The Call to Serve

This is an account of Jim’s and my history together as recorded in January of 2004 whilst I was a missionary.

The Story of Mr and Mrs James Stancombe

(through my eyes)

At this stage in Jim’s and my friendship things were fairly casual.  There wasn’t anything too serious going on between us.  It seemed almost as soon as I had made my decision to serve a mission that we began getting closer.

After all the paperwork was completed, it was bound for Salt Lake with the expectation that I would receive my mission call in about five weeks. 

The weather was beginning to warm up even for Tasmania and summer was approaching.  Mum and dad’s house had been completed and we were all moved in.  Jim was back at school and we saw each other most weekends and kept in contact via email and phone throughout the week. 

I remember well the day I received my mission call.  My sister-in-law Bonnie, called me at work.  All she said was “It’s here Kris”.  I ran upstairs and got mum, called dad and told him to meet us up and my brother’s house to open THE envelope. 

There it was. A letter from the Prophet of God and President of the Church, President Gordon B Hinckley.  I opened the envelope without delay.

I learned I was called to serve in the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission and was to report to the Missionary Training College on the 13^th of January, 2003. 

I miss those mountains so much

I was so happy I cried and my mother’s immediate response was “you’ll be so safe”.  I had not even entertained the thought of going somewhere that I wouldn’t be safe.  I guess when you are a mother you think about those kinds of things. 

It was from here on in that Jim and I were officially dating.  We were together 24/7.  It was summer so the weather was great.  For the following three months we spent almost every breathing moment together.  We spent a lot of time with my family just doing little things together at our local swimming hole and up the Trevallyn Dam for a water ski. 

A recent picture of my daring nephew Jake
 at the family swimming hole - Corra Lin

Christmas Day that year was the best.  To most others it wouldn’t have been considered to be anything grand, but to us it was a little piece of heaven on earth.  We had breakfast with Jim’s family in the morning and headed to mum and dad’s for the rest of the day.  The weather that day was perfect and allowed for us to venture down to our local swimming hole as a family where we had a blast together.  That summer was fantastic, thanks to Jim.  We laughed constantly and it is safe to say that we had fallen in love.

I remember asking Jim one quiet night if he thought I should stay home rather than to serve a mission.  His response was that I must go, he believed we both had some growing to do, but assured me that he would be at home ready for my return.  In my heart I would have liked to believe he would wait for me, but my head was telling me different. 

We talked about getting married a little, perhaps more in jest than anything else as I wasn’t about to marry outside the temple.  The strange thing was, I felt like I would marry him, I just didn’t know how it was all going to fall into place.  I knew in my heart of hearts that serving a mission was the right decision and thankfully, Jim supported me gladly.



To be continued...