S.E.M. Podcast - Scotland, Edinburgh Mission

Ian Wilks served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January of 1987 through February 1989. Our conversation took us through his conversion to the gospel, his experiences in the mission, and his life since. His story of an early morning visit to the toilet in Inverness is a crack up!Ian currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, near Vancouver. He and his wife have 4 children.Recorded February 23, 2025

Chris Pattenden served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from July of 2003 through July of 2005. Chris shares his unique story of how his mission seemed to continue throughout the last 20 years as his role with the Preston MTC allowed him to share much about his mission for those many years. He shares his love of Scotland and all the great times he had with his companions and friends. Chris also has some great successes from teaching and helping people come unto Christ. He also makes certain to set the record straight on a few stories that have involved his name in podcasts' past. Chris currently lives in Chorley, England with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded October 20, 2024

Kevin Anderson served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from September of 2003 through September of 2005. Kevin comes on and reminisces about his decision to come on the mission in his early 20s and how the mission helped him become more mature. He shares his funny memories of people, how he found balance in the work with the fun times, and his love of the people from Scotland and the U.K. all together! Kevin currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded October 13, 2024

President Gary Griffiths and his wife, Laura, served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from July of 2009 through June of 2012. Together they share their journey of getting their mission call, being assigned as mission president and wife to Scotland, entering a mission that was very obedient, taking on a merger with the Ireland, Dublin Mission 1 year in, and overseeing a combined mission called the Scotland, Ireland Mission that brought two polar opposite missions together and how that posed unique challenges. Their final message is one that you will not want to miss! President and Sister Griffiths currently live in Riverton, Utah. Recorded September 26, 2024

Jason Hensley served in the Scotland, Edinburgh from August of 2008 through August of 2010. Jason shares how he bucked the expectations of a "hard mission" by starting out strong in his first area in Kilmarnock. He spoke specifically of an instance where his trainer needed to use the toilet which led to a miracle. Jason also talks about a couple emergency transfers and training a new missionary for 1 week. Jason currently lives in Olympia, Washington. He has two sons from his first marriage. Recorded September 24, 2024

Clint Smith served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from August of 2005 through August of 2007. Clint takes us on an epic experience of Scotland, including Gregg's, dental visits, and letting unauthorized companions drive their car. From the Borders to the Isle of Lewis, Clint shares some amazing adventures that helped him grow to love Scotland. Clint currently lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded September 18, 2024

Steve Harward served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from April of 2000 through May of 2002. Steve always had a kinship to Scotland from his seminary teacher sharing about serving his mission there and was overwhelmed with joy when the call came. He shares an epic story about using a trash shoot in a council flat as a toilet in an emergency, his budget-friendly mission gear falling apart early mere moments into the mission, NEDs mooning him, and sending a "Dear Jane" letter to his then girlfriend simultaneously when she mailed her own "Dear John" to him! Steve currently lives in New Albany, Indiana, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded September 15, 2024

Chad Wilcoxen served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January of 2006 through January of 2008. Chad shares how much his experience in Scotland has changed his life. His family has been dealt tough times since coming home, but he loved his companions and also had so many fun times. Chad worked hard and found some amazing people that joined the church and also shared his beef with Hammer Time. Chad currently lives in Layton, Utah, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded September 9, 2024

Tyrell Cellan served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from February of 2008 through January of 2010. Tyrell shares how his upbringing on a horse ranch taught him the importance of obedience and hard work as he got into the mission. His time was filled with the Paisley and Glasgow zones, with so many great successes despite many challenges. Tyrell shares some epic stories and had a great time sharing all of the memories he could recall with us. Tyrell currently lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with his wife and their 3 daughters. Recorded September 5, 2024

Chris Rogers served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from March of 1999 through April of 2001. His memories shared included a lot of his time serving in Orkney and his love of serving there. Anna Burton served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from March of 2000 through August of 2001. She shares how her dad served in Scotland and that she actually made a request to her church leaders of her desire to serve there as well. She was elated when the call came to Scotland. She loved serving in the land her father had taught her to love!Anna and Chris met during the mission and they began writing each other once Chris returned home from his mission. They spent time together when Anna returned to Utah and quickly began their relationship that brought Chris to the U.S. for school and work. Chris is now a U.S. citizen. Anna & Chris currently live in Lehi, Utah, with their 4 children. Recorded September 2, 2024

