The Missionaries

Tomorrow is the final day of training. Our young instructors are earnest, gentle and avoid direct criticism, preferring to emphasize particular portions of the PMG manual. We have participated in several role-plays where members playing investigators confront our presentations of scripture, testimony, invitation and commitment.

As we visit with other couples, our awareness their personal sacrifice grows. Many have interrupted careers to serve, based upon calls from their bishops or direct spiritual promptings. Some seniors have served three or more missions. The Tuesday devotional speaker, Elder Mervyn Arnold of the First Quorum of Seventy served his first mission with Sister Arnold while in their early 30’s with six children under age eleven. The Snelson’s in our district are ten years from retirement and have a daughter serving in Honduras. Sister Snelson explained that she experienced two Spiritual directives before she agreed to leave their home and real estate business. They are called to serve a CES mission in Mozambique. Another district couple, the Lovelands, raised ten children and are caring for aging parents. They explained feelings of guilt that their parental obligations prevented mission service. After counseling with their Bishop and the Church missionary department, they have accepted a full-time proselyting mission on an Indian reservation fifty miles from their Montana home, with special allowance for family emergencies.

 

After lunch on Wednesday, Stefanie and I walked to where the new missionaries were arriving. We watched the parade of cars down the MTC driveway, and the line of new missionaries following their escorts and luggage into orientation. Many were sisters. Their expressions showed wonder and determination. As we sat on the driveway stem-wall we heard someone yell, “Hey Owens'.” It was the Garners from Desert Valley Ward dropping off their son Drew. He marched past us a couple of minutes later.