Coming full circle.

On February 15, 2016, Mark and Cheryl Hughes will begin their new adventure in the Panama City, Panama Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.  Both Mark and Cheryl served missions when they were young.  Mark served in the Bogota Colombia Mission and Cheryl served in the Cali Colombia Mission. 

When we got married we both wanted to "someday" serve a mission.  After three children, 4 moves, two new homes, two careers for Mark, four cancers for Cheryl, 2 Times as Bishop, 1 time in Stake Presidency, Young Men's President, Elder's Quorum President, Relief Society President, Primary President, Young Women's President for Cheryl. One faithful dog,4 graduations (Cheryl got her PhD in this time), lots of laughs, many tears, a lifetime of living.

Our someday has arrived!!!

Going back to the beginning, Mark served in the Colombia, Bogota Mission.  Here he is in Cartegena,Colombia.

Interestingly enough, I served in the Cali Colombia Mission during the same time period.  Here I am in the MTC.  We were teaching the Garcia Family.

I know that my mission helped to shape me into the person I am today.  I learned about love, about serving and about being obedient.  I'm so grateful for those lessons and the incredible people I met there.  I grew to love the Colombian people.  I have a great love for Latin people.  They are so humble, caring, loving and faithful.  I had an incredible mission president.  Here's a recent picture of my mission president.  I met up with him in July.

President Robert Harding and Sister Mercedes Harding.  What a blessing to see them again and to remember the great lessons learned from them.

I feel in many ways leaving on a mission is like going full circle.  I owe my membership in the church to wonderful missionaries who taught me as a young 17 year old.  When I left on my first mission I remember being humbled by the thought that I would be the hands of the Lord to bless some of his children as I had been blessed.  Since Mark and I served missions, it feels a bit like "paying it forward".  If you are blessed then it is your opportunity to bless others.   What an incredible opportunity to go again.

We raised three great kids.  Jared, Michael and Megan.  Jared is now 25, he served a mission to the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission.  Michael who is almost 23, served in the Uruguay Montevideo Mission.  Megan just returned last August from the Roseville, California Spanish Speaking mission.  We were so excited that we all speak SPANISH!

Here is Jared in Argentina.

Michael in Uruguay:

Megan in California:

Now it's our turn.  We are so excited.  We leave in 4 days!!!