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Dustin Cluff served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from July of 2000 through June of 2002. Dustin's adventures in Scotland included some incredible spiritual experiences, along with run-ins with NEDs, getting trapped by JWs, and bearing witness in a Church of Scotland funeral service. He loved the mission and his ability to bless people's lives. The stories he shares are some of our favorites we had enjoyed on the podcast! Dustin currently lives in White Mountains, Arizona, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded August 25, 2024

Mauro D'Ottavio served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from October of 2004 through October of 2006. Mauro joins us and shares how his mission changed his life. The stories and memories kept flowing to him throughout and there was a surprise visit to the podcast from his mission Dad (Brandon Osmond)! Mauro loved serving in Scotland! Mauro currently lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and their 2 children. Recorded August 23, 2024

Chase Crockett served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January of 2009 through December of 2010. His time in Scotland began with an interrogation from the APs and immediately he knew that this mission would be different. Chase loved his companions and worked his hardest to find some great success on his mission. His stories are epic and the fire one will have your jaw on the floor! Chase currently lives in Stansbury Park, Utah with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded August 18, 2024

Trevor Chadwick served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from July of 2006 through July of 2008. Trevor shares his unique story of serving in Scotland, which included a 6-week return home to receive surgery on a heart condition. He learned so much from his companions and his love of each is transparent as we spoke. Trevor talks about his spicy chili mistake and also his experience with HammerTime! Trevor currently lives in Orem, Utah with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded August 15, 2024

Jeff Hofmann served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from June of 1999 through July 2001. Jeff was a member of the first group of missionaries from America that begin their mission in the MTC in Preston. He shares his fun memories of companions' door approaches in his sleep, very indecisive & indecisive companions, and his joy of helping some great people join the church while he was serving. Jeff currently lives in North Ogden, Utah with his wife. Recorded July 29, 2024

T.R. Brooks served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from September of 2001 through September of 2003. Arriving in the UK only days before the 9/11 attacks, T.R. found himself in the MTC and was excited to serve Scotland. His time in Scotland includes memories of pint Uno with a twist, tormenting the drunk passersby with items falling from flat windows, and collecting items thrown at him by local NEDs. T.R. also shares with us some of his talents in music that often reminds him of his time in Scotland. T.R. currently lives in Kuna, Idaho with his wife and their 2 kids. Recorded July 25, 2024

Aaron Briggs served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from August of 2005 through August of 2007. He came onto the mission in his early 20's and is happy he did come in the time of "Preach My Gospel". Aaron shares many memorable experiences, most prominently how he learned the Glaswegian accent by working at a chip shop back home before the mission. He is grateful for his T-Book and all the wonderful testimonies he was able to receive from his mission favorite people! Aaron currently lives in Northampton, England, with his wife. Recorded July 14, 2024

Ben Bright served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from September of 1999 through September of 2001. Ben made us smile and laugh throughout our conversation. He shared one of the most epic Motherwell experiences that we have heard on the podcast, as well as confirming that he held the record for gaining 9 pounds at a dinner appointment. Ben also shared how much he loved all the people he encountered in Scotland. Ben currently lives in Morro Bay, California with his wife and their 3 kids. Recorded July 11, 2024

Jack Bryce and Zack Hewlett sit down with a brief wrap up of the S.E.M. Podcast. It is 2 years ago this week that we started this podcast and it has been a huge blessing in our life. Many conversations and incredible relationships renewed and established through our common experience in the land of Scotland. The is not us announcing that we are stopping any time soon. We are very excited to continue having more of these conversations in the future. Have a great start to summer and we will be back with more great interviews very soon! Recorded June 23, 2024

Sean Waite served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from June of 2007 through May of 2009. Sean shares his experiences from Scotland that included getting off at a bus stop without his companion and finding a "Golden" investigator by himself until his companion returned, being in a car area with a chauffeur, and his experience from the infamous story of the 6:00 AM baptism. He also speaks about Hammer Time and how he has learned from that time in his mission. Sean currently lives in Chorley, England with his wife and their 1 daughter. They are expected to welcome another daughter at any moment following this recording. Recorded June 23, 2024

