Why We Serve

Have I said before that senior missions ain’t for sissies? Yes, I believe I have.

My oldest grandson, Daxton, turned six yesterday. He lost his first tooth this week. Last weekend, he practically swallowed the camera of the computer so he could show me the tooth that was growing in behind the loose one. My only granddaughter is three months old. She has a pot belly. I wish I could hold her. Grady will turn four next month and Dallin will turn two in July. Dallin is learning how to talk and I’m missing that. I will spend two Christmas seasons away from my family. Another grandchild may be born into the family, and I may not be there to hold my sons, my daughters and my grandchild.

I have to struggle every day to conduct the simplest transactions because I talk like a two-year-old. I miss important information because I don’t understand everything that’s said. Spiritual nourishment, which usually comes from listening to the word of God, needs to come spirit to spirit because of the language challenges. That’s a much more challenging communication.

When you work in the office, as my son pointed out, you hear all of the bad things that happen, and you can focus on that if you’re not careful. As I said to one of our assistants yesterday, we are fortunate to be numbered among the few people in the world who can afford to get paid nothing for working for something so essential for two years. (It took him a little bit to untangle that thought.) We dress funny. We are voluntarily obedient to whatever rules are put before