Please Let Me Introduce Myself

     As a person who is just starting to be a contributor to the In Her Shoes blog, I was asked to write a blog post introducing myself. This makes me laugh a little, because I don't find myself to be a very interesting person. Oh, there are a few things about me that people may find interesting, like that I was born in Hawaii, because my Dad was stationed at Pearl Harbor, or that I have traveled through all 50 states and moved to Australia from Alaska, or even the fact that my Dad's side of the family is Mormon and my grandmother's father was a polygamist; but, in general, my life is the typical life of a missionary wife and mother.

     Although I was born in Hawaii, I grew up, got married, and had all my children in Ohio. Before going to the mission field, I worked for fifteen years as an interpreter for the deaf. My family and I have served in Vancouver, Canada; New South Wales and Queensland, Australia; and, Lord willing, are here to stay in the suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. I have been married for thirty-two years this year and have three daughters, one son-in-law, and one grandson. I love life and find enjoyment in nearly every aspect of it...with the exception of the occasional run-in with snakes and spiders.

     Finally, though I do not think it speaks to my IQ, I can sometimes be considered a "klutz" and "a dizzy blonde." My unwitting mishaps provide me, and those around me, with plenty of entertainment. I always like to pass on my funny experiences to help other people lighten their day. One particular incident involves our start into deputation. As a missionary wife, I thought that I needed to have a life verse. Up until this point in my life, I could never pull out just one verse that was of particular importance in my life; but I thought being a missionary now, I must get a life verse. I picked Proverbs 30:5 to fill the gap that I had in my missionary repertoire. It wasn't long before a young girl asked me to sign her Bible, and I decided that now was the best time to start using my new "life verse." I was having problems remembering the reference, and instead, wrote Proverbs 31:6. When I looked at it, and thought that it didn't look right, my thought was, Oh, well, it's fine. It's the "virtuous woman" chapter (can't go wrong there)...I will check it and be sure to get it right next time. Imagine my surprise the next morning, when I decided to check it, and realized that instead of imparting the wisdom of, "Every word of the God is pure; he is a shield unto them who put their trust in him." I had given the following advice: "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts."

     It is my hope that you too can enjoy all of the interesting things that make life special!