Joelle Wallace served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from March of 2000 through September of 2001. Joelle shares her love of serving the people in Scotland. She loved the history of the country and enjoyed learning the language. Joelle shares fun stories that included stories about mushy peas, snoring, and moldy toast. Joelle currently lives in Medford, Oregon with her husband and their 4 children. Recorded June 20, 2024

Jordan Beal served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from May of 2010 through May of 2012. Two months into the mission, Scotland and Ireland merged into one mission. That change allowed Jordan to serve in both countries, but spent the most of his time in Scotland. Jordan shares his favorite memories, including having rocks and fireworks sent his direction, scrubbing baptismal fonts with bleach, and pretending to play the piano when asked in a small branch. Jordan currently lives in Hilton, New York, with his wife and their 2 children. Recorded June 12, 2024

Paul Blackburn was called to the Dublin, Ireland Mission in early 2009. Little did he know that midway through the mission would merge with Scotland. He shares his experiences of watching the two very opposite mission cultures work to combine. Paul also loved having a great time while serving in Ireland and Scotland. He served from March of 2009 through April of 2011. Paul currently lives in Chesterfield, England with his wife and their 2 daughters. Recorded June 9, 2024

Blake Bockholt served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from August of 2005 through August of 2007. Blake came to Scotland and brought his passion and love of life to the mission. He shares some amazing stories about friendship, education, and epic games of tag and sardines! Blake also shared some of his most memorable moments and how much he loved serving the people in Scotland! Blake currently lives in Syracuse, Utah with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded June 6, 2024

Charles Fife served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from May of 2002 through May of 2004. Charles came into the mission from a small town and that suited him as he served in some of the more rural areas of Scotland. He didn't enjoy the food in the UK, but he shared many of his skills with his companions, including gutting fish! Charles shares some amazing memories from his service in Scotland. Charles currently lives in Parker, Idaho with his wife. He has 3 children from his first marriage. Recorded June 2, 2024

Paul Burnett served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 2007 through November of 2009. His mission was filled with a wild transition from the harshness of Hammer-Time to the love that the mission needed afterwards. Paul served a fourth of his mission with the Chinese-speaking missionaries and was part of the group that was the initial Glasgow Mandarin church group. Paul loved his mission and the opportunity to serve the people of Scotland. Paul currently lives in Highland, Utah with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded May 22, 2024

Matthew Dearnely served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from December of 2000 through January of 2003. From the moment he submitted his mission papers, he felt a draw to Scotland from this grandad's experience as a convert and the first branch president of the Galashiels branch. Matthew was super excited to receive the call to Scotland and he went in with love of the people. Filled with many memories, he served hard and played hard too. The final 4.5 months he was awarded an opportunity to serve in Galashiels by President Wilkinson. Matthew currently lives in Huddersfield, England with his wife and their 2 children. Recorded May 19, 2024

Andrew Merrick served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from October of 2007 through September of 2009. Andrew shares his own personal conversion story to start and how he joined the church at 18 years old. He quickly prepared to serve a mission by doing his own missionary work at home and seeing miracle happen with his family. Andrew was elated to find out he would serve in Scotland, despite having his mom open his call over the phone. He loved serving in Scotland and put into practice all he learned in a short time. Andrew loved his mission and all the people that impacted his time there. Andrew currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded May 15, 2024

Tye Shumway served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 2000 through November of 2002. He was asked before his mission where he'd like to go and he said he would love to serve in Scotland. Tye shared his adventures throughout Scotland, most notably his multiple car issues and wrecks, several miracles, and all his other shenanigans. Tye currently lives in Moab, Utah, with his wife and their 2 daughters. They had a son that passed away at 16 months old. Recorded May 14, 2024

On behalf of Evan Slade and his family, we wanted to invite all who would like to participate to join in a fast for Evan and his wife as they are experiencing challenges in their current pregnancy with twin boys. We hope you will join us in this fast to help them through this challenging time. Thanks!

