FIRST HOSPITAL TRIP

Both of us routinely get numerous calls from missionaries every day.They begin as early as 6:30 AM and some have started as late as 9:30 PM. We are both trying to teach by example that not all communication needs to be done by phone, that email and texting can meet many needs better.  

 

Thursday evening about 8:30 PM Eileen got a call from a distraught young sister missionary wanting to know what she should do.  Her companion had started feeling bad the prior evening, but now, 24 hours later, was having serious problems.  As it turned out, the young sister was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and we were there late that night. Eileen spent much of the next day with the sister in the hospital. 

 

Eileen has spent most of the last week working with this sister missionary and a few young elders who may need minor surgery.  These potential procedures almost always require the missionary to be sent home to get their needed medical care. However, all of these missionaries want to stay, and if required to go home, want to come back as soon as possible.They all seem to love serving as missionaries, their companions and Missouri.  I didn’t see this same attitude with all the missionaries we served with in the Philippines.  

 

This week Eileen and I each had our first opportunity to talk to a non-member about the Church.  Our callings have kept us so busy that we just don’t associate much with anyone other than missionaries. Eileen got her hair done here for the first time and her hairdresser is a member of the Community of Christ (fka Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or RLDS).  I got to spend time with a truck driver who was picking up five of our cars for resale.  He is Baptist and his wife is Catholic. After talking for a half hour, he told me that his son had “joined the Mormon Church” in a nearby state several years ago.  Given the number of cars we have, my guess is that I will be seeing him again. 

 

I (Eileen) remember a time when we were serving in the Philippines, when  our mission president's wife told me that there were times that at night she thought to herself, I am so tired, I can't do this one more day. Yet in the morning she had renewed strength to carry on her responsibilities.  I can totally relate to that feeling. This week I was dealing with some serious issues with several missionaries potentially requiring them to return home. One night as I came back to our apartment I thought, I hope it will be a quiet night as I am so exhausted.  Shortly afterwards the phone rang and we were off to the hospital for an emergency.  As we returned home late that evening, there was a beautiful lightning storm. No rain accompanied the storm, it was rather magnificent to watch. The next morning as I drove back to the hospital, listening to the tabernacle choir singing "Our Savior's Love", I saw a huge flock of birds flying across the sky.  For some reason, perhaps because I was so in need of some reassurance, I felt powerfully of God's love towards me and also the missionaries I am here to serve.  I also was profoundly grateful for my good companion who had shuttled me to several visits with sick missionaries.

Many years ago when I was elementary school aged, I traveled to some church history sites with my family.  One of the places we visited  was Independence, Missouri. We attended fast and testimony meeting on Sunday.  That day, many Samoans bore their testimonies stating they were there to build the temple in preparation for the Savior's second coming. I was pretty confused and asked my father what they were talking about. He explained that this is the area where many great events will occur in the last days. I never dreamed that someday I would be living and serving in this area as a senior missionary.  

We have been in Missouri for 5 weeks now. During three out of the five weeks in sacrament meeting, the topic of the New Jerusalem and building up Zion in preparation for Christ's second coming has been addressed. Today a young man gave his mission farewell. He is Samoan and will be serving in Samoa.  There were a number of Samoans in the congregation. I wondered if perhaps he might be related to any of the individuals I heard bear their testimony nearly 55 years ago. 

I am responsible for paying the bills. I currently have 68 unpaid bills on my desk.  I have spent hours trying to get the missionaries to pay their $10 copay for Dr's visits. I was happy when I was able to find out that 8 bills have now been paid. 

There was a beautiful chapel at the hospital including a stained glass window of the Savior. This display inside the chapel had a songbook with many of the same songs we sing in our church.

Selling off the cars