Mission Friends!
While I was working on a blog about my missionary companions, when I realize that I also made friends with other missionaries that were there. There is a bond there that I was not able to form with some companion, and I feel like it would be sorry that you did not know about this people as well.
Randall McClellan
When I arrived in Ireland, it was Christmas time. So we had a missionary conference. Randall was like the first person to come up to me and say, cool you are from Arizona. So we would pass each other through out the mission, never serving in the same zones. But when we did have mission wide stuff we would get together. Sometimes this was just passing in train stations. There was a few time he would borrow some money here and there, I never kept a total, so I could never tell you how much it was. I was always helping out a friend in need.
When I got home he found me. And for a few months we hung out until I got married in June of 1991. I did not see him much after that, but he did get attached to my family and did hang out there from time to time. They did not mind. Every time we got together, Randall would not let me pay for anything. He would always say, "You took care of me in Ireland."
Then we lost contact with each other until about a year an half ago. First it was just a talk to catch up and see what each of use are up to. When things got really ruff for me, he was calling me almost every week to check up on me. I am very grateful for his calls. And I can not wait for him to move back here to the valley soon, even though I may be moving to Tucson. But Tucson is better than 500 miles away.
Elder's Carrigan, Hunsaker, and Clarke.
I have put this three together, because for 4 months in 1989, we were together in Limerick. Elder Carrigan and Hunsaker were are zone leaders and we shared at first a house, and then we moved to a flat called The Stables, out of the middle of no were in the country. We did a lot of stuff together. We went to Branch activities, and sang in the branch choir. We also sang in church I think twice. With these guys I saw Bunratty Castle, The Cliffs of Mohr, and some other interesting road trips around Limerick. When a Companionship had a baptism we would treat this as something special, and so we went to the only steak house in town, the Texas Steak out. (Which was still there in 2000.)
June came around and we where losing our Mission President, but as a group, Carrigan and Clarke were going home as well. I remember the day they left. There was a meeting with the Assistants to the President and the Zone Leaders of Limerick and Cork. Elder Carrigan's parents had flown in to Shannon, and where napping in the Zone Leaders room during the meeting. I had planned to make breakfast for the A.P.'s and Zone Leader's. I think, I did French Toast, with sausages, and bacon. Everyone eat breakfast. We said our goodbyes and Elders Carrigan and Clarke were off to Dublin with Carrigan's parents. Me and Hunsaker walked back into the flat and we looked at each other like, what do we do now. We were truly lost. I don't even know what we did that night. But the next day Elder Johnson and Elder Junior showed up. It was just not the same. And after a month I was transferred out.
Those 4 months were some of the greatest on my mission. I have so many stories and pictures of this time. The Limerick 4 will always be a special time and friendship for the rest of my life. Even if we don't talk that much.
Jon Riley
I don't know when me and Jon became friends on the mission. I remember that he was one of the guys that Randall hung out with. So around Christmas of 1989, he was serving with Elder Gibson in Dublin South Zone and I had just moved into the zone. So at every zone meeting we were hanging out or at church. We even hung out together at Christmas and New Year's. Transfers came in January, I was moved to Rathmines, with Elder Butterfield, who was the District Leader, and there District Leader.
Jon was going home at February moves, and always reminded us of it. One of the jobs of a District Leader is to go on trades with the elders of the District. So for a few day I was with Elder Gibson and then with Riley. Well the few days with Riley were really fun. One night after our missionary work was over we decided to walk down to the 7/11. This was something special. There were not a lot of 7/11's or McDonald's in Ireland, and we had both. So went down and got our Slurpee's and were walking down this path to go back home, when a Police Officer pulled up behind us on a motorcycle. He asked for our I.D.s and well, we did not have any, because we were just out to get something to drink and eat. I think he noticed that we were Americans so he let us go. All I could think of was how was I going to explain to President Martin that me and Riley were in Jail, after 9:30.
I had not been married long, when I got a call from Jon, saying that he was in Scottsdale, doing some training for the Army. So I went over and pick him up and I think he came over and had dinner with us. He was here for a few months so we saw Jon a few more times. I even went shooting with him. And he even went out with one of my sister-in-laws. He finished trailing and was off to Florida. I know now he is out of the Army and I see him on Facebook all the time.
Gary Wensel
I meet Gary while serving in the Dublin North Zone. I was in Contarf and I do not remember what area he was serving in at the time. This was one of the only times on y mission that I was not really happy serving with someone. I think he was going through the same thing. So we spent a lot of time on the phone talking. And we hung out together at zone meeting and church. I did not see Gary much after that.
A few years ago, I found Gary on Facebook. And we just started talking. With Gary's job, it brings him to town from time to time. We have gone out to eat twice in the past year. every time it is mostly about mission stuff and I have learned a lot of gossip from him as well. Gary is one of those friends that I can text and we can just talk about life. He too has been there for me during the ruff times. And he know my girlfriend as well, and at times gets me in trouble. No not really, but it is fun to talk about what is going on.
Stephanie Benson
OK, I know that I could never serve with a sister missionary, but this is about the friends I made. Steph was the only sister that came out with us to Ireland. There were 6 Elders, 1 sister and a couple. So I have know her since the MTC.
I did not see much of her on the mission. We did see each other at the big Mission Conferences, but that was about it until I got moved down to Dublin in October of 1989. So we would see each other at zone meetings and church. For Halloween, they got all of the missionaries in Dublin North together at the Finglas building. We talked a bit at that time. I don't think she was liking her companion at the time.
Steph is another facebook find. I have watched her from a far for a while now. Watched her get divorced. And surprising, even seeing her going through tough times, she has been there to talk on Facebook or texting. So Steph is the one that put a bug in a certain ex sister missionary, that there was this great guy who was going through a tough time of his own, and that he might be a nice match for her. Those darn sister missionaries.