Clark Davis served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from May of 2002 through May of 2004. He comes on the podcast and shares some epic tails, mostly involving NEDs in the Glasgow triangle and how he always made it out to tell the tale! Clark loved serving in Scotland as it means much to his family history. He had past family members that served there and he loved coming in contact with people throughout the country that knew his extended family! Clark currently lives in Lehi, Utah, with his wife and their 1 daughter. Recorded May 6, 2024

Jonathan Morgan served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 2004 through October of 2006. Jonathan shares his adventures throughout his time in Scotland, as he overcame some past medical difficulties. He was diagnosed with M.E., which is a chronic fatigue syndrome, prior to his mission. Despite this, he served a full mission and was never truly limited apart from a couple short instances. Jonathan loved his time serving in Scotland and all of his companions taught him great lessons. Jonathan currently lives in Lancashire, England. Recorded May 5, 2024

Rhett Udy served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January of 1999 through January of 2001. Rhett was one of the last groups of missionaries from Scotland to attend the MTC in Provo (prior to Preston opening). He came into the mission and fell in love with fish and chips, and was told to have "Jobbie Sauce" on it the next time by a member as a joke. Rhett loved the camaraderie with other missionaries and most enjoyed being in a flat with multiple sets of elders. His adventures and experiences in Scotland are many of his greatest memories he loves to share today, to the disapproval of his kids. Rhett currently lives in Providence, Utah, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded May 1, 2024

This is a special episode to make all those listeners aware that our friend and fellow S.E.M. Missionary, Quin Kofford, passed away last week. His funeral services are on Saturday, May 4th, at 11:00 AM at the Chase Lane Ward, 1125 North 400 West, Centerville, Utah where a viewing will be held Friday evening from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday morning 9:30 -10:30 a.m. prior to services. As a way to pay tribute to Quin, I am asking that all of Quin's friends from the S.E.M. send in a recorded memory that I can compile as a tribute to this great man that we lost far too soon. Send your recorded messages to sempodcast@51spylaw.com. Thanks!

Joseph Oliver served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from June of 2001 through June of 2003. Joseph tells of his many memorable experiences in Scotland, including being held up at gunpoint until they sang Christmas Hymns for an inebriated man, confirming he ran for his life when a man chased them with a cricket bat, eating for double the amount of missionaries in the MTC, and his experiences with all his American companions. He also share how he met his wife and her gifts of helping him make ideal decisions and having foresight of things to come. Joseph currently lives in St. Helens, England, with his wife and their 4 daughters. Recorded April 28, 2024

Temple Announcement Reaction

Jared Musser served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission for a few days before the merger with Ireland took place. He was part of the last group of missionaries officially called to the S.E.M. Upon arriving in Scotland, he found himself promptly moved to an area in Ireland. Jared's mission was filled with many wonderful experiences, and he quite literally bounced back and forth between Ireland and Scotland his entire mission. His craziest experience was learning to drive a manual transmission car for the first time, while also driving on the lefthand side of the road! Jared currently lives in Maryville, Tennessee, with his wife and their 2 children. Recorded April 16, 2024

Aaron Jones served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from October of 1999 through November of 2001. Aaron shares his experiences from the mission that included a car crash, writing epic rewrites of songs for the S.E.M., insane ferry rides to and from Shetland, and more! He shares of his love of each companion and how much he loved the land of Scotland! This was a fun conversation that you won't want to miss! Aaron currently lives in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, with his son. Recorded April 14, 2024

Keenan Price served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January 2006 through January 2008. After waiting much longer to receive his call, he was relieved to know that he was called to the correct mission and had a great trainer (Cameron McDonald). Keenan worked hard and saw much success in his mission. He experienced multiple funeral services of beloved people, overcoming challenging situations including an elderly woman pinching his backside, and he served from the south to the north of the mission! Keenan was an excellent example to many throughout his mission and loved each of his companions! Keenan currently lives in Bountiful, Utah, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded April 10, 2024

John Richardson served in the Ireland, Dublin mission from September of 2009 through July of 2010. He was part of the merger that took place when the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission combined with his original mission call, to form the Scotland, Ireland Mission. John shared his experiences of going from large cities in Ireland to smaller villages in Scotland and the challenges that came there. He also loved his time where he focused on refining himself from items that may have had an impact on his work, such as his brief Irn-Bru addiction! John saw the differences of each mission's culture first-hand and was a key player in making the S.I.M. what it is today! John currently lives in York, England, with his wife and their 2 daughters. Recorded April 7, 2024

