Don't Mess with a Missionary Mama!!

My husband found out again - that this missionary mama is not to be messed with - especially when it comes to PDays... those days are like manna from heaven and I will cross burning coals and would even run (you have to see me to know that I don't run!!) to anywhere to get my son's emails....

So today, it is PDay in the Dominican Republic. The boys both email me, one is to a group and then one directly to me and my husband with his brother in it - this is our family circle email. It keeps everyone in touch with each other.... My other son - just sends a group email - two of them and there is none his mother....

Their father (husband of 23 years) calls me at work some time later and he is all chirpy and I said - "the boys emails were short today" and then he proceeds to tell me that he had been online and had little chats with them!! Apparently all three of my significant others (1 husband and 2 missionaries) - had been emailing each other and no one thought to press REPLY ALL (including their father) - so their mother missed out... I was not impressed!!

After asking what they said, their father casually replies "just little bits - nothing major!" By this time smoke is coming out of my ears, but their father finally, as requested a few times - forwards me their emails and what d'ya know - there are messages: Mum, can you get me this, Mum can you do this, and I look at the recipients - and there is no mum in there!! I could not believe it.

So I have emailed all three of them to instruct them to reconnect their fingers to the REPLY ALL button... and not happy.... with their father in particular.

I had been feeling a bit funny last week (self diagnosed it as a bit of a funk) - and I remembering saying to Mr, "I hope the boys are okay" - because I just felt 'off'. He would brush it off and say "of course they are okay.... etc" getting frustrated that I somehow didn't have faith anymore.... What he didn't realise is that it was a mother's intuition on high alert - because as it turns out - one of my sons has had a challenging week and is becoming frustrated with the language - trying to work with a new companion, new country, and appointments falling through, and it all coincides with how I was feeling last week.... and I know if I had being included in their emails earlier - I may have been able to reassure them, or help somehow....

Anyway, I am hoping that the REPLY ALL lesson remains with Mr and his sons for the next 96 weeks.

Don't mess with a missionary mama on PDay....!

Let's see how we go next week ;-)

Mxo

25 Words!!

Dear Journal,

Our High Councilman spoke yesterday in church and I knew that I was going to write and talk about it.... He retold a story as told by President Monson in a general conference in 2008, and later by the General Primary President in 2013 - about Jay Hess, an airman who was captured and imprisoned during the Vietnam war. Our High Councilman must have been touched by what he read, as he researched further and was able to provide some other detail which made the story even more amazing!! For two years, the family of Brother Hess did not know if he was alive, missing or worse - dead. When Hess was moved to another prisoner of war camp, not only had the conditions improved, and the food was better - he was eventually allowed to write one letter. It was to be no more than 25 words.

 

Brother Hess thought about what he would say that would let his family recognise it was his him (writing), and also provide counsel to his children. This is what he wrote: "“These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”

President Monson went on to ask us all what we would write, and what legacy would we leave behind and encouraged us to "relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows."

 

So, tonight I wrote to my boys and told them about this story and I shared with them my 25 words to them at this time: "I love you. Return with honour. Become educated. Work hard. Marry someone you see raising your children. Stay spiritually strong. Pray always. Love my moko (grandchildren)…"

 

I don't know what they will think of that - but I know they will know it was from their mother who loves them so very very very much....

 

What would be your message to your missionary(s)??

 

Until next time.

 

Mxo 

The Missionary Farewell/Setting Apart

Dear Journal

The last few weeks with your pre-missionary go by super quickly... I had a blackboard measuring the days and it seemed that no sooner had I put a number up, it had to be changed and the number kept getting lower and lower until my boys were GONE ;-(

I spent much of my time with my sons together as well as individually and loved every minute of it all, in particular preparing for their missionary farewell talks in sacrament meeting, followed that night by their setting apart. I learnt more about their personalities, their little quirks, and how grown up they had gotten, and how they had formed their own opinions separate to mine. What I learnt throughout this preparation time was that my son's have strong testimonies that God lives and the work that there were about to be engaged in was good and they were ready!

 

They spoke amazingly, with firmness and a love of God and their family. I couldn't have loved them any more or been prouder than I was hearing their testimonies. I was also blessed (by their invitation) to speak on both occasions. I cried most of the way through - and not sure anyone heard anything I said ;-). After speaking and singing a song I composed in our sacrament meeting, one of my sons said "Thanks Mum" and at that moment - it didn't matter if anyone else heard - because I know at least he did!

 

Anyway for this blog, I thought I would include my talk that I gave at my sons' setting apart called - A Mother's Parting Advice. I am sending it to my sons while they are in the MTC this week.

 

"My parting advice to my baby boys starts with and ends with one word - LOVE.

 

1) A Mother's love
A mother's love for her child is unparalleled by any other bond and I thank a kind Heavenly Father for blessing me with two beautiful sons who have brought me and their father, for the most part, nothing less than joy. If you could see how much love I had for you sons, it would surely fill this planet and the galaxy and beyond!!

