BIRTH OF TWO BABIES

Christmas for a missionary can be a very different experience.  On one hand, you are away from and missing loved ones with whom you normally celebrate the holiday. And on the other hand, without the distraction of normal holiday decorations and commitments, you can focus more on Jesus Christ and the many blessings that we enjoy because of Him.

 

A few nights ago, Eileen looked contemplative, so I asked her what she was thinking about.  She told me of a woman she had seen that day.  Nina is a single mother of three, due with her fourth child later this coming week. She is estranged from her parents and none of her children’s fathers are involved in her or her children’s lives.  The circumstances of this woman’s daily life are difficult and without much hope for a positive resolution.  We decided to buy Nina a large box of baby diapers and a Walmart gift card as a baby gift.  While I know that what the woman and her children need most is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives, we have to start somewhere and trying to be her friend seems a good place to begin.  So, this Christmas, Eileen and I are celebrating the births of two children.  Both born into humble circumstances, one being our Savior and the other a child few will even notice having been born.

 

Last week, I (Russell) mentioned that a senior missionary had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.  At the time we had not heard back from the missionary about her willingness to have her mentioned by name in our blog. Sister Kearns is our mission secretary, a full-time live-at-home missionary.  This last week she shared with us and all the members of our senior missionary district the details of her diagnosis.  It was just six weeks ago at zone conference that she was commenting to Eileen about her headache.  In just a few weeks, she has gone from there, to seeing several neurosurgeons and awaiting a surgery date sometime in the next two or three weeks.  I am impressed with Sister Kearns’ efforts to continue working as long as she possibly can, and her positive attitude of accepting whatever God has in store for her.

 

On a more humorous note, the missionary bound for Mexico that I went looking for last week, is the son of a General Authority Seventy.  This last week, Eileen and Sister Kearns were coordinating with Church Travel to get his medical and travel arrangements made quickly. Unfortunately, Church Travel would not commit to when they would have him travel and Eileen was trying to schedule appointments for the elder to get his prophylactic rabies vaccinations.  He and his companions had driven to the office so that I could exchange out their car for a new one.  When Elder Gerard heard Eileen say that she didn’t know how to proceed with coordinating the vaccination with his tentative travel schedule, Elder Gerard proposed an idea that no one in the office would have dared suggest.  “Why not call my dad?”  Elder Gerard’s father is in the Europe Central Area Presidency.  Eileen let the young elder call his dad and it was almost funny to see how fast Church Travel reacted to a General Authority’s request to set a firm schedule that Eileen and Sister Kearns could then work around.

 

On Friday, I drove to Tipton Missouri, a two-hour (one-way) drive east of Independence.  I was having trouble scheduling a time with the elders to have them trade out their car for a new one.This being the last of 14 new cars, I was anxious to set the last of the used cars up for transport and sale.  So, I drove the new car to them, changed the Orbcomm device from the old to new car, oriented the device and then drove the old car back to Independence.  When I drove up to the address of the elder’s house, I didn’t think I had the right place.  The house had a garage and a covered carport, but no mission car. Come to find out, the elders don’t park in the driveway because that would require them to either back out of the driveway or back in when they parked their car.  Since missionary driving rules require them to have the non-driving companion standing behind the car every time it backs up, the missionaries try to park in such a way to never require them to have to back up.  I firmly, but politely instructed them to start parking the new car on the driveway under covered parking.  My guess is that my instruction remained in their memory as long as, but probably no longer than, I was in their sight.  

Photo of Sister Kearns MRI, posted with her permission. The golf ball looking circle in the middle, is her brain tumor. We feel so grateful that it was found as quickly as it was.  She is still working 7 days a week to catch up with her work before she goes in for surgery. 

Our grandson is serving a mission. Today the primary children had the opportunity to decorate the missionaries as if they were a Christmas tree. A local member took the picture and sent it to our daughter.

Floor to ceiling boxes throughout President Sommerfeldt's office. Sister Perry has done a great job of figuring out which missionaries don't have any packages yet.

This is just 1/3 of the boxes. There are two more walls covered with boxes. The missionaries don't know that they are hidden in here.

