Sierra Vista — Mike and Sue Smith will travel to Denver, Colorado on January 30, to serve their fourth mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Their first mission was to Vlore, Albania, where Mike was the president of a small congregation called a branch and he and Sue trained and helped members of the branch prepare to take over the leadership roles. At the same time, they opened a social and education center for young single adults, to give the young people of Vlore an opportunity to gain experience and education. They enjoyed playing games, putting puzzles together, and sharing homemade cookies with the youth.
Sue noted, “We have many wonderful memories from our time in the beautiful ocean city of Vlore, just off the Adriatic Sea.”
They served their second mission at the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ, where they served those who came to worship in the Temple. “Every day the temple was open we spent hours serving and helping with the patrons who came for spiritual learning and to unite their families forever eternally,” Mike commented.
“We met many wonderful couples and those entering the temple to serve their deceased ancestors,” Mike added. After their service there, the Temple was renovated and the Smiths were able to return for three months in April 2022, to give tours during the Temple open house.
Their third mission was in Chennai, India, where they helped members prepare to attend the Hong-Kong Temple. They taught classes to help church members prepare to attend the temple but also helped them prepare paperwork and acquire funding to travel. “It was a very sweet experience to spend time getting to know many families in Chennai,” Sue shared.
The Smiths have lived in Sierra Vista since 1979. They have six children and twenty-eight grandchildren. Mike was employed at Fort Huachuca, and he traveled throughout the world. He retired in 2009 and shortly after his retirement they started serving missions for the Church.
“We are high school sweethearts and love spending time together,” Sue said. They enjoy hiking the beautiful mountains in Sierra Vista and walk together most days. They also love to visit their children who live all over the United States.
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