Mark and Karen Spear's Mission Blog

Mark and Karen Spear

70 posts •
New Beginnings

New Beginnings

April 7, 2019 - Senior Missionary Couples serving in the Potsdam Zone in the North Country of New York. Best days of our lives...

  • Mark and Karen Spear
5 min read
Maple Weekend in the North Country Sugar Bush

Maple Weekend in the North Country Sugar Bush

March 31, 2019 - Maple Syrup is very sweet, but we've got something even better happening in Massena...

  • Mark and Karen Spear
6 min read
Best Hot Chocolate North of the Border

Best Hot Chocolate North of the Border

March 24, 2019 - Sister White gave us the 5 star, big thumbs up for stopping at the Mapleview Family Restaurant in Mexico, New York on the way to Utica for transfers...

  • Mark and Karen Spear
5 min read
Move Closer to the Fire

Move Closer to the Fire

March 10, 2019 - We had District Conference this last Saturday & Sunday. President Vest (our Mission President) shared a story: A man went to visit a community that had been replicated to look just like an early colonial village with homes, costumes and businesses that were made to be similar....

  • Mark and Karen Spear
6 min read
Apartment Inspections

Apartment Inspections

March 10, 2019 - What funner thing can you do than make cookies with your grandkids. Win-Win-Win!!! Happy Grammy, Happy Grandkids and Happy Missionaries who get to eat the cookies!

  • Mark and Karen Spear
6 min read
Winter Luau - Forget Old Man Winter for a Night

Winter Luau - Forget Old Man Winter for a Night

March 3, 2019 - The Massena Branch escaped the doldrums of winter and enjoyed a Winter Luau this last week...complete with palm trees, a volcano, grass, the sun and the sea!

  • Mark and Karen Spear
4 min read
Fishers of Men

Fishers of Men

February 24, 2019 - When Jesus invited the men who would become His Apostles: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, they straightway left their nets, forsook all, and followed him. We are enjoying our "fishing trip" in the North Country of New York.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
5 min read
Hurrah! Hurrah, for Israel!

Hurrah! Hurrah, for Israel!

February 17, 2019 - Like Brigham Young & Heber C Kimball, the missionaries in the New York Utica Mission continue to show through their obedience and hard work that they too are willing to make any sacrifice asked of them to build the kingdom of God.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
5 min read
Ice Castles - Finally, a Good Use for the Ice & Snow

Ice Castles - Finally, a Good Use for the Ice & Snow

February 10, 2019 - Ice palaces in Saranac Lake, New York. The completed mighty fortress is always decked out with colorful flags and may contain ice furniture and sculptures along with tunnels and mazes.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
4 min read
Come, Follow Us

Come, Follow Us

February 3, 2019 - Come, Follow Us in the snow. Who says all this snow can't be fun? If you can't make it go away, you might as well enjoy it! Sister Spear enjoying a little snowshoeing in the North Country snow.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
9 min read
Feeling Loved in Massena

Feeling Loved in Massena

January 27, 2019 - Everett wanted us to feel welcome and loved, so he made a poster with our name on it by folding small gum wrapper sized papers.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
3 min read
The Shakespears in the North Country

The Shakespears in the North Country

January 20, 2019 - Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays Elder & Sister Spear from providing the swift completion of yummy shakes.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
8 min read
New York Utica Mission at Last

New York Utica Mission at Last

January 9, 2019 - We finally made it to Utica. We drove to the mission office and met Brother and Sister Haderlie (office missionaries) and Sister Boekweg (mission nurse) and President and Sister Vest.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
5 min read
The Trek from the MTC in Provo, Utah to Our Mission in Utica, New York

The Trek from the MTC in Provo, Utah to Our Mission in Utica, New York

January 4th to 9th, 2019 - Our first stop was in Price to say goodbye to Murray, Jim and Jackie Shorts at the Heirloom Inn. It brought back many memories of Mom who lived right across the hall from the Shorts. We stayed only a “short” while (pun intended) and headed east.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
4 min read
Our MTC Experience

Our MTC Experience

Dec 31, 2018 to January 4, 2019 - We Had 5 Wonderful Spirit-Filled Days at the MTC Our 1st full day at the MTC was wonderful, marvelous, a spiritual high and we are so excited to finally be with all the missionaries.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
12 min read
We Made it to the MTC.

We Made it to the MTC.

December 30, 2018 - A snowy trip, dinner, check in and a Devotional. As soon as we were set apart, we went home and changed and by 12:30 pm we started the drive to the MTC in Provo.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
2 min read
Set Apart as Missionaries for the Lord Jesus Christ

Set Apart as Missionaries for the Lord Jesus Christ

December 29, 2018 - What a beautiful sweet day...

  • Mark and Karen Spear
1 min read
Goodbyes and Trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Goodbyes and Trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

December 2018 - A visit from Marsha & a trip to see Ryan, Angela & kids in Meridian, Idaho and a last dinner with family.

  • Mark and Karen Spear
2 min read
Our Second Mission Call (Re-assignment)

Our Second Mission Call (Re-assignment)

December 3, 2018 - Surprise! Surprise!

  • Mark and Karen Spear
2 min read
Pre-Mission: The LONG Version

Pre-Mission: The LONG Version

The Last 3 years - We have always wanted to go on a mission together. It is something that I made Mark promise that we would do when we got older and grew an inch or two (mostly around the middle!)

  • Mark and Karen Spear
22 min read
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