Mark McCormack served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 2000 through November of 2002. Mark had a unique experience on the mission, which was split in half after breaking his back early in his mission while playing basketball. He returned home to have surgery and serve in Delta, Utah, before returning to Scotland to finish the last year. Mark had the attitude of work hard, play hard on the mission, with his funniest story coming from singing Christmas music in the large Glasgow mall to a crickets response. Mark currently lives in Bluffdale, Utah, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded April 2, 2024

Paul Williams served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from June of 1999 through July of 2001. To start the podcast, Paul shares his own brilliant conversion story that resulted in a challenge to prepare to serve a mission after being a member for 2 weeks. He prepared and was underwhelmed to have been called to Scotland, but he soon grew to love the land and the people. Paul shares stories of being moved to the Shetlands after a rough first month, adapting as each leadership role was given to him, and growing to love every missionary as he served as a mission assistant to the president. Paul currently lives in Portland, Maine, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded April 1, 2024

Conor Muirhead served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from December of 2003 through December of 2005. Conor comes on the podcast and shares his journey through the S.E.M. His stories of MTC antics, his love for battered pizza from the chip shop, and his hot/cold relationships with companions are enjoyable. Caleb loved his mission and all the people that impacted his experience there. Conor currently lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife and their 5 children. Recorded March 27, 2024

David Pilkington served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from January of 2005 through January of 2007. David comes on and shares memories of hard work, wrestling companions, and inviting a murderer into his flat. He also talks of his love of each companion and how they all had an impact on his life. David was a great leader in the S.E.M. and it was great having him on the podcast.David currently lives in Gloucester, England, with his girlfriend and their combined 4 children. David's two sons are from his first marriage. Recorded March 24, 2024

Greg Paxton served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 1999 through November of 2001. He shares some memorable stories including New Year's Eve Y2K in Aberdeen, jumping the border to watch a England football match and having their car breakdown, and showing an adult film to a less active member by mistake. Greg currently lives in St Johns, Florida, with his wife and their 3 children. Recorded March 20, 2024

Blair Shumard served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from August of 2000 through September of 2002. Blair shares his favorite moments from the mission, including ice-cold showers, miraculously passing the driving exam, and falling asleep at the wheel of a car! He loved the people that gave so much for his experiences in each area he served! Blair currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded March 13, 2024

Justin Whitehead served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from November of 2007 through November of 2009. Justin served in 4 areas and loved each of those places in Scotland. He shares some of his most epic stories with us, including his best accents in each situation as well. Justin also shares his experiences with "Hammer-Time" and how it made a major impression on his mission, both good and otherwise. Justin currently lives in Delta Junction, Alaska, with his wife and their 4 sons. Recorded March 10, 2024

Janssen Vanderhooft served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from September of 2001 through July on 2003. Janssen shares about his experiences watching a NED knife fight on a large group of missionaries, being in the MTC when the 9-11 attack happened, and waiting for a bus on the incorrect side of the road. Janssen loved serving with his companions and his time in Scotland. Janssen currently lives in Sandy, Utah, with his wife and their 3 children. He also plays with the "Bells at Temple Square" group and has been involved in the group since 2005. Recorded March , 2024

Tyler Snow served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from September 1999 through October of 2001. Tyler comes on and shares about his experience in Scotland when there were well over 200 missionaries in the S.E.M. He served in a number of places, but most memorably was when overseeing the Highlands Zone in Inverness with missionaries crashing cars, day long drives all over the north of Scotland, and more. Tyler currently lives in Puyallup, Washington, with his wife and their 4 children. Recorded February 22, 2024

Kenton Karrasch served in the Scotland, Edinburgh Mission from May of 2002 through May of 2004. "Superman" came on the podcast and shared his experiences that included speaking to people in Farsi, having mortar shells fired at him on Guy Fawkes Night, and leading the Edinburgh (Throat) Pipe Band. Kenton shares his unique story of being called to Scotland on the same day as his friend, Clark Davis, and the same place his bishop had served a couples mission. He loved serving and having a fun time together with each of his companions. Kenton currently lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife and their 2 children. Recorded February 18, 2024