Elder and Sister Millard

The mission – “We came on a mission to give, but have only received”

Elder Rick Millard had spent his professional life working as a mechanical engineer at Orbital ATK (once Thiokol).  He also had experience as a general contractor, and when he checked the church missionary website he found that BYUH was looking for someone with his exact credentials. Sister Millard, with a master’s degree in English, had been an educator for many years—as a classroom instructor and an administrator at both USU and Weber State University.

With qualifications that matched perfectly the need, it wasn’t long until they were called to BYUH. Sister Millard took a leave of absence from Weber State, where she is the Director of Government Relations, and they headed to Laie.

During the mission, Elder Millard has worked on special projects – mainly the new faculty housing on Moana Street. He has overseen the demolition of seven old block homes, and the beginning of new duplex units for faculty. Three have been completed and six more are in the process and should be completed by June. Another demolition site is the corner of Naniloa Loop and Kulanui Street where another faculty duplex will be built. Although he has participated in much of the background work—the bids, contracts, permits, demolition, foundations, etc--it is a bittersweet not to be able to see the project through to completion. But the faculty townhomes are a much-needed addition to the campus property.

With her qualifications, Sister Christina Millard started her mission in curriculum development, but was quickly put to work teaching English to international students (EIL). Although she had taught English for many years, she had never experienced teaching non-English native speakers. She is grateful for two amazing mentors, Paul Rama and Rebecca Wolfersberger, who helped her change the focus of her instruction.

She has loved her time in the classroom—in many ways so unlike her previous classroom experiences, such as: starting every class with prayer, listening to unbelievable conversion stories, and working with students who are driven, focused, dedicated and respectful. This is a classroom experience never to be duplicated anywhere else.

The China Connection – “Our call may as well have been to China”

The Millards thought that a call to BYUH meant that they would be working with the Polynesian people. But on one of her first days in the classroom, Sister Millard was getting acquainted with her students and discovered that some of them were from China. She mentioned that she had been there as part of her responsibilities at Weber State University and this connection was the start of a loving relationship.

The Millards became advisors to the China Club but are more like grandparents to many students who are so far away from home and family.

A young married couple, Pei and Jinjing needed a ride to the hospital to have their baby. Sister Millard drove and was in the waiting room when Pei came to her and said that his wife would like to see her. When she entered the delivery room, she was informed that Jinjing would like her to stay for the delivery. So, holding the hand of the laboring mother, she helped bring baby Krystal into the world.

Often the Chinese students will drop by their home to visit, and other times they will come as dinner guests. One night two young girls came to dinner and Sister Millard was impressed to tell them to call if they ever need anything. When the impression came a second time, she wrote her name and number on a piece of paper and reemphasized the invitation. The next morning she got a phone call from Kahuku Medical Center. One of the young women had broken her ankle and needed a ride to Honolulu to the hospital. The break was so severe, an orthopedic surgeon would have to repair the damage. Sister Millard knew why she had received such a strong impression to insist that they call.

After many runs to the hospital, many dinners, many mission call openings—sharing both joy and sorrow—the bonds they have forged will last over time and distance.

The Stake and Ward – “Our life experiences have prepared us exactly for this”

Assigned to the Laie Hawaii Married Student Stake, 2^nd Ward, Elder Millard was called to the high council and began to serve the stake. Sister Millard asked Bishop Kinghorn if there was anything she could do. He thought a moment and then proceeded to tell her that many of the international students come to BYU with very little—some with only a suitcase. One of the wonderful blessings of this school is that there are LDS members to date with temple marriage as a result. Oftentimes, the newlyweds exit the temple to a small group of friends for a modest celebration. Everything is wonderful, but the brides often have one unanswered dream—the dream to exit the temple in a beautiful wedding dress.

Bishop Kinghorn said, “I don’t think there’s anything you can do,” to which Sister Millard replied, “Of course there is!”

Enlisting friends and family back home, she started a collection that has grown to 45 beautiful dresses donated for the cause. A special storage cabinet was built, and the YSA 1^st Stake Relief Society is in charge of the dresses. The dream of wearing a beautiful wedding dress is now a reality.

 

The Millards came to BYUH prepared to serve the campus and the students here. Although they arrived on the island with more than one suitcase, when the time comes, they will leave with far more than they brought—the love of many, and gratitude for the experience.