When John and Sandy England started to get promptings about serving a full-time mission, they hesitated—Sandy is blind, and they worried about the challenges. But the Utah couple, currently living in the West Jordan Utah Bingham Creek Stake, knew they had to put their trust in the Lord.
The couple was retired, and had lived at home while serving in the Salt Lake Inner City Service Mission from late 2006 to early 2008. But they could not shake the idea of leaving home for a new mission.
The Englands had been thinking about it for a year before the bishop called them in and talked to them more about it. When they went to their winter home in northern California, the first Sunday there, the message was about serving a mission. So the Englands continued to work toward their goal.
Getting the approvals to bring Sandy’s trained guide dog for the blind to go with them took time. They had issues with their house to work through and concerns about family members and other obligations.
John England spoke about that time: “We found, when you start thinking of serving a mission, all these obstacles come up. What you have to do is persevere and realize the Lord intervenes when He needs to intervene.”
You can read the full story of the Englands’ service in the New Mexico Farmington Mission on Church News.