 |
| Elder Levi Bertschi with his cousin Austin Morris, both preparing to leave for the mission field (Georgia Atlanta and Peru Missions) |
The Bertschi family got a surprise call from Bishop Bair on the morning of June 30 advising them Elder Bertschi was called to serve in the Georgia Atlanta Mission. He could either leave right away or leave at the end of July. Elder Bertschi decided he should leave immediately to finish out his remaining 21 months of full-time missionary service.
He was set apart on Tuesday, along with his cousin from Washington Fields. "This was a very spiritual experience as we felt the love of our Heavenly Father during both blessings," said his mother Anne.
So, after picking up another suit, he boarded a plane for Atlanta on the morning of Wednesday, July 2.
So, after picking up another suit, he boarded a plane for Atlanta on the morning of Wednesday, July 2.
Elder Bertschi would have loved to have returned in the West Indies, but feels very blessed to be able to serve in Atlanta, where Elder Simeon Lovell is also serving. In his first transfer, Levi's mailing address is 3268 Lancer Drive, Powder Springs, GA 30127.
Missionaries first arrived in Georgia in 1843 to preach and to campaign for Church President Joseph Smith's United States presidential bid. After Joseph Smith was martyred one year later, the Church's growth slowed . Activity resumed in the late 1870s when the Southern States Mission was headquartered in Rome, Georgia. One early convert to the Church donated land and built a chapel at Mormon Springs in Haralson County.
Missionaries first arrived in Georgia in 1843 to preach and to campaign for Church President Joseph Smith's United States presidential bid. After Joseph Smith was martyred one year later, the Church's growth slowed . Activity resumed in the late 1870s when the Southern States Mission was headquartered in Rome, Georgia. One early convert to the Church donated land and built a chapel at Mormon Springs in Haralson County.
Missionaries left the state for a decade following the murder of one missionary in July 1879. By 1908, Church membership in Georgia was approximately 6,800 but in 1930 membership was 4,311. The first temple to be built in the Southern states was completed in 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Today there are 80,500+ members, 151 wards and branches, 2 missions and 42 family history centers. The church in Georgia increased its profile in 1992 when Latter-day Saints were very visible with disaster relief after Hurricane Andrew destroyed homes and families in Albany. In 1994, some 6000 Church volunteers helped homeowners recover from flooding in the area.
Today there are 80,500+ members, 151 wards and branches, 2 missions and 42 family history centers. The church in Georgia increased its profile in 1992 when Latter-day Saints were very visible with disaster relief after Hurricane Andrew destroyed homes and families in Albany. In 1994, some 6000 Church volunteers helped homeowners recover from flooding in the area.
No comments:
Post a Comment