Call to the Salt Lake Central Mission--

Ryan got his mission call yesterday-- Salt Lake City Central Mission. He leaves on June 27th. We are so proud of him.

The Central Mission is a brand new mission come July 1st of this year. It is tiny. My brother, who was able to study the map, said that if it was square it would be 60 City blocks north to south and about 6 miles wide. It includes the Salt Lake suburbs of Taylorsville and Midvale, plus parts of West Jordan, Sandy and Murray.

On the mission map posted here I have placed a star where I grew up in Taylorsville. A week ago I told Ryan that I was voting for his call to be somewhere that we had family heritage. I was thinking England, Wales, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, etc. But, as Ryan pointed out, Taylorsville is full of family history-- very recent Lewis family history.

Cousin Alyssa drove to Provo in the 15 seater van and picked up Ryan and some friends from BYU. Then, Ryan opened his call at Uncle Matthew's home surrounded by famly and friends. Present were Andrew Soderquist, Grandma and Grandpa Lewis, Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Matthew and their six kids, and six or eight BYU friends. The family skyped from Arkansas and watched the call open via the Internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SjrpzCHj3k

Ryan giggled and put his head in his hands in unbelief. It seemed to be unbelievable in a happy way.

Ryan knows this area well. For twelve years he climbed the apricot tree and played in the tree house in my parents' backyard. We have walked the Jordan River parkway, played at parks, gone to the library, visited the Jordan River Temple, min-golfed, and driven those roads and neighborhoods. He was even baptized in the Taylorsville Central Stake Center 11 years ago. Even though my parents no longer live there, the boys and I always make an annual trip to Leatherby's Ice Cream Shop on Redwood Road for the delicious homemade caramel.

We think that Greg's brother, Gary, and his family live inside the mission. Greg's brother, Lynnae's family and Greg's brother, Alan's family are just two to four blocks outside the mission boundaries. Mike's family is close by, too. My Dad's wife, Wendy, knows the mission president, Richard Moffat, from the Salt Lake Foothill Stake.

One thing about serving in Utah, I feel confident that he will be cared for my members and will never want for dinner appointments. :)