Stake Conference Talk on Senior Missionaries

At our last Stake Conference in Roswell, we had a wonderful time. The Stake is extremely friendly. I don't know if it is because of the tag we are wearing or if that is their true nature. Everyone is so excited to be there and there was standing room only so the Elder had to stand all the way through conference.

A story was told by Brother David R Brown about Senior Missionaries and how Heavenly Father always helps those who serve: I absolutely LOVED the story.

A Senior couple was asked by their Bishop to serve a mission. The couple thought it over and declined because they thought they were unworthy to serve a mission. They were having a lot of problems with their family. One of the daughters was living with them because she was going through a divorce and there were many complications. Things just didn't seem to be going well. They even had one son who left home and they hadn't seen him for three years. With feelings of inadequacy they told the Bishop "No" to the mission call.

A few months later the Bishp asked them once again to at least look at the mission application and think about it again. Once again the couple said no, they didn't feel like they were worthy to go on a mission.

A very persistent Bishop said, "Just fill out the mission papers and may you will be prompted to serve this mission." The couple finally siad, "OK, they would fill out the mission papers but they didn't want him to send them in.

So the mission papers were filled out but never turned in. The Bishop once again asked them "Just send in your application and let's see what happens, OK?" The couple just got back from a trip to Alabama and said, well, if the call came and it was to Alabama they wouldn't go because they didn't like that state.

The couple sent in the papers and guess where they received their call; to ALABAMA. Of course the couple said they would not go. The Bishop persuaded them to at least go to the MTC and maybe they would get the spirit of missionary work. So the couple attended the MTC. It was stressful and they told the mission president they didn't feel like they had the right spirit to go on this mission. But he told them if they would at least go out to the mission field, he promised them they would feel the spirit.

Reluctantly, the couple went to the mission field. They found an apartment in Alabama and bought enough food to last one week. That was the time they committed to the Mission President. After one week, they got in their car, ready to go home because they thought they gave it their best effort. In the car the wife said, "Let's at least go knock on one door, so we can say at least we did that while we were on a mission" Hesitantly the husband looked over to a broken down house that looked empty and unoccupied and said, "OK, let's go knock on that door."

They walked up to the door and knocked. After a few seconds they thought no one was home and relieved turned to go away -when the door opened. There was a screen door that you could see out but no one could see in between them. The husband quickly said, "Hi, we're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with a message we know you don't want to hear". He turned around and started for the car. His wife reluctantly turned around too and then she heard a voice.

"Mom, is that you?" With tearful eyes, the mother, father and son embraced each other. Yes, the Lord certainly blesses his missionaries. The couple stayed in the mission field and of course their most golden contact was their own son.

Isn't this great! We certainly do feel we have been blessed while we have been here on our mission. We are growing a lot in the gospel and love feeling the spirit. We know that our families are being taken care of because we were told to leave them in the care of our Heavenly Father and we know he will take care of you. We are certainly blessed.