Connections Through Time
My great-grandma Vanda Mackley and I had more in common than I could ever imagine.
At 75, after the death of her eternal companion, my dear great-grandma Vadna Jean Mackley dreamed of serving a family history mission. She immediately got to work filling out her mission papers. To her surprise, she was called instead to serve as a full-time proselyting missionary! This was far more physically demanding for someone her age, and it was certainly not what she initially planned for. Humbled and willing to trust in the Lord, Vadna decided to accept the call anyway and served cheerfully in Missouri.
At 19, I also accepted the opportunity to serve as a full-time proselyting missionary. I was extremely shy growing up, so I also couldn’t believe I was really going through with a mission until my parents and I said our goodbyes and I put on the name tag. Terrified, but with a prayer in my heart, I began my own adventure serving the Lord in Oregon and Washington. This became one of the best experiences of my life, and it is where I met some of my best friends–one of which was my last companion, Sarah.
Years after our missions, Sarah and I were reminiscing and sharing our stories with Sarah’s mother. At 21, Sarah’s mother herself served a mission. She happily shared stories of when she served in Missouri and offhandedly mentioned that, like her daughter, she served with a “Sister Mackley.” Stunned and recognizing something familiar in Sarah’s mother’s words, I turned to great-grandma Vanda’s journals. Sarah and I realized that years before we ever served together, her mother and my great-grandma were also missionary companions!
I would never have realized this special connection if I didn’t take the time to learn more about my great-grandmother’s life–or for that matter, Sarah’s life, either. While not every important person in my life shares a unique, historical connection like that, this experience taught me that Heavenly Father places people in my life and in your life for specific reasons. Taking time to learn about your loved ones in this life and beyond the veil will only make your own experiences and relationships that much more sacred and sweet.
Invitation: Do something to learn more about your ancestors and the people in your lives! Write down what you have in common with them in your journal or share your thoughts in a social media post.
How I Will Promote This Digitally:
- Publish in an issue dedicated to or featuring additional articles related to indexing and other aspects of family history.
-
- Such articles would include recent references to prophets and apostles about family history work.
- Related posts could include tips on learning about your ancestors or on writing your own personal records through journaling.
- Always include an invitation to act.
