September 2, 2020 was our one-year mark on the mission. Sometimes it seems the time as flown by and at other times it has been a long year. Personally, I didn’t know what a mission would mean for me. Dave’s mission had a clear direction as a mental health adviser for the Europe Area, but as his assistant, my role was very limited. He had talked to others who had served in this same assignment, so he did have a little insight into what he would be doing.
I remember
talking to the Zone leaders at our face-to-face meeting while we were still at
home. They asked me questions about what I liked to do and some of my skills.
Once we arrived here, I was able to land in the Communication Department and
help there. That has been a real blessing in several ways. We became good friends
with Ward and Karen Anderson, who arrived the same day we did. I was asked to be
the editor of the Wegweiser (the newsletter for the senior missionaries),
volunteer at the Family History Library and help on some other projects. So, my
time was filled with projects as Dave was busy with the missionaries.
There are so many types of missions and so many places where senior missionaries are sent to serve. We feel so very blessed to be able to be serving in an area mission, especially in the Europe area. We are able to travel on the weekends to places within a 500-mile radius. We feel this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience where we are free to travel and soak up the history and beauty of so many countries. Our first long-weekend trip was to Salzburg, Austria. Since then we have been able to go to Belgium, France, The Netherlands and our happy place, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. And of course, many places in Germany.
Dave’s days are full of
appointments and paperwork related to him helping missionaries deal with some of the
struggles they face during their mission. Their issues are as diverse as the individual missionary. Because of his specialty with pornography and sex
addiction, he has been able to help many missionaries with that problem and
give them tools that will help them for the rest of their lives.
When he gets a note of appreciation, it makes it all worthwhile. One elder even sent a note with a chocolate bar through the mail. It was just so tender. Dave has a real gift when it comes to connecting with these young missionaries. He helps them understand that they can trust him, and they know he won’t judge or shame them. For many, they have never opened up to anyone before. I know sometimes it is a heavy load for him to carry, but I have seen how the Lord buoys him up and sustains him through some very long days and difficult situations. He has also been blessed with good health through this past year, which is one thing that President Julian blessed him with when we were set apart, as well as we would be able to finish our mission.
We had been serving
about six months when most of the senior missionaries around the world were
sent home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were very blessed to be able to
stay here in Frankfurt to help. Dave let Elder Sabin, the area president, know
we were able and willing to stay. We soon got a call from Elder Kopischke, his second counselor, asking us if we would be would stay and continue our mission from Frankfurt. Of
course, we were so excited but also felt a little guilty. Dave didn’t want us
to say anything to the other senior couples because so many wanted so badly to
stay. It was very sad to say goodbye to so many good friends.
Missionary
work will never be done the same way after COVID-19. The Europe Area and the
Europe East Area were the only Areas where missionaries stayed and sheltered in
place. In other Areas, all foreign missionaries were sent home. At one point, there
were over 30,000 missionaries traveling at one time. The Church must have spent an
extraordinary amount of money to pay for flights, chartered planes and hotels
where some had to self-quarantine before going home. Once home the missionaries
had to decide whether they would wait to be sent to a mission in their home country
or consider their mission complete. I’m sure it was a hard decision in both
cases.
What we have seen is that this pandemic did not thwart the Lord’s work. In fact, the inspiration that has come to find people to teach via social media has been amazing. Where some companionships would be happy to teach six or seven lessons a week, some were able to teach six or seven lessons a day finding people on Facebook or WhatsApp. Here’s an example from Sister Fearn and Sister Bollard from the France Paris Mission, “As we were working to find new people to teach, we decided to send out a group message on WhatsApp. We asked people to message us if they believe in Jesus Christ. Several people responded and we started talking to them individually.”
I
was able to work with Janet Nelson (wife of the legal counsel employee), Celia
Diez from the Welfare Department and Silka from the Area presidency’s office
making masks. We added our masks to those made by others in nearby wards, etc. to
be distributed to refugees and others in need. Just another one of those things
you would never think of needing.
Sometimes,
I would get kind of down during the five months where we were one of the four
couples who stayed here. There wasn’t anything to do in the office and I was
only putting out the Wegweiser every other week. My social circle had all but
disappeared and I didn’t feel I had a purpose. When I would pray about it, I would
get the impression, that my role was to support Dave. He had so much on his plate.
If I could be there with some encouraging words and a good meal and keep up the
laundry, etc., then I was doing my part to support. Kind of like I do at home.
I tried to be more consistent in my scripture study and prayers. That always
helps!
The Lord knew that Dave needed to be with his mom when she passed last February. When
we said goodbye to Dave’s mom just before we entered the MTC, she was sure we
wouldn’t see each other again. She didn’t want us to leave until after she
passed away, but we explained how strongly we felt that this was the right time for us to go. (In retrospect, if we had waited until after she passed away, we probably would not have been able to serve because of all the restrictions put on senior missionaries since COVID-19.) She was healthier in many ways than she had been in a long time.
She had lost a lot of weight and was getting around at her assisted living
place quite well. She obviously knew in her heart that she didn’t have much
time left. Such a tender mercy when Dave was already in the States escorting a psychotic
missionary home when he heard she was in the hospital and was going downhill fast. So many things
paved the way for him to change his flight and be by her side. (The details are
outlined in an earlier post.) She kept asking, “Is David was coming?” It was truly
a miracle that he could be in St. George and hold her hand as she slipped
away. To be able to meet with his siblings to go over details of the estate in
person was another tender mercy. We have felt the Lord’s hand in so many of the
details.
Being away from our family has been very hard, but we have been able to use technology to connect in some wonderful ways. The phone in our apartment and Dave’s mobile phone give us unlimited calling to the US. That is such a blessing to be able to call and visit with them. Will set up a Marco Polo group with the family so we can send video messages to stay in touch. I love being able to see their faces and connect with them about what’s going on with each of them and their families, giving support and even discuss world affairs. I truly feel our family has become closer because of this app.
I know
that the Lord is my Savior and can guide us when we reach out to him. I know
that he comforts us when we pray and ask for his help. I know that He loves me
and my family. I am blessed to have made temple covenants that keep me grounded
in the knowledge that we are God’s children and he has a plan for us to return to
Him. We have a mission here on earth to learn more about Him and to serve his
children. The Savior is my greatest example and I know when I turn to him and ask
for his guidance, I can find peace in this crazy world.
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