Elder Simeon Lovell says, "Bye, y'all"

Elder Simeon Lovell left today for the MTC in Provo in final preparation for missionary service in the Georgia Atlanta Mission.  He and twin brother Selwin first met the missionaries at age 14 in their hometown of Georgetown, Guyana, South America. In the United States only since mid-September and in St. George since Halloween “the twins” always knew the next great adventure in their lives would be a mission. 

His call to the "other Dixie" was met with enthusiasm.  “I just want to serve the Lord.  I am happy for this opportunity to serve in Georgia although I am sorry Selwin and I won’t be in the MTC together.  Could be the MTC just wasn’t prepared for two Lovells at the same time.”

As his "surrogate mother / grandmother" for the past four months, I will miss having him around.  Simeon is always quick to offer his help, jump when I ask him to do something and makes me laugh.  I am concerned about him serving in the "deep South" because he has no concept of prejudice.  I pray his pleasant personality, wit and love of the gospel of Jesus Christ will carry him through the difficult times.  

Missionaries first arrived in Georgia in 1843 but after Joseph Smith was martyred one year later, the growth of the Church slowed.  Missionary activity resumed in the late 1870s when the Southern States Mission was headquartered in Rome, Georgia. One early convert to the Church donated land and built a chapel at Mormon Springs in Haralson County before missionaries left the state for more than a decade following the murder of one missionary in July 1879. 

By 1908, Church membership in Georgia was approximately 6,800 but in 1930 membership had dropped to 4,311. 

Today there are 80,500+ members, 151 wards and branches, 2 missions, 42 family history centers and a temple - the first in the southern states - which was completed in 1983. The church in Georgia increased its profile when Latter-day Saints were very visible with disaster relief after Hurricane Andrew destroyed homes and families in Albany.  In 1994, more than 6000 LDS volunteers stepped up again to help homeowners rebuild and recover after serious flooding in the state.

My Perfect Storm

A perfect storm is defined as the powerful combined effect of a unique set of circumstances, and while my perfect storm has not been calamitous or detrimental, it has been, nevertheless, the reason for my exhaustion and my depleted wardrobe!

In December, my Rotary club asked me to chair the year’s largest fundraiser … selling California oranges.  “Sure,” I thought.  “I know how to organize an event like this”  Our club sold 324 cases and could have sold more.  Our cut of the profit earned our club about $4200 which will be used to fund some local, state and worldwide service projects.  Since I had never been involved before this year, I had nothing to base our success or failure on, but our club secretary said, “I am giddy with delight” so I guess I must have done OK.

As chairman of the St. George Art Museum’s Advisory Board, I also looked eagerly forward to the 12^th Annual Soup-N-Bowl fundraiser when it began to be discussed at our meetings back in October.  This event is where patrons of the arts buy a $20 ticket which gets them lunch, their choice of a handmade ceramic bowl and free admission to the art museum.  “What’s hard about that,” I asked myself as I prepared press releases and radio ads and hurried out to sell my tickets.  The results?  Again, I have never attended so didn’t know what constituted success or failure, but I’m told we had a much bigger-than-usual crowd ... and we earned $9700!!!  Not bad for an “old lady!”

Simeon and Selwin got their drivers licenses on March 1, picked up their $2000 missionary wardrobe from Adrian’s on March 5 and got their final immunizations for their missions on March 7.  Simeon spoke in church on March 9 and, right after church, we got in the car to head for SLC and the MTC (Selwin leaves in about 3 weeks).

So what did this have to do with a “perfect storm?”  All of this activity culminated in the same week. 

Through it all, I have come to realize how much I need some new clothes, so after I catch up on my sleep …  and now that I have some time, I am going shopping!!!