We visited the historical Bingham-Waggoner Mansion estate on Friday evening. It is only a few blocks from our office. Despite the fact that I (Eileen) received 3 calls during our tour, it was lovely to see and hear about the history of this beautiful building. 

The Youngs are good missionary friends of ours. Unfortunately for us, they leave to return home in a few weeks. They made this cutting board with an engraved logo of the Missouri Independence Mission. I told them this will never be used as a cutting board. It will be a memento of them and our time here in Missouri.

This is a photo of some of the Healy family getting together this past week. The Healys do not normally take photos, but I was grateful that they got this photo and it was shared with us. 

THE TRIVIAL AND THE TRULY TRAGIC

Yesterday afternoon we came out of the temple to find Eileen’s phone going off over her not being available to address a missionary’s inflamed fingernail.  The young missionary had bitten off a hangnail and it got infected.  Eileen had talked to the missionary the night before and told her to soak it in Epson salts.  When the missionary asked to go to an urgent care clinic yesterday morning, Eileen gave her the addresses for four.  Unfortunately, when the missionary went, she could not locate her insurance card and was frustrated because the clinics would not see her without it.  So, she had her companion call the Sommerfeldts, who called Eileen while we were in the temple.  Eileen was on the phone trying to deal with that, while the six single senior sisters and five senior couples who had attended the temple together were going into dinner.  Between that and the young elders who had called me while were in the temple, saying that part of the undercarriage of their car was dragging, the wonderful experience of going to the temple was diminished a bit.  After a couple of calls and exchanging numerous text messages last night and today, I learned that the elders’ car’s issue stemmed from a mishap two weeks ago following a snowstorm and sliding off the road.  Why tell the vehicle coordinator that something happened when you can wait until the bottom falls off your car to tell him?

Part of what had made the temple visit so special was the circumstances surrounding one of the senior sister missionaries who was with us.  The missionary had been recently diagnosed as having a brain tumor and was told on Thursday that she would need to have surgery soon.  Despite the medical challenges facing her, she has kept up with her mission office duties and was in the office on Friday working a full day.  The contrast between how the two sister missionaries delt with their medical challenges was stark.

 

Today we had the pleasure of listening to one of our recently returned missionary’s homecoming talk.  Sister Caelen Jones sent Eileen the link to her sacrament meeting.  Listening to her reminded me (Russell) that I do get the opportunity to serve with some great young men and women.

 

Earlier this week, Church Travel called asking that we immediately send new passport photos and signed visa papers for a missionary who is waiting to go to Mexico.  The missionary was out in the far northeast part of our mission.  The trip took me six hours and I’m glad I took the truck.  One half-hour stretch between where I picked up the young elder and where we could get a passport photo was on a dirt road.  I am reconsidering our need for trucks in the outlying areas.  I wouldn’t drive my car there.

 

This past week I (Eileen) had a birthday and turned 65. I have now given up the great insurance we had with Huntsman and will now be on Medicare.  I guess that officially makes me a senior citizen. I heard from all my siblings, most of my children and many friends at home and from around the world. The beauty of Facebook is that it allows you to keep in touch with people that you don’t normally see in person.

 

It was fun to hear from members of our ward in Centerville.  One sister who I spent a lot of years both biking and skiing with, said this to me.  “Did you hear that I am a service missionary with Family Search?  Who would have thought when you invited me to church all those years ago, I would now be a missionary?” It really made me happy to hear that someone I “ministered” to years ago is now serving as a missionary.

 

I have been thinking about how grateful I am to have overcome some of the health challenges I have had in previous years, especially related to my bike accident. On my birthday I had three stark reminders of how quickly our lives can change: 1) a former missionary colleague recently was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and had a mastectomy in the past week; 2) a young missionary had a totally surprising diagnosis which could very well be life impacting; and  3) a missionary colleague is working hard to finish up her work before she has upcoming brain surgery for a tumor.  In each of these instances, my friends have positive attitudes and are finding peace through their faith in Jesus Christ, and in knowing they have a loving Heavenly Father who knows them personally and is aware of each of our needs.

