TRUSTING IN THE LORD AND HIS ATONEMENT

This entry is of those that following our mission, when I (Russell) sit down to create a book of our mission experiences, that I will most likely expand on to include names and facts that at this point seem inappropriate.  But the significance of the event is one of those you never want to forget.

Eileen has been good at developing relationships of trust with many of the missionaries she works with in her role as the mission medical advisor (nurse).  Due to the nature of the ailments, both physical and emotional/mental, a bond develops, seemingly almost in correlation with the severity of the issues.  This week Eileen got one of those calls where the missionary reached out for help when they were unwilling to talk to anyone else: not their companion, not their parents, or the mission president.  My role is just one of being Eileen’s driver so she can continue to take calls as we travel, and to bring the consecrated oil should a blessing be appropriate.

After spending quite a bit of time with the missionary by herself, Eileen asked me if I would administer a priesthood blessing.  However, neither Eileen or the missionary were sharing anything about the nature of the issue the missionary was suffering with.  During the few minutes I had to prepare, I prayed asking God to takeover because I had no clue as to the true nature of the problem.  During the blessing I said a number of things but mostly in a generic nature.  After the blessing, both Eileen and the missionary, expressed appreciation that the blessing had directly addressed the issue and needed course of action.  They heard what the Spirit said to them, not just the simple words I had spoken.  It wasn’t until well after the blessing and their disclosing to me the nature of the issue that I began to see how a small part of the blessing addressed the issue in both of their minds.  They both felt gratitude for the direction given through the Spirit.  I was just grateful that God had taken over and that I hadn’t made a mess of things.

Several weeks ago, the young missionaries sang the national anthem at the beginning of a KC Royals baseball game.  We noted in our blog entry that week about the chance meeting of Eileen with the parents of one of our missionaries.  This week Eileen was sent a copy of a sacrament meeting talk given by the mother of the missionary following their return to Utah.  It made Eileen feel good to think that she had been a part of something that made several people so happy.  Attached is a portion of her talk posted with her permission. 

"My daughter Shylo is serving in the capital of the 2nd coming…Independence Missouri. She has been serving for a little over 11 months. 48 weeks to be exact. She has 36% left of her mission and will be home in 186 days. 

 

There are so many historical sites within her mission boundaries…the visitors center in independence, Liberty jail, Richmond where a monument was built over Oliver Cowdrey’s grave commemorating the three witnesses, Far West where there is a monument dedicated to the temple lot purchased by John Whitmer, Hawn’s Mill, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and last but not least, Kauffman Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals).

 

Baseball is the greatest game ever invented. The Book of Mormon was translated in 1829, the Doctrine and Covenants was first published in 1835, and baseball was invented in 1839. Can you imagine living in a time where so much revelation was happening here in the world? 

 

That’s why after Shylo arrived in Missouri last fall and told us that she just missed singing the national anthem at the Kansas City Royals game with the entire mission, I was determined to go this year if it was a tradition. 

 

I believe it was the end of June that Shylo confirmed that on August 6th she would get her turn singing at the Royals game. I told her that basically I HAD to come. She said something like “MOM!…can’t you watch it on TV? It would be too hard for me to see you and have to say goodbye again.” And I think I responded with something like “you know I love baseball and I don’t think it would be fair for you to ask that of me knowing I will NEVER have a kid singing the national anthem at a Major League Baseball game ever again.” I didn’t mention it to her again but immediately started scheming and planning. Thankfully I have a husband who is crazy enough to do something like this with me! Without knowing and not being able to ask where she would be sitting, I decided to buy tickets as close to where she would be singing so we could get a good video. 

 

Rob and I took off the day before the game, stayed in Lincoln Nebraska the first night and drove the rest of the way the next day which was the day of the game. After we checked into our hotel room we got dressed in our Royals gear so we would blend in and just to make sure she didn’t see us, we both put on wigs and went totally incognito! Yes both. Please see me afterward if you’d like to see what Rob looks like with a full head of orange hair.

