Missionary Highlight

   We have an exciting missionary story to tell! We had been sworn to secrecy since at least March (it's been so long I can't even remember), but today we can officially share the good news about a family in one of our branches. The parents and their two sons have received their mission calls! The brothers leave next week, and their parents leave the end of October. Let me back up and start from the beginning. We were meeting with this family on a routine member visit, and they told us that they had some important news to tell us and that they needed our help. They had decided to all serve missions simultaneously and needed our help to communicate with the Mission President without anyone else knowing. Of course, their branch president would know because he had to generate their applications, but he was sworn to secrecy also. We're not certain why it was so important to not let anyone else know, but we agreed to their wishes and moved forward. I will never forget that evening. The spirit was so strong, and I was quite overcome with emotion. This family is willing to answer the call of a prophet, take a leap of faith, rent their apartment to the church for the two years they're gone and go wherever the Lord calls them. We will really miss their influence in our district. The father is a counselor in his branch presidency, one son is the president of our student youth council, the institute instructor, as well as the district young men's president. Both he and his brother are actively involved in young adults and are a big support to all of the youth in the district. They also speak a little english which is often a lifesaver. The mom is a gospel doctrine teacher and a great influence for the members and less-active members. We have been meeting with them every other week the last four months for missionary preparation training which has really been a treat. They will all be such effective missionaries and will return to continue being terrific leaders in the district.
   There are always so many details and documents to get in order before they receive their calls. They were hopeful to leave by the first of September, so they're not too far off. But their calls have been long in coming, and so we have had to be quiet for a long time! Their desire was to all leave at the same time and so their situation is somewhat unique. The parents will be serving in the Baltic States Mission beginning the end of October, and the boys are serving in two of the Ukraine missions but will not be reporting to the MTC in Madrid until January. So they will be going directly to St. Petersburg next week for three months on a special assignment to the Mission President, then to Madrid from there. Their two-year term will not begin until January when they enter the MTC. They consider their time in St. Petersburg as a "bonus!" The sons received their calls about a week before their parents, leaving them three weeks to be ready; their parents, five weeks. But not to worry...they have been telling us they are ready for weeks before that. And they mean it in every sense of the word. Their suitcases have even been packed for just as long.
   I have learned a lot from their example. The most important things are taken care of and there is no need to worry about the frivolous things I would worry about. The younger son will receive his endowments in the Madrid temple...without his parents in attendance. But that doesn't seem to matter. It's only important that he is receiving them. No need to organize a social gathering before leaving...in fact, it was our suggestion that they even speak in church next week before they leave. They didn't have a house full of people when they opened their calls, obviously. Our traditions back home aren't even thought of here. It's just a simple, humble experience. We are so grateful to have been able to share this experience with them and know we will be forever friends. We had our last lesson with them on Saturday night at our house and made tacos together. They saw it as a celebration dinner. We just saw it as quality time with good friends. They were worried about eating Mexicanski food, especially the dad. But he ate more tacos than anybody! We made homemade tortillas, and they really were quite delicious! (Thanks, mom, for the taco seasoning!