 our lives could not have been more stable, comfortable and meaningful.  We enjoyed wonderful relationships with family and friends, Steve's professional opportunities were busy and meaningful.  We were in close affiliation with a singles ward, the Fish Creek Park ward and having a lot of fun.  Barb was happy practicing and performing with her harp and enjoying her cake decorating.  We revelled in our children and grandchildren.  Steve was thoroughly enjoying his professional work with LDS Family Services.  All was well and happy.  And besides, did we really want to leave our children, our grandchildren, our parents and extended family and our friends and our comfortable lifestyle to go out and serve?  But we had also read the statement by Joseph Smith many times:  “Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.” (History of the Church, 4:227.)  We knew there was work for us to do outside of the realm of our comfort zone.

During this time in October, we did not listen to or view all of the sessions of the October General Conference because we were too busy.  But, as usual, we watched most of them within a few weeks after the fact.  Late in October, we heard President Monson's Saturday morning address, and heard three sentences from his talk that touched our hearts and changed our lives:  To those of you who are not yet to the season of life when you might serve a couples mission, I urge you to prepare now for the day when you and your spouse might do so. As your circumstances allow, as you are eligible for retirement, and as your health permits, make yourselves available to leave home and give full-time missionary service. There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master.  Our time to go on a mission started on that day.  We felt the sweet spirit prompting us to go--now.

It took Steve a year to shift his professional responsibilities over to others in a streamlined way.  Barb took the lead in dismantling our day to day lifestyles.  This meant dejunking, giving away, throwing away, changing addresses, organizing our application, obtaining immunizations, having physicians and dentists fill out forms, renting the house, applying for an Argentine visa, lining up interviews, etc etc etc.  There is a lot of work that goes into mission preparation.

We recieved our call early in January of 2012.  At the exact time that we recieved our call, Steve was so sick he couldn't get our of bed.  'I can't walk across the street and the prophet wants me to go to South America on a mission?!'   With many blessings, faith, fasting and support from family and friends Steve became well enough to get on the plane and leave for the MTC with Barb, his sweetheart. 

And thus started a new adventure in the lives of Steve and Barb ZoBell, aka, Elder and Hermana (Sister) ZoBell