This is a short update of how we started on this wonderful, once in a lifetime experience of being called to be Mission President and companion to the Colombia, Bogota North Mission. On September 23, 2008, we received a phone call from Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He invited us to have a get aquainted interview with him. In November we received a phone call from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf asking for us to have an interview with him. He extended to us our call. We had to wait until February to know where we would serve. We were very excited to serve in a Spanish speaking mission.

These are our four oldest grandchildren. They sure look like great missionaries. They are pointing where they think they will be called to serve some day.

We were set apart by Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the twelve apostles, and Elder James B. Martino from the Severnties. We were very pleased to have our children and four of our older grandsons with us. It was a special day for us. We were given our name tags and we were ready to go.

We arrived in Bogota on June 29, 2009. President and Sister Carmargo met us at the airport with a bouquet of fresh flowers. I guess this was called the changing of the guards.

We arrived to a beautiful condo here in Bogota. We were amazed at how big and nice the apartment is. We are on the top floor of an eight story building. We are located just four blocks from the mission office. We enjoy our walk to and from the office, and enjoy the pleasant temperature that averages a temperature in Bogota at 64 degrees year round. It is a beautiful city, and our first impression was how green it is.