 

We entered the ball park, got our souvenirs, took a potty break and headed straight to our seats so we wouldn’t accidentally run into her. We got to our section and wouldn’t you know it…of all of the thousands of seats in that stadium, our seats were in the exact same section as the missionaries. We hustled to the front row and found our seats and didn’t move. 

 

Soon after we sat down a lady came down wearing dark pants and a white shirt and was wearing a missionary badge. She asked if it would be ok if she stood by us to record the missionaries singing. Of course we said yes. Rob didn’t see her missionary tag and asked her if she had a missionary down there singing. She replied…” they’re all my missionaries…I’m the mission nurse!” We chatted for a minute and then I think she realized that both Rob and I also had our phones out to record. Looking a bit puzzled she asked “do YOU have a missionary down there?” We answered “wellllll yes, but she doesn’t know we’re here. We drove from Utah to watch her sing. We’re actually in disguise so she won’t see us.” Sister Healy laughed and laughed. She couldn’t believe we drove all the way there and had no intention of even seeing Shylo.   She loved our disguises. Especially Rob’s. She commented that it was the worst wig she had ever seen on a man. And it was!!! She asked if she could take our picture and after the anthem she went back up to her seat. 

 

One tender mercy Rob and I were able to experience was that they showed Shylo on the Jumbotron 3-4 times throughout the game.  It made us feel close to her even though we knew we wouldn’t be seeing her.

 

A few innings later,  a lady came and sat behind us and said “I heard we have a couple of imposters down here! We turned and laughed and I realized it was the mission president’s wife. She said she HAD to come meet us and say hi after Sister Healy told her we drove all the way there and were in disguise. While turned around in my seat talking to sister summerfeldt, I saw coming down the stairs president Summerfeldt with Shylo leading the way. I couldn’t believe it. I stood up and in that moment our eyes met. She recognized me immediately and her knees buckled and she started crying and ran to me and gave me the biggest hug ever. I know I speak for both of us when I say that it was the most joy either of us had ever felt in a single moment.  Having no expectations at all of being able to see her and then having that surprise…there’s no way to describe what I felt. Of course we took off our disguises. I wonder what everyone around us was thinking. They let us watch the game together for a while and we just hugged and hugged. When it was time for Shylo to leave she gave me one more hug and said “I’ll see you in February". 

 

After the missionaries left Rob and I went to get a treat. At the top of the stairs we ran into Sister Healy again. I hugged her and thanked her for making that all happen. She told us that when she sat down in her seat, sister Summerfeldt sat next to her. She said she shared our story with her and it made her tear up. She said “I have to go meet them!” That’s when she came down and sat behind us. Then president Summerfeldt said “Where did my wife go?” So Sister Healy then told him the story. He immediately got up and walked over to Shell and said “Sister Dow, I need you to come with me”. I think he told her she was going to throw out a pitch or something. He then walked her down the stairs and that’s when we saw each other.

 

It was a beautiful experience that I will NEVER forget. I know it happened because Rob and I were being obedient in following the mission rules and had no intention of disrupting her. "

In the talk the mom then shared some beautiful lessons learned by her daughter while she has been on her mission. It made me think about the growth which is taking place as missionaries serve, not just in the people they teach, but also the missionary as an individual. I (Eileen) was grateful to have been a small part in making that reunion happen. 

The KC Royals hat I purchased as we were looking right into the sun.  The picture of Jesus looking into the heavens was left by a missionary who no longer wanted it. I love the painting. 

For our senior missionary FHE Elder and Sister Ranes did temple jeopardy.  Our team won by a landslide, mostly due to our having served in the temple department and Sister Creer's encyclopedic mind. Elder and Sister Ranes have been serving in Records Preservation. He has been a sealer in the temple previously.

Sister Creer trying to put together the puzzle which Elder Young made and gave to me to give missionaries something to do when they are struggling with down time while in my office.

Sister Creer was finally able to put it together with some cheat photos sent from the Youngs who are now back home in Utah.

We found this lovely creature on our front door. 

Sister Williams and Sister Dean brought me flowers with a lovely thank you note after I helped them get some medical care.  Sister Williams was fed some food at a member's home which she had an allergic reaction to and needed to go to the ER.  She always has Benadryl and an epipen with her and used both of them on this occasion.