On Being a Missionary

We received news that Sister Swena will return home to the U.S. tomorrow.  She has been unwell for several weeks, and while the health care system here is good....it can take months to receive necessary tests and hospitalization.  She needs medical care now.

She entered the MTC on the same day SK and I did.  In fact, when we flew to Sacramento a year and a half ago, she met us in the airport along with 8 young elders and sisters. She is younger than we are, and has fulfilled her service here with exuberance.  She threw herself into studying the language and tried every chance she had to speak and listen to Danish.

It is an odd thing....these past months have gone by fast, yet in some ways it seems like years since we left Provo to come to Denmark.  So I feel like we have known her a long long time.  We all feel a woebegone sense of loss to see her leave.  She is hoping to get the treatment she needs and be back for Christmas.  I hope that is the case.  If her treatment takes much longer, I don't know if they will clear her to come back for the last few months.

I guess that is one gamble we older missionaries take...we are betting that our health will hold up for 18 or 23 months.  We have had several senior missionaries with health problems, and occasionally they need to return to their homes in America before their period of service is over.  But I think we have had several younger ones depart for their home countries during the past 13 months for health reasons too....so perhaps it is not a case of being older, so much as there is a certain percentage that will have some difficulties.  We have 5 young missionaries home now in Denmark......they returned home early from other parts of the world with health challenges, and are trying to prepare to go back out.

Our meetings at church today were absolutely wonderful.  The spirit was strong as messages of the Gospel were taught.  We had a visitor from Germany.  It seems like we often have guests from other countries....isn't that great fun?

In the afternoon SK and I went to a members' home where we had dinner with the family, the young elders, and 5 YSAs....one of whom came with the missionaries.  He was curious about the church.  He has spoken with missionaries before, and gone to church with a young LDS woman a couple of times.  I think he enjoyed being in the family's lovely home, bantering with everyone around the table, eating wonderful food.  He is a college student who - like most of them around here -is on his own and doesn't take the time to fix food for himself much beyond peanut butter sandwiches (that is really what he said, but I don't think most students can afford peanut butter, and they don't really HAVE good peanut butter anyway).

Eventually the topic turned to religion.  When asked what his beliefs were, he frankly said he is an agnostic atheist.  He is fascinated by religion, and has been curious about LDS because of their happiness and friendliness.  He has studied the Bible, but got discouraged with the Old Testament.  He has read some of the Book of Mormon and has enjoyed talking with the missionaries.

The father in the family is a dynamic almost 50-year old with a gift of expression in Danish or English.  He told the young man about his beliefs, his faith in Jesus Christ, his gratitude to be a part of an eternal family.  The young man made thoughtful comments and asked insightful questions.

Three of the YSAs are returned missionaries and so articulate about what the gospel is and why it is so important to them, and then of course there is SK who bore a powerful testimony about the Book of Mormon.  You might think it was a full-court press, but it was a sweet and wonderful conversation.

I was inspired just listening and taking an occasional part in the talk.  Everyone was respectful and quietly expressed themselves.  I think this young man will join us at the center one of these nights and he is planning on attending stake conference next week.

As I sat there, I thought "This is really what missionaries love....when the spirit is present and everyone feels it."  One of our young men said - in so many words - that the reason missionaries and members share the gospel  is that it is so important to us and we want others to have what we have. The father said that the heart of the gospel to him is that he will be with his wife forever and that their children are sealed to them....he added that now he must live well enough to qualify for that.  Looking at his sons at the table, it was easy to sense their devotion to each other.


After coming home, I went up to say goodbye to Sister Swena.  I am happy for her that she will get some help.  She really doesn't feel well.
We will miss her.