Patience is a Virtue

Dear Journal

Recently, I wrote about my son missing his PDay email. It was a source of spiritual inspiration and I felt very blessed indeed, especially when, on the next day I received not one but three email responses from him after he had read all of my emails. I am not sure what he was feeling - but he did ask me to explain how his Zone Leaders were contacted and a message was conveyed instructing him to write home to his mother. This was his last set of instructions, and they repeated twice throughout the emails so I know he will be waiting to hear the answer.....

Now you see why I have called this blog Patience is a virtue, because I have been told on numerous occasions - especially by more experienced missionary mothers, and the ultimate return missionary incarnate - Mr M - that missionaries are busy and sometimes just can't get around to writing....

I was so amazed to see mothers in my own missionary mamas group who have suffered through weeks with no email and have demonstrated the fortitude of warriors, never flinching, and just waiting until they did. Every time, their missionary explained why they hadn't made contact and all is good amongst the people.....

 

I know this, I have the faith that they are safe. It is just I so desperately count on hearing from my missionaries - that this one slip was a problem for me....

 

It turned out that week I also got a letter in the mail! That made me feel even worse - that I didn't have the patience to wait for my son to make contact.... ;-( On top of that a missionary mother with a son serving in the same area as my son sent me photos - which were the first photos we had seen since he had left MTC! Heavenly Father answered my prayers - but I so caught up in starting this international search party, that I wasn't patient ENOUGH or for long ENOUGH.... and my son found out...
 

Bless my boy's heart, what has really strengthened my resolve to hold the line and practice patience if a PDay email was ever missed again was my email from my baby - I tell you it was another 'out of the mouths of babes' moments for this missionary mama.
 

"If I don’t email one week then you need to pray and wait, you can’t just skip to the end and say I’m in hospital because truth is I probably will be teaching someone... I will find time some where in my week to email -  you just need to [pray and] trust me. Other than that know that I’m on a mission so I’m going to be busy, I’m going to get sick, I may get hurt, I already have got lost before and many other things you wouldn’t want to happen to me but that’s a mission."

 

 

 

Got it son- and from this I will forever and practice patience, pray and wait some more!!

 

Well, I will try my hardest son & that is all I can do ;-)

 

Until the next time,

A repentant Missionary mama xx

M.I.A - Missing in Action!!

Dear Journal

I couldn't go to bed tonight without writing about my experience today.

Yesterday was my missionary boy's PDay. One son, dutifully writes to his mother - not even a family one just his mum/dad/brother email this week. It was lovely, too short for my liking but it had  wonderful experiences he is having - which are so faith promoting - I love reading over and over and over! Anyway - he writes a short email and then just like that pft! - gone until next week. I imagine him blowing out his last breath of the day and gives himself a big tick on his To DO List next to - write to mum otherwise!!

 

On the other hand, my other son usually writes a bit later in the day so I wait, and wait, and wait - and nothing. I call Mr twice just to make sure it isn't just me or a bad connection on my part - but he isn't getting email either.... so I wait until it becomes obvious (my sons are 7 hours ahead of me) I am not going to get an email. I can't explain fully how I feel at this point. I am worried, but I have faith that he is well. I am stressing out, and yet I know that my son is in the Lord's hands - so basically although intellectually and spiritually I know these facts,  I am an emotional wreck!

                                                                                                                                                             

By the time I am ready to go home from work I have reminded myself some key points; 1) my son is okay because the church would have called me straight away, and 2) I know that he's still alive because surely as his mother I would have felt something...... so I come home and I try and get some sleep, checking my inbox throughout the night and early morning to see if something has popped up after having been temporarily delayed?? Nothing.

 

I wake up and decide to stay home from work because ALL I want to do is to get on a plane to the Dominican Republic to see for myself where he is! I struggle to  stop myself from ringing Interpol, the prophet and/or my son's Mission President...... I don't do any of these!! Instead I put out an APB (all points bulletin) to anyone who knows anyone in the Dominican Republic to look for my son!

 

I get in contact with my neighbour's friends in Melbourne, Australia who have local knowledge of the DR and give them the area in which my son is serving. The city or municipal where my son is has a population of 263,861 people. So this couple send out messages to their friends and promise to get back in touch with me.  While I am waiting, I keep myself busy although one eye and my heart really, is looking at the time, knowing that another day is drawing to a close with NO WORD for me from him.

 

Then at 5pm tonight, midnight where my son is living, I get a message from these wonderful people from Melbourne that says "I have news for you. My friend's friends have gotten hold of your sons' zone leaders and they have said your son is ok!" I can't thank my new friends enough for the help that they have given this MM. They have answered mine and my husband's prayers.... I now know that out of the 263,861, my son is ok and I will probably find out tomorrow  through these same channels - why he didn't email me this week..... I already know the rationale behind it will make sense - but it will great to see it written down.

 

By this time, I am emotionally drained, but I make sure to send a thank you email to my new friends in Melbourne, then I sit at my computer and cry - with relief and a grateful heart.

 

Next, I pull down a pillow from the bed, and kneel on it and pray. I sob and cry out in gratitude, and just pure relief. And while I am praying I feel next to me someone getting down beside me to pray. I tell myself it's the cat putting it's weight on the pillow (under my knees) but I can't hear her purring - and whatever it is leaves and then again someone has kneeled down beside me. I dare not open my eyes.... but feel like someone is beside me.... I know my missionary sons are praying for their crazy mummy and I am grateful for this knowledge. I finish my prayer and I am blessed! I stand up and I feel light.

 

I go to bed tonight - knowing that both of my boys are okay... and my baby who went  M.I.A  on God's errand has been found... and this missionary mama can breathe again!!

Mxo