 

Thank you for being good boys. You will be missed but we are so proud of you and look forward to this next part of your life.

 

2) Love your companion

Your father tells me all the time that I am a combination of all of the worst companions he ever had - so he was totally prepared for your mother ;-) Seriously though - love your companion. There is direct correlation between a working companionship and success in the Lord's work.

 

3) Love the people you serve

For people to remember you long after you are gone, and for generations to come, not only because you brought them the gospel, but because you truly loved them - that is success! Your father is the man he is today, partly due to the love of the missionary couple who baptised him, and continued to love him long after they had returned home.

 

4) Love the Lord

Love the Lord and he will not forsake you. President Thomas S. Monson has taught "When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question 'Why me?' At times there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel..... We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone.... We become impatient for a solution to our problems, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required. The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure. A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us: Shall I falter, or shall I finish? Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome....Your Heavenly Father loves you - each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy,. discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there"

5) Lastly, my sons - as you have been taught since you were little children, strive to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with you always. He will testify that what comes out of your mouth, in broken Spanish or otherwise is true!!

 

Go with your parents love and the love of your Nan (my mother passed away in 2007, but always prayed for my sons to serve their mission). This church is true, otherwise you would not be going anyway on the plane tomorrow night. God lives."

 

I hope that this brings the boys some comfort while they are serving, as it has for me re-reading it again.

 

Until the next time,

 

Mxo

Happy as Larry

I am not sure who Larry is but the saying "Happy as Larry" has been a saying that I have been brought up so it is really that old.... :-)  It is also the first phrase that I saw when  I got my weekly fix from my beautiful niece who is serving in the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission. She is just soooo happy!! Her emails are so powerful that they have drawn tear drops from my eyes every time! This week was no exception with the added bonus of actually seeing her through photos. She has been on her mission since September and already the changes in her are amazing! I have to admit - this Aunty is soooo biased, but you would have to agree - she is beautiful and I love her and miss her dearly.

 

Sister Garisau's emails are sharp and sweet and if I time it right, sometimes she is online when I am and I get a direct response.... and those moments are precious! Today was no exception, so when I got the chance I asked if I could share her email and her photos and her response was a resounding yes, hence my blog post today (and parts of her email ;-))....

 

"Another week, more experiences.
 

On Tuesday we had the missionary fireside performance. It was so much fun and something I will never forget.... [On] Thursday we got to the play "Savior of the World." It was so amazing....

This morning we got to go to the Temple. We get to go every transfer, so every six weeks. It is absolutely amazing. Was so cool going through a live session. Loved it so much.

On Tuesday my companion and I got to take an emergency investigator lesson. When the Salt Lake missionaries come to Temple Square with their investigators without scheduling it. They usually have to schedule because the Sisters take them around. We taught with Elders and the investigator, Casey. He investigated before a few years ago but couldn't quit smoking. But now he wants to learn more and see if it is for him. It was so amazing.
One of the elders was [not very good] and was just taking photos the whole time but the other elder was so good. And I was so happy in myself because the three of us were able to bear testimony of about Christ and the Prayer. And in the end I committed to pray and read the Book of Mormon and he said he would. I love this mission!!!
 

Love you all and keep safe.

Sister Garisau"

Recently, I joined a facebook group called Missionary Mommas and one of the missionary moms posted a video of the missionary fireside that my niece was talking about - she actually recorded it for another one of the missionary mothers - so I had actually seen my niece performing not knowing where she was - so after seeing her photos after the fireside and seeing what she was wearing, I re-watched the video and I could actually see her dancing!! What a blessing ;-) I love my niece as if she was my own. She is such a good examples to my sons who are leaving on their missions in January 2014. We pray that her brother will follow her in February 2014 and the legacy of missionary work continues in our family.

I love being a Missionary Aunty xx

Mxo

 

 

The Turketo boys have been called to serve!!

The Turketo boys have been called to serve!! They are going to the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Missions – one to the East and the other to the West. They will be teaching in the Spanish language and report to the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Centre (MTC) on January 14th 2014 (which is about 12 weeks from now)!! I can’t tell you how proud I am of my babies – and just as equally I am overwhelmed with a profound sadness (a totally ‘nother blog) that they are leaving home and growing up!

 

As you do – the first thing we all did was look up where the Dominican Republic is and low and behold – we have almost been there!! What is sooo cool and extra special about their calling is that our family (with a group of friends) has just returned from a cruise in the Caribbean so the boys are already exposed to some of the weather and culture of those Islands and the people they may be meeting. To think we nearly never went on that cruise, but for some reason we went ahead and now we know why… Isn’t it awesome how Heavenly Father knows everything!

 

We know that our sons will have an awesome experience – and now the challenge is for Mum and Dad to learn Spanish - that is when this missionary Mama can stop crying long enough

 

Until the next time,

 

Mxo