And we just take it for granted.....

It seems like forever since I added anything to this blog. It isn't because there is nothing to tell, or because I didn't think about it. It is just life. Things have been busy and I too easily find myself in the rut, taking for granted each day, each task, and all of the adjacent activities. Today it struck me that I have not been keeping track of those experiences that make me who I am. So, for the next couple of days I hope to rectify that situation.

Let's start with late January. There was a big Library Association meeting here in Denver. I had the opportunity to take part in that meeting by manning a booth in the Exposition Hall. The booth was set up by the church to encourage librarians all over the world to add the www.familysearch.org site to their desktop. Our job was to get their attention, tell them about the site, and give them a short tour. How does one do a short tour of the site? There is so much available there; databases, the catalog, the new record search, digital books, research strategy, PAF, and PAF companion to name a few. The first catch was that, even though I volunteered for Saturday, they needed me on Sunday; all day Sunday. It meant missing my meetings and taking the sacrament.

You can imagine my mood. It is 7:00 AM Sunday morning, cold and frosty and I am waiting for the train. First, I don't like cold. Living in Denver does not mean I like the cold. Second, I don't like early morning and especially not on a Sunday. I had to get up at 5:00 AM in order to shower, dress, and get to the train by 7:00; and third, I missed singing in choir practice, and sitting with my friends in my meetings. I was throwing my own private "pitty party", however, I went with a smile and determined to let everyone know what a value we had.

Early on there was a gentleman who was interested in what we had to offer. He is a high school librarian, and the school happens to be about 1/2 mile from where I live. He is required to provide a genealogy class once a year, and asked for help. I was delighted to tell him that I would love to help. With enough notice, I can arrange for the time off to help out. I thought, "This is why I am here today, to help the high school students gain an appreciation of family history and their place in their family." Maybe, but....

A couple of hours later a gentleman started walking toward me with a name tag that had a name exactly the same as my cousin's. We started talking and I soon realized that we needed to talk more. His last name is the same as my mother's maiden name, and it appears that his family came from England via Canada. They are the missing arm of the family I have been looking for since 1964. He told me that he would have his uncle, the family genealogist, contact me and we could share records and verify that my assumptions are good. I thought, "Now this is why I am here today, to find the third brother who came from England and trace his posterity." Maybe, but...

A couple of hours later a very tall, very nice man introduced himself to me, and I found out that he is heavily involved with the World Wide Support Mission for new.familysearch.org. He wanted to talk to me about my mission, what I liked about it, what I disliked about it, what improvements can I suggest, how is the software working, etc. We visited for about an hour and at the end of the visit I thought "Now I know why I am here. I love doing family history and now I have made three wonderful contacts that will enrich not only my life, but the life of every patron or family member I come in contact with." Needless to say, there were no more "pity parties" on the return trip. It had been a very gratifying day of serving. I love my mission and I calling in Family History.

Formal Training is Complete...

Life as a Family History Support Missionary has started. However, I am finding that training will be ongoing for as long as I do this work. The work is moving so fast, changes are constant, and one needs to be open to change in order to function. Lately, I have been on the support line from 7 - 10 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I will be working on Saturdays shortly. What a wonderful opportunity. I have the privilege of talking to many people who are learning to use the new.FamilySearch.org software.

What is interesting is that I do the same type of work all day, every day, but I enjoy it so much more in the evening. I think it has something to do with passion and the reasons that we use the software. During the day I work with Pension Plan Administrators who are frustrated using new software to submit their companies retirement contributions. During the evening I work with individuals who are finding their ancestors and seeing to it that the ordinance work is done to seal their families together. There is a difference in the approach each is taking to the task and the tools to complete the task and the "long term" effect of the work.

The contribution will affect to some degree the quality of life during retirement (provided there is anything available when retirement comes). Given the market lately, that is very questionable, but I am optomistic enough that I am putting away funds with each paycheck. The contribution software is temporal and good for this mortal life. It is important, but it is not eternal.

The newFamilySearch software is a tool to help with Family History work. It helps us find, organize, and prepare to seal our ancestors into eternal families. The work is valid for eternity. It is not just for here and now. The people doing this work are serving their ancestors as well as their progenitors. Their reward is to know that they have done work for their ancestors that must be done on Earth but will be valid for eternity.

Did I tell you that I love doing this work? I really do. The people that I have had the opportunity to get to know, the trainers, training assistants, mentors, mission leaders, etc. have all been exceptionally wonderful. I pray that I will have the opportunity to continue doing this work for years to come.