For Dan and Jean Dabell, their family and friends back in the United States are only a mouse click away. For the last six months they have been using Internet technology to keep in touch and share their experiences as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
By day they assist the Samoa Apia mission president, O. Vincent Haleck Jr., as well as teach religion classes for young adults. But in their spare time, they like to keep a record of the new friends they are making and the adventures they are having as missionaries.
Their responsibilities and many other experiences give them plenty of things to talk about with their families back home, using a Webcam and their laptop computer. They also keep a running pictorial and narrative record of their mission on their blog, http://gimmesamoadanandjean.blogspot.com/
One of their recent blog posts was about the visit to American Samoa of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and his wife Sister Harriett Uchtdorf.
The Dabells wrote of that event:
Pres. Uchtdorf visited with the people of American Samoa on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Many saints arrived five hours early, filling the MalaeimiStake Center with over 2,000 people. Today, in Institute we asked our young adults to write their feeling about President Uchtdorf:
“On Saturday all the Islanders were so happy that President Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency came. I felt so excited because I got to see him face to face. I felt the spirit just by looking at him, and listening to his teachings. He praised us and what he said about our people and our island just made me feel proud of who I am.” Frances
“WOW!! I was honored to actually see the second counselor to the prophet. It was packed with people and was just hot, but his presence sent a profound feeling to all those who were attending the fireside. I liked his message about having hope in these dark times, and to help reach out to those spiritually. It was such a lucky experience for me. He also said that we should be instruments in the Lord's hands. Sister Uchtdorf was such a happy lady. I like her ‘liquid sunshine’ talk. It really made my weekend.” Genesis
To read more comments by young American Samoan Latter-day Saints, click here.
Before this mission, the Dabells served as volunteers for the Church in the Inner City Project of Salt Lake City, Utah for two-and-a-half years. They thought that they would then have the “mission bug” out of their system with that experience. But it did the opposite.
“All we could do was think about serving our Heavenly Father,” Sister Dabell says. “Even though neither of us are retired, we saved so we could be gone for 18 months, and plan to continue working when we return.”
“We have seen couples want to serve only to have their health or wealth taken from them before they took the opportunity. We didn’t want this to happen to us.”
The Dabells say that they have grown in their faith as they have been serving as missionaries, even though both grew up in the Church.
“Our love for each other has also grown,” says Elder Dabell. “When we teach a course about marriage, and how it can be eternal, it causes us to focus on our own relationship. The Institute students laugh when we share our stories with them.”
Initially they thought they would blog so family and friends at home could keep up on what they are doing. Sister Dabell says that their grandchildren love to climb on their parent’s lap, “while they read of our adventures, and look at our pictures.”
“We never imagined that the Institute students, Church members in our mission, missionaries, and their families would be interested as well. But they are,” she said.
It is a big sacrifice being so far from home though. “We felt the emptiness of not having our family around this past Christmas, yet we were able to SKYPE them and enjoy in their festivities. The reunion will be so sweet after our mission and it causes me to reflect on our reunion after this earth life when we, hopefully, return to our loved ones and Heavenly Father. It will all be worth it if we are ‘steadfast and immovable always abounding in good works’ and ‘endure to the end.’”
To learn more about the Dabells and their missionary experiences, click here.
There are more than 50,000 Latter-day Saint missionaries like the Dabells serving in communities throughout the world. They teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help individuals and families through humanitarian service, disaster relief, and through other community service.