 

Friday, I heard the news that Elder Patrick Kearon has been called as the newest apostle for our church, filling the vacancy created by the death of Elder M. Russell Ballard.  I was ecstatic.  I have a great deal of admiration for Elder Kearon. He was our Area President when we lived in Germany and came to our ward in Frankfurt when he wasn’t traveling. I remember distinctly the feeling I had whenever I talked with Elder Kearon and likewise when I spoke with his wife. It was like there wasn’t another soul in the room, they were so focused on the conversation we were having.  He is one of the most Christ-like people I know, kind, compassionate, understanding and has an extremely cheerful countenance. 

 

We have beautiful sunsets here.  This was taken on my birthday. The curlycue building is the top of the Community of Christ building. 

Cookies made by Sister Hunsaker for my birthday.

I guess Russell liked the variety of donuts Sister Perry bought for me.

This note from my 6 year old grandson was a heart warmer

This is the president's office/lunchroom/area to store Christmas packages for missionaries. 

Our stake presidency and high council put on a lovely dinner for all the missionaries.

Selfie of some of the seniors after the temple.

Dinner after the temple with some of the senior missionaries.

                                                         Undercarriage of damaged car.

                                     The damaged piece which was dragging along the ground.

                                    Driving on a dirt road to get passport photos for an elder. 

This car is only 2 weeks old. It is pretty much a mess. Maybe we need trucks. 

CHRSTMASTIME IN MISSOURI

 As I (Russell) look back at this last week, nothing stands out to me to write about.  We both have been very busy, but just with the usual medical and vehicle related issues.  I guess I should be grateful that nothing has gone wrong.  A few weeks ago, a member of our home ward was preparing to give a talk in sacrament meeting about senior missionaries.  He was asked to address Elder Rasband’s most recent conference talk.  In preparation for his talk, he asked us and other returned senior missionaries for our thoughts on serving missions.  We were able to listen to the meeting over Zoom, and he used parts of what we had sent him.  Below are the letters we provided him.

Jorge,

 

Congratulations on having a difficult subject to speak on but a great audience to speak to.  We have a number of wonderful people in the ward, some of whom we have already reached out to, to see if they would like to join us here serving in Independence.  

 

You have asked for “words of encouragement for those thinking about serving a mission, and what it has meant to [me].”  I’m not sure this is what you will want to share, but I will try.

 

Elder Rasband told of his parent’s experience serving and the family they helped come into the Church.  That was and is very inspiring, an experience that would make the entire time serving worth every minute of the time sacrificed that it took to accomplish.  I have had a similar experience in the Philippines, and I don’t have the words to describe how wonderful it was.  But what people often don’t understand is that the time actually working with those individuals that join the Church are only a small portion of the total time spent on a mission.  For me it was only on my fourth full-time mission as a senior that I had that experience.  Many (most?) senior missionaries don’t get the experience of baptizing someone.

 

I have heard many say that your family will be blessed for your service as a missionary.  While I know that is true (having the benefit of years of hindsight), I also know that hard/challenging things happen to family members while we are away.  I believe the greatest blessing for your family members of you being on a mission is the example you set that perhaps they may follow.

 

I have also heard, even over the pulpit, that you can choose your mission, that you can get do something you may deem fun, interesting, fulfilling, or go someplace exciting.  The truth is, that may happen, and it may not.  If we are going on a mission to do what we want then we may end up disappointed.  If we go because we are submitting our will to that of our Father in Heaven, then we should be ready to be surprised by what He thinks is best. The song, I’ll go where you want me to go, is a lot easier to sing than it is to go, say or be what the Lord would have us do.

 

Serving missions with Eileen has made my love for her grow stronger than it would have otherwise.  The best part of my day is when I am serving with her.  And while I can be with her at home, serving full-time with her has just brought us closer as we strive full-time in a shared purpose.  We are working together on an eternal goal of serving our Lord.

 

However, for me, the reason I serve is that I love my Father in Heaven and I want to be a good son.  I want to please him.  I have covenanted to consecrate my time, talents, etc. to the building up of the kingdom of God on earth.  Serving missions seems like a reasonable way for me to try and keep that covenant.  I know I fail often in my efforts to follow my Savior and do God’s will.  I am grateful He keeps giving me the chance to try to do better.

