Senior Missionaries: Out of Botswana
On 30 May 2025, Lynn and Mark were set apart to serve as Senior Missionaries in the Botswana/Namibia Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Lynn is the Financial Secretary and Mark serves as the Mission Secretary. This will be our newsletter section, in case you want to follow along with our adventures.
Animals we have seen while serving.
2025 June 18: Our Calling, MTC experience and Welcome to Botswana
2025 June 29: First Weeks
2025 July 20: 10% of our Mission
2025 August 5: Regular Routine
2025 August 27: Electricity & Invitations
Senior Service Missionaries: St George FamilySearch Center
Between 2023 and 2025, we served as Consultants (Senior Service Missionaries) at the St George FamilySearch center in Utah. It's been incredibly fulfilling assisting the visitors with their Genealogical Research. Lynn (who was known as Kathleen at the center!) was the resident Swedish Researcher, assisting folks in getting their kin 'across the pond'. Mark helped visitors with their media digitization, and has been the instructor for the four step-0 Introduction/Basic classes on:
Starting & Navigating FamilySearch
Memories
Basic Research
Merging Duplicates
Our service ended in May 2025, and it's been a great blessing in our lives. Our Family History links: McCuistion, Thorpe
Notes from our vacations/adventures
2025-2026 Botswana/Namibia Mission
2025 Egypt Nile cruise
2024 Canada Cruise
2023 Alaska Cruise
2022 Peru
2021 Caribbean Cruise
2019 Baltic Cruise (Prague, Baltic, Scandinavia)
2018 African Photo Safari to Kenya
2017 Travels of Paul (Greece, Turkey and Italy)
2016 Bavaria (Germany and Austria)
2013 Poland and the Baltic Countries
2005 Taiwan vacation
Eagle Scouts
Kevin is an Eagle Scout! Check out his Eagle Scout service project.
Jason is an Eagle Scout! Check out his Eagle Scout service project.
Michael is an Eagle. (Did I mention we like Eagle Scouts?) Check out his Eagle Scout service project
Lynn and Mark have our own lives, which we live in Ivins, Utah.
Mark retired from the University of Cincinnati. He was the Lead Web Developer for their NetWellness.org website.
Lynn works each year at H & R Block as a Tax Professional. She teaches the Tax classes before the season and is an 'Enrolled Agent', meaning she's at the top of her Tax Game. 2025 was her last year.
Mark and Lynn resumed their Square Dance activity with Frontier Squares in Ohio, and then with Sunshine Squares in Utah, currently with A-C Dixies. Here's a video of us participating in the Huntsman World Senior Games in 2019 (we won Silver Medal at the Advanced level)
Mark has an interest in Amateur Radio. His Advanced-class callsign is: KB2ELS
Mark's Hobby pages:
Here's a Scout Hiking Stick, and some Knots.
Mark took a liking to Armor: Chainmail, and Scale mail, and Plate Armor: Gauntlets, and leather: Axe Sheath
Mark is also an Eagle Scout and has served as a Scoutmaster for ten years.
Mark took up the Bagpipes in 2006.
Mark made some whips in 2010-2011: Bullwhip #1, Bullwhip #2, Bullwhip #3, Bullwhip #4, Bullwhip #5. Cracker construction, and again in 2021: Snakewhip #1, Snakewhip #2
Here's Mark's first attempt at making a Pourpoint Gambeson (arming vest). It's a work in progress.
Christmas Cookies!