Friday, April 11, 2008

day 150- the mission


My emotions change from moment to moment when it comes to my missionary. People ask me all the time how I feel about my daughter getting married... I just can't think too deeply about that- I am still thinking of my missionary. I can only wrap my mind around one "loss" or one "gain" depending on how you look at it- at a time. You see, megan left home 3 years ago. She's independent, she's a woman now & she is doing great so I am happy for her. I look at the wedding as a definite gain. But the mission... it's a gain, & a loss, in that I miss him so much sometimes.

"i remember time out with mom and dad was one of my favorite things ever. you all are so lucky, jack hailey chloe and trent, take advantage of the time you have... they´re getting pretty old hahaha. no but for real, we are so blessed to be in the family that we are in and to have the parents we have, i hope you all know that."

The emails are amazing! No kidding... a definite mom & dad pay day for sure. Every week it is so exciting for all of us to hear what he's doing. I think every one of my kids want to be a missionary now. He is having the time of his life- intermingled with very short periods of homesickness.

"so for starters i have probably the funniest story ever... i hope you agree. yesterday in sacrament meeting my comp was giving a talk and everything was all good and the people were listening. he began to give his testimony and got about half way through when the daughter of our mamita here in futrono opened a little fireplace heater thing in the back of the room... well with the luck that we have out jumped a BIRD! haha it began flying frantically the length of the chapel and freaking out. of course chao espiritu santo (bye holy ghost) everyone was busting up. my comp looked back at me with a big smile on his face, i was dying! anyways it did about 3 laps from one end to the other, and flew right past my comps head. it flew down to the other end and was making its way back up to the stand. my companion was standing there stiff as a board as the bird headed straight for his head, it made a slight left turn but my companion was just too fast, he threw his right hand up as if it was nothing and snatched the little sucker out of the air IT WAS AWESOME! he then walked calmly to the door, threw it out into freedom walked back to the pulpit and said, comparto estas cosas en el nombre de jesucristo amen (i say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen)"

Something in me has definitely changed in me these last couple of months. I don't worry about him as much anymore. I just know he is going to be okay. I am sure even more than before that he is in the right place at the right time, doing the right things. I am grateful for that.

i spoke yesterday too, about the life of Jesus Christ. i studied this week and being the same old me finished writing my talk the morning of haha. but it was really cool to study the life of our savior Jesus Christ. i read some in Jesus the Christ, i love that book and found out some different things that i hadnt ever really thought about. i love the story in ... Luke about Christ as a youth in the temple sharing with the people. when his mother finds him she says, why have you treated your father and I like this, we have searched for you sorrowing (something like that) and his response is so awesome, he said, ¨¿por qué me buscabais? ¿no sabíais que en los negocios de mi padre me es necesario estar?¨ something like why did you search, shouldnt you know that i was about my fathers business? i love that, in Jesus the Christ it says something about how it was almost as if Christ was kind of reminding mary of the reason he was there in the first place. i love the way that Christ answers the questions of the people. he was such a great missionary. people ask me questions here and i have no idea what to say sometimes but he always had the right answer to either edify them or shut them up. (i could use the latter sometimes...)heehee

He spends a good deal of time defending or teaching about the United States, about our religion & helping others who are very unfortunate in this life. I am amazed it's been 150 days. It seems like longer- lately the wedding plan are making the time go faster.
I am so grateful right now for so many things. I am blessed. It's a good life.

7 comments:

Kristy said...

Great e-mails from Brian. He sounds like he is doing awesome! I am always worried about kids and how I am raising them. I bet you are so glad to know that you did a great job on the 2 older ones!

patsy said...

Okay Wow- I am a little overwhelmed by that comment-- I don't know if I can say I did a "great" job raising my two oldest kids- I do know I tried hard to do my best most of the time. Maybe I should blog about the time brian ran across the road playing chicken on main street. I was in the car right behind the one that almost hit him... that was fun. or the time megan skipped school & forged my signature on a note. Her whole senior year I had to personally call the school if she was late or absent... i could go on & on, but I better not.

Anonymous said...

Thanks mom

Jill said...

It's so great to read this excerpts from Brian's letters. I'm so glad you're getting a parental payday right now, what a blessing. He sounds like he's doing great, enjoying himself and learning lots. There is nothing like a mission to turn a boy into a man!

Karrie said...

WOW! great blog...I'm taking mental notes becaue eventhough I only have one boy I'm still never going to handle him leaving! I had fun at Megan's shower.

crystal said...

I seriously do not know how I will get through Max on a mission (he's only 9, but it'll sneak up on me!). You are inspiring me, here. To have them just...gone. Ouch.

I like how Jill called it "parental payday." That's so right-on. What amazing emails from him! You must be SO PROUD :)

Janae said...

What a great mission experience he is having! I love that bird story:) all kids go through their ups and downs, our hopes as parents is...in the end they turn out great...:) love the chicken story:)