PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

So here is the news you have NOT been waiting for.

Courtesy of Flikr/ Brian Donovan - Waiting..........

Where are we going on our mission?  We have no idea. Seems we are called upon to learn more of the attribute of  - patience. Patience while we wait patiently.

The Salt Lake City Missionary Department reviewed our missionary application, and they want us to repeat a medical test 6 months from the last test (which was November, 2015). Bummer!!! We were so excited to get our call and learn where we would be going.

But we do know our mission end date - March 11th.  We have tickets to fly back to the United States on that day - saying a hard goodbye to all the amazing wonderful people and experiences we have had here.

Once our second medical test is done (hopefully in May) and we clear the medical hurdles - we can submit our papers and be on our way.  

We firmly believe that the Lord has reasons for everything.  There are no coincidences. In the meantime, we wait.  We trust.  We rejoice in the blessings we have had.  We rejoice in the blessings we experience every day. We look forward to blessings yet to be. 

So we share some of my favorite quotes:

“God, as a loving Father, will stretch our souls at times. The soul is like a violin string: it makes music only when it is stretched. . . . God will tutor us by trying us because He loves us, not because of indifference!” 
― Neal A. Maxwell


“I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. ….Faithfulness, obedience and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord’s timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings…
― David A. Bednar

2016 - A New Year - A New Mission

Missionaries of all kinds remember the thrill of receiving in the mail the coveted "White Envelope" And before that - The wait. The anticipation. The excitement. The wonder.

We retired early with plans to go on multiple missions.  As we anticipate the completion of this mission (March 11th), we are looking forward to another one - somewhere.  We just don't know where yet.

Our missionary application for our second mission is in Salt Lake City, awaiting assignment. So once again we are experiencing "the wait", "the anticipation", "the excitement" and "the wonder."

And this time, we are also experiencing - "the appreciation."  Our deepest appreciation to our Heavenly Father for the opportunity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for seniors to have this extremely rewarding experience to serve a mission - any kind. Just look at all these smiling faces! 

Courtesy of Flickr/More Good Foundation

I think a mission gives you far more than you put into it.  What we have learned, who we have become, and our growth of increased love for the Savior have been phenomenal milestones for us. We could never have imagined, sitting in our living room back in the States, of the blessings that were coming our way as we served this incredible mission.

So depending on when we are assigned to begin our next mission, we plan to have around 6 months in the United States in between missions - time to visit all our children, our grandbabies (!!!), other family members, have a family reunion or two, and help out where we can. We miss our family tons!

Our request was to serve again in the Asia Area, Member-Leadership Support. But there are no guarantees!  

What is YOUR guess?  Where do you think we will go?