Please click on name and see a greeting from each one.

We were assigned to Ecuador and served in a newly opened missionary home with Gene & Alyce Rainone in Machala, Ecuador. Although we didn’t know each other very well in Gilead, we ended up becoming best friends! For over two years we went through the joy of seeing our Bible studies progress (we all consistently conducted 15-20 each), the challenges of the language, adapting to cultural differences, rising to the challenges of all aspects of missionary life while trying to maintain a sense of humor through it all.
At the end of the two years Laura thought she had parasites, but it turned out not to be an ugly parasite, but a beautiful daughter.  Leaving our missionary assignment to raise a family was hard, but we decided to stay in the Spanish field in San Diego, and continue to pioneer if we were able to. Turns out we were able to continue pioneering, with our daughter Audra, and continue on with her sister Jessica, born three and a half years later. The girls learned Spanish as their first language and have always enjoyed service and theocratic activities.  They became publishers and joined the theocratic school by the age of 5 and were both baptized at the ages of 10 and 11.
When the girls were 4 and 7  we moved back to Ecuador as need greaters. Gene and Alyce were crucial in giving us a place to stay and helping us get established. We lived in the Andes mountains, in Cuenca, at an elevation of 9,000 feet. We enjoyed service immensely, especially in the rural areas of our territory.  After a little over a year, Robert’s mother had a stroke, so we returned to San Diego to help care for her. We are happy for the time that we had there as a family and it truly helped the girls keep a simple eye since what they saw and experienced impacted them for the positive.
Back in San Diego we cared for Robert’s mom. We had to leave the pioneer ranks for about 6 years (out of our now 30+ years) but we went back on as soon as we could (around 2000).  After his mom passed away, we looked after Robert’s dad, and after he died, we cared for Robert’s aunt, (who had been in the first class of Gilead!), and when she died in 2009 had a record of 70+ years of full time. Next came caring for Laura’s ill sister who passed away in November 2009.
Over the years we enjoyed visits from the Rainones, Gibsons, Alemans (they served us in the district work!), Maurels, and Finches. With Pat and Heidi Kendall settled in San Diego, we enjoyed visiting with them and their family and the occasional visits of the Redfords to San Diego. Both girls began pioneering in their last years of high school.  For many years our home felt like a missionary home with each one having a cook day and sharing service experiences! We had made family trips to visit Gene and Alyce Rainone in North Carolina, and each girl made a summer solo trip to visit “Uncle” Gene and “Aunt” Alyce! Jessica longed to visit Africa and in 2008 made a solo trip to visit Ed and Linda Finch in Zambia. She was there 5 weeks and went with them to the “bush” assemblies and loved every minute! Our girls were asked along with a few others to help out in a local congregation which didn’t have many pioneers. Audra is still there, now 27, with her husband of almost 3 years, Roberto Gomez. Jessica decided to learn French and joined the French congregation in San Diego. Now Jessica, 23, serves with her husband of 6 months, Jon Baxter, in an English congregation in San Diego. 
Robert has been a great dad and enjoyed many privileges of service. He has served as coordinator of the elder body for many years, taught pioneer school, continues to serve as assembly overseer, served on the district convention committee for more than 8 years, regularly has district convention talks, including twice having the public talk.  In November he was privileged to attend the elder school in Patterson, NY which he says was a marvelous experience, a real shot in the arm, spiritually.
After raising  a family and caring for others for 26 years we find ourselves now alone, just the two of us and its hard to get used to! We are still pioneering in spite of some health issues, but hope to continue as long as possible.

Gilead Classmates