Thanks to all of you for being part of my life.
Randall McClellan
When I arrived in Ireland, it was Christmas time. So we had a missionary conference. Randall was like the first person to come up to me and say, cool you are from Arizona. So we would pass each other through out the mission, never serving in the same zones. But when we did have mission wide stuff we would get together. Sometimes this was just passing in train stations. There was a few time he would borrow some money here and there, I never kept a total, so I could never tell you how much it was. I was always helping out a friend in need.
When I got home he found me. And for a few months we hung out until I got married in June of 1991. I did not see him much after that, but he did get attached to my family and did hang out there from time to time. They did not mind. Every time we got together, Randall would not let me pay for anything. He would always say, "You took care of me in Ireland."
Then we lost contact with each other until about a year an half ago. First it was just a talk to catch up and see what each of use are up to. When things got really ruff for me, he was calling me almost every week to check up on me. I am very grateful for his calls. And I can not wait for him to move back here to the valley soon, even though I may be moving to Tucson. But Tucson is better than 500 miles away.
Elder's Carrigan, Hunsaker, and Clarke.
I have put this three together, because for 4 months in 1989, we were together in Limerick. Elder Carrigan and Hunsaker were are zone leaders and we shared at first a house, and then we moved to a flat called The Stables, out of the middle of no were in the country. We did a lot of stuff together. We went to Branch activities, and sang in the branch choir. We also sang in church I think twice. With these guys I saw Bunratty Castle, The Cliffs of Mohr, and some other interesting road trips around Limerick. When a Companionship had a baptism we would treat this as something special, and so we went to the only steak house in town, the Texas Steak out. (Which was still there in 2000.)
June came around and we where losing our Mission President, but as a group, Carrigan and Clarke were going home as well. I remember the day they left. There was a meeting with the Assistants to the President and the Zone Leaders of Limerick and Cork. Elder Carrigan's parents had flown in to Shannon, and where napping in the Zone Leaders room during the meeting. I had planned to make breakfast for the A.P.'s and Zone Leader's. I think, I did French Toast, with sausages, and bacon. Everyone eat breakfast. We said our goodbyes and Elders Carrigan and Clarke were off to Dublin with Carrigan's parents. Me and Hunsaker walked back into the flat and we looked at each other like, what do we do now. We were truly lost. I don't even know what we did that night. But the next day Elder Johnson and Elder Junior showed up. It was just not the same. And after a month I was transferred out.
Those 4 months were some of the greatest on my mission. I have so many stories and pictures of this time. The Limerick 4 will always be a special time and friendship for the rest of my life. Even if we don't talk that much.
Jon Riley
I don't know when me and Jon became friends on the mission. I remember that he was one of the guys that Randall hung out with. So around Christmas of 1989, he was serving with Elder Gibson in Dublin South Zone and I had just moved into the zone. So at every zone meeting we were hanging out or at church. We even hung out together at Christmas and New Year's. Transfers came in January, I was moved to Rathmines, with Elder Butterfield, who was the District Leader, and there District Leader.
Jon was going home at February moves, and always reminded us of it. One of the jobs of a District Leader is to go on trades with the elders of the District. So for a few day I was with Elder Gibson and then with Riley. Well the few days with Riley were really fun. One night after our missionary work was over we decided to walk down to the 7/11. This was something special. There were not a lot of 7/11's or McDonald's in Ireland, and we had both. So went down and got our Slurpee's and were walking down this path to go back home, when a Police Officer pulled up behind us on a motorcycle. He asked for our I.D.s and well, we did not have any, because we were just out to get something to drink and eat. I think he noticed that we were Americans so he let us go. All I could think of was how was I going to explain to President Martin that me and Riley were in Jail, after 9:30.
I had not been married long, when I got a call from Jon, saying that he was in Scottsdale, doing some training for the Army. So I went over and pick him up and I think he came over and had dinner with us. He was here for a few months so we saw Jon a few more times. I even went shooting with him. And he even went out with one of my sister-in-laws. He finished trailing and was off to Florida. I know now he is out of the Army and I see him on Facebook all the time.
Gary Wensel
I meet Gary while serving in the Dublin North Zone. I was in Contarf and I do not remember what area he was serving in at the time. This was one of the only times on y mission that I was not really happy serving with someone. I think he was going through the same thing. So we spent a lot of time on the phone talking. And we hung out together at zone meeting and church. I did not see Gary much after that.
A few years ago, I found Gary on Facebook. And we just started talking. With Gary's job, it brings him to town from time to time. We have gone out to eat twice in the past year. every time it is mostly about mission stuff and I have learned a lot of gossip from him as well. Gary is one of those friends that I can text and we can just talk about life. He too has been there for me during the ruff times. And he know my girlfriend as well, and at times gets me in trouble. No not really, but it is fun to talk about what is going on.
Stephanie Benson
OK, I know that I could never serve with a sister missionary, but this is about the friends I made. Steph was the only sister that came out with us to Ireland. There were 6 Elders, 1 sister and a couple. So I have know her since the MTC.
I did not see much of her on the mission. We did see each other at the big Mission Conferences, but that was about it until I got moved down to Dublin in October of 1989. So we would see each other at zone meetings and church. For Halloween, they got all of the missionaries in Dublin North together at the Finglas building. We talked a bit at that time. I don't think she was liking her companion at the time.
Steph is another facebook find. I have watched her from a far for a while now. Watched her get divorced. And surprising, even seeing her going through tough times, she has been there to talk on Facebook or texting. So Steph is the one that put a bug in a certain ex sister missionary, that there was this great guy who was going through a tough time of his own, and that he might be a nice match for her. Those darn sister missionaries.
Thanks to all of you for being part of my life.
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