 

Sincerely,

 

Elder Healy

Hi Jorge,

So nice of you to think of us.  

Russell and I feel like there are two reasons why we serve. 1) We have been blessed with so much, we will never be able to repay Heavenly Father for all he has done for us.  2)  We have made a covenant in the temple to dedicate our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to the building up of Jesus Christ’s church on earth. For us personally, that means serving multiple missions. 

Missions can be very hard. A mission can stretch you to do things you didn’t think you are capable of. Likewise, a mission can be extremely rewarding.  I feel great joy as I help the missionaries with their health issues and know that I am helping them so they can further the work here in the Independence Mission.

Miracles come on a regular basis in my nursing position. Doors have opened up to get the missionaries into the right doctor expeditiously, when I thought it might take months to get an appointment. I have been inspired to seek certain care for missionaries, that I know didn’t come just from my own thoughts. 

Advice I would give to others,  leave your grandkids, your home, your pets and go serve. The Lord will watch over your family.  I would say that the Lord can certainly take care of your family better than you could if you were home.  Trust in Him.  

We have made associations in the mission field with both young missionaries and also other senior missionaries which will last a lifetime.  As we serve in the Independence area and know of the sacrifices the early saints made to make it possible for me to have the gospel in my life today, I would say the effort I am giving is small in comparison.

If any of the seniors in our ward want to serve here, we have needs in our mission. Currently we have a critical need for a Spanish speaking couple and a couple to serve the young single adults. You are needed. We want you here!

With kind regards,
Sister Eileen Healy

Our one Christmas decoration in our apartment. It makes me happy every time I see it. 

The computer I bought last week would not work with a double monitor so I had to return it and 

purchase another one. Thankfully, the area looked pretty where the computer store was located and we were able to enjoy the Christmas lights.

My daughter knows I love amaryllis. The three bulbs in the red wax grow without water, it is pretty amazing. I will spend a lot of time watching these grow while talking with missionaries on the phone. 

This is the courthouse in Independence. It reminds me of the courthouse on "Back to the Future."

This Gilbert and Whitney store was originally owned by Elder Gilbert and Newell Whitney.  It has been restored. One of the original walls still exists.

We went to the Living Windows in Independence. The stores had all sorts of Christmas type activities going on in the windows. This young woman was singing Christmas songs and it was broadcast outside. We both enjoyed the evening walking through downtown Independence. We both decided that Independence is growing on us. 

                    The Grinch was making different faces at me while I was taking the photo.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY, HAM & VENISON (ALMOST)

This last week has been busy with the first five of over a dozen new cars having come in, the Thanksgiving-day holiday, another ER visit, and our first snow of the year.  According to State Farm, insurance claims for collisions with deer rise significantly in the fall when deer are mating, with November having the highest claim frequency. And deer tend to be most active around dawn and dusk, particularly between 6-9 p.m.  With our over 90-car fleet, statistically, it should come as no surprise that we would have such an accident. Wednesday, shortly after 6 p.m., I (Russell) got a call from two of our young sister missionaries. They were on a quiet country two-lane highway, saw the deer off to the side of the road, slowed down and watched it going away from the road; only to then have it turn back around and run into the oncoming light of their car’s headlights.  The sisters said they were okay, and that the car wasn’t really hurt too bad.  I asked if they had “bagged” their deer. To which they responded that they couldn’t find it or even any blood.  I think all three of us were pleased that the deer survived, but it did mean that we wouldn’t be having venison for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a fabulous dinner with most (19 of 25) of the senior missionaries.  One benefit of having lots of senior sisters is that they can cook well, really well!  We had eight kinds of pies. Eileen had been worried about the young missionaries cooking their own turkeys and thought she might be spending Thanksgiving evening dealing with cases of food poisoning.  We did have a few such cases, but it wasn’t from the missionaries’ cooking.  I chalk that up as a win.

 

Friday afternoon/evening, Eileen found herself back at an ER not far from Independence with two young missionaries.  Eileen came home that night frustrated, after taking the missionaries back to their apartment (they got there via ambulance).  She felt that the situation could have been easily avoided. The next morning Eileen was up early, making her medical notes about the past night’s ER visit in the Church’s Missionary Medical computer system.  Around the time she finished, another young missionary called her.  He was just reporting in following some medical challenges he had recently experienced.   He told Eileen that he was doing significantly better, which given the circumstances was pretty miraculous.  After the call, I could tell Eileen was still frustrated over the events of the previous evening.  I knew she was justified in her feelings, but also recognized her being upset wasn’t doing her or anyone else any good.  The thought came to me to ask her to focus on two blessings.  The first blessing being that one month earlier, Eileen had recorded in her Missionary Medical notes regarding the applicable missionary from the night before, that this very issue was likely to occur if corrective action by the missionary was not taken. The second blessing being the call she had just received from the young elder.   Both the timing of the call and the fact that he did report in (Eileen generally has to chase the missionaries down to follow up with them) was unusual.  Both events were blessings, easy to overlook, but blessings, tender mercies, nonetheless. My guess is that I often miss God’s attempts to bless/help me during my difficult times because I am too focused on my problem of the moment.

Two of our zone leaders, Elder Perry and Elder Smith.  Elder Perry cut his finger pretty badly on Thanksgiving. It wouldn't stop bleeding and the urgent cares were closed. We came up with our creative way to bandage it. He told me to say that his companion threw an exacto knife at him and he didn't catch it correctly and it cut him. In reality he was cutting his fishing line and cut his finger in addition.

                                                     Senior missionary Thanksgiving dinner.

                                                        The options were plentiful

We had Elder Fackrell (R) and Elder Dodd over to our home last week. I sure was impressed with them both.

The first snowstorm of the year. The 27 degree weather made us really miss our garage.

We went on a shopping spree for a young missionary who didn't come to the mission field with the clothing he needed. The Youngs joined us. It was a very nice outing and he seemed very appreciative. 

After a very frustrating evening the previous night in the ER, Russell was trying to cheer me up. We went and bought a replacement computer for the one I have been using which is on its last leg. We found this restaurant right around the corner. The restaurant was one of Russell's favorite in Houston where he spent a good part of his career. Chuy's is gaudy, loud and has delicious TexMex food. We were both surprised to find it, and my spirits were definitely lifted.

          This was a humongous and delicious piece of tres leche cake we split for two different meals. 

We went to pick up five new vehicles for our mission. I (Eileen) was really impressed with some of the gadgets and technology in the car. Since I sold my car before this mission and it was a 2007, I haven't seen some of the cool things cars can do now. Russell's car is a 2013. The missionaries are driving much newer cars than all of the senior missionaries.  It takes Russell about a half hour to transfer the driver monitoring device from an old to new car, but that is still a long time when the temperature is close to freezing.

THREE MONTHS IN MISSOURI

Eileen reminded me that it was three months ago today that we arrived here. While we had some very busy times in Indonesia and Germany, those occasions usually involved traveling to other places within the mission. Here the work just comes to us via our phones with missionaries calling us needing our help or reassurance.  Our predecessors told us it would be 24/7, but in truth it rarely starts before 6:30 a.m. or extends after 10:30 p.m.  Thank goodness the missionaries have to sleep!

In the past three months we have had five automobile accidents, the front ends of our cars tagging the other vehicles four out of five times.  The most recent altercation took place early Tuesday morning (see picture below).  After getting the car towed to the shop, I followed up with the missionary driver to get some additional information.  The sister asked me, “Do you think we can have our car back by Thursday for transfers?”

 

For the past two weeks, Eileen has been reviewing the files of the 23 missionaries that came in on Friday.  A number of them have medical issues that she followed up on by calling the parents to learn more about them.  A couple of the missionaries’ medical issues sounded quite challenging, enough so that calls were made to Missionary Medical to see if perhaps a mistake had been made.  Missionary Medical responded by agreeing with Eileen’s concerns.  We have had challenges with Missionary Medical over the last few months when they have looked at issues purely on a remote, emotionally detached basis, never seeing the missionary or taking into account the opinion of the missionaries’ presiding priesthood leader.

 

On Friday afternoon we picked up the new missionaries from the airport and Eileen interviewed each of them, discussing any medical needs or concerns.  It was interesting to me to see the change in Eileen after meeting the individual missionaries.  The missionaries went from being names on a piece of paper to her fellow missionary and someone for whom she had assumed responsibility; some combination of primary care nurse and mom (Grandma?) had just kicked in.  I can now understand better the role and perspective of Missionary Medical, but if I am ever in need of real medical help, I hope the mission nurse and mission president are the ones calling the shots. 

The accident that occurred earlier this week quite early in the morning. The car had 1400 miles on it. 

This little creature was in our office parking lot one evening. Russell and the grandkids think it is a fox.

President Sommerfeldt at transfers talking with the groups of missionaries before they saw who their next companion would be. 

    We had 23 incoming missionaries. They had all gotten up that morning at the MTC at 2:45 a.m. and were pretty tired.

                                         Some of the new missionaries with their newly assigned trainers.

                I love these missionaries, they just haven't mastered the art of making a heart very well yet. 
 

Forty turkeys were distributed on Thursday to the missionaries. Each zone will be cooking three turkeys for their zone. The nurse in me is concerned that Thanksgiving evening might be a very busy night with potential food poisoning. I typed up instructions on how to thaw and cook a turkey, with strict instructions on how long it could be out before being thrown away. The other senior missionaries thought it was pretty funny when they read my instructions about washing the turkey, I included that it should be washed with water only, no soap!  

The past week this lady drove her car into the bushes at the church, came out of the car with nothing but a robe on and her eyes covered with an eye mask.  She did her business on the lawn and then proceeded to drive a half mile up the road driving backwards at about 50 mph.  I called the police twice but they never came.

On Friday we went to the old courthouse. It was built in 1827.  We had a very interesting hour learning of the history of this building and also Independence. 

THE REST OF THE STORY

Recently, during a conversation with Sister Sommerfeldt, Eileen was reporting on a number of health challenges that she was dealing with the young missionaries on. After listening for a while to the long list of issues, Sister Sommerfeldt noted something that Eileen and I often forget.  She said the problem with our roles is that we usually only get to see the problems of the missionaries and that we rarely are in a position to see all the good things that are transpiring in the mission.  We don’t see very many of the good things that are taking place in the mission among the 80-90 percent of the missionaries that don’t have significant medical or driving issues.   

 

But occasionally we do see things that bring a smile to our faces, two situations come immediately to mind.  In mid-September, we found ourselves at a hospital one evening with a young sister missionary.  The recommendation from Missionary Medical in SLC and our Area Medical Advisor was that the sister should return home.  President Sommerfeldt and Eileen felt that perhaps there was more to the story and that trying to resolve the underlying problem here was the right approach.  Well, now it is two months later.  The underlying problem seems to have been resolved simply by the young sister taking an inexpensive over-the-counter medicine.  Had the sister never come on the mission and ended up in the emergency room, she probably could have gone on for years suffering with a health problem that once properly diagnosed was easy to treat.

 

The second situation involves the sister who was bit by a dog when she and her companion were trying to deliver a requested Book of Mormon.  About a month has gone by since then.  The sister has had the prescribed rabies shots, and her arm is healing from the bites.  Eileen was talking to the sister the other night and learned that they are now teaching the man to whom they were taking the Book of Mormon (and who owned the dog).  They haven’t gone back to the house; they meet and teach in a nearby park and the dog's fate, which was decided by a judge two weeks ago is never discussed.

 

The missionaries in these two situations mean a lot to Eileen and me, as we have seen more of the story with them than we usually do.  My guess is that there are many such situations going on all the time, we just don’t see them.  There was a radio program years ago by Paul Harvey titled, The Rest of the Story.  Paul Harvey would tell a story, take a commercial break, and then come back and tell an interesting additional fact or two that made the story far more interesting.  I realize I need to spend more time trying to get to know the missionaries better, to see them more than as just someone suffering a medical issue or a driver of one of the mission cars.

Our Elder getting casted for a broken radius and ulna. I was grateful he didn't need surgery.  Maybe there should be a rule that missionaries can not play capture the flag in the dark with glow-in-the-dark flags!

Eileen went with our missionary to concussion physical therapy.  The physical therapist wanted him to do visual exercises to the tick of a metronome using a metronome app. Since missionaries are limited on what kind of apps they can use, Eileen bought the missionary an actual metronome on Amazon and Russell hand delivered it to him. 

We found this garlic press in our kitchen and didn't need it. Our friends from the MTC who are serving in Kenya had told us that their predecessors asked them to bring a garlic press which they thought was ridiculous. We were going to mail this one to them, but were shocked to find out that the minimal shipping would be over $200.  They will have to settle for a photo instead. 

WHEN TWO OUT OF THREE IS BAD

Shortly after we arrived in our Centerville home a week ago Thursday evening, Eileen got a call regarding a serious medical issue with one of the missionaries.  That call reminded me that we can run (over a thousand miles), but we cannot hide.  The call also was an early start to the most difficult week, from a medical perspective, we have had so far on our mission.

 

You can generally count on Monday, the young missionaries preparation day (day off), to start off being relatively quiet of both medical and vehicle issues.  No one is going to try and go to the doctor or get the oil changed in their car when they could be doing fun things with other missionaries.  But as the day goes on and the consequences of those “fun” activities transpire, Mondays turn out to be the day of the week when most accidents occur.  Eileen tells the missionaries that things are serious if one or more of the three “B’s” are present, those being: bleeding; broken bones; and not breathing.  We had two of the three on Monday.  Both bones of an elder’s left arm were the casualty of a flag football game.  Another elder’s surprise head butting of an automatically opening church building’s heavy metal door led to bleeding and a concussion.

 

Earlier this week we had another missionary who had to go home suddenly due to a medical issue.  It was heart breaking to watch, being helpless to relieve the missionary’s suffering.  There are times in life when things seem so unfair, so unjust.  After serving diligently, to the best of one’s ability, to need to be accompanied home at the end of your mission is hard for even the most faithful.  It was an honor to take this young sister to the airport, and then to watch her as she met her father who had flown in to take her home.  As her father came through the doors where we were waiting for him, he opened his arms and his daughter ran to him.  Eileen commented to me, perhaps that is what it will be like when we pass from this life and meet our Father in Heaven again.  

 

The missionaries' mental health issues in this mission have been hard on Eileen, and President and Sister Sommerfeldt.  We are blessed to have a medical doctor and a therapist, both members of the Church, close who can help with the missionaries.  Eileen is great with physical medical issues, but emotional issues are something we have dealt with a bit in our family but never in her professional nursing life.  For the last 9-10 days, we have had the blessing of assistance from a retired psychiatrist, Dr. Anderson.  Brother Anderson has been away from counseling missionaries for a while as he has had some serious heath issues himself.  Eileen was hesitant to burden him too much with our missionaries’ challenges, to which he said something to the effect of, “ I’ll let you know if it gets too heavy for me. I figure God doesn’t need a psychiatrist on the other side, so maybe He will let me stay here so I could help the missionaries.”  I know that he will be of great value to the young missionaries he works with in our mission, and I also know his assistance is a great relief to Eileen.  He is an answer to my prayers and those of many others,

The first frost of our mission on November 1st. It certainly gets cold here with the humidity.

We received this note from a lovely, kind, thoughtful missionary.  Definitely a keeper memory from our mission.

It was a beautiful reunion between this missionary and her father. I couldn't help but think that it was similar to what we might feel when we go  to the other side of the veil and our loving Heavenly Father or older brother Jesus greet us with a tender embrace.

Our missionaries from the Paola district, Russell & I, and Sister Hunsaker having lunch together. There were two other elders in the district but one had spent the night before throwing up.  Russell went to the store and bought him several bottles of Gatorade and Sprite.

Smothered homemade potato chips with BBQ pork, cheese, guacamole and pico, fried pickles and sweet potato tots accompanied our BBQ sandwiches. Definitely not for those on a diet.