Aloha and Farewell - McCollums

Elder and Sister McCollum

In the office where we served on the campus of BYUH, there was a large map posted on the wall.  A few months after we began serving in The Center for Academic Success, we decided to made a sign to go overtop the map.  The sign read: “The World Visits the Center for Academic Success”.  As we met students, the countries were plotted on the map, also an alphabetical list of countries was created and a numbered a list with the names of the first student that we met from various nations. During our service mission at BYUH, we were blessed to meet students from forty-six countries from around the globe.

One day when Saku, a young married woman from Mongolia, was in the Center, together we were looking at the world map.  She showed me how her country was located between Russia and China. She then pointed and said “It is all dark in Russia, all dark in Mongolia and all dark in mainland China. There is not the light of the Lord’s temple for his people in these lands.” We were blessed to meet Saku, who like other ambassadors of Christ, has a testimony of how the temple lifts us, exalts us, stands as a beacon for all to see, and points us toward celestial glory.

As we left our mission, it was hard to say goodbye knowing we may never again during this mortal life see our students friends from Armenia, Bangladesh, Austria, Tahiti, Hungary, Samoa, Brazil, Kiribati, Malaysia, Nauru, Mongolia, mainland China, Guatemala, Tonga, Vanuatu etc. and even countries we had never heard of before.  We were truly blessed to know these students who will go forth as servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ as they return to their countries.

Elder and Sister McCollum

Released May 29, 2016

Elder and Sister McCollum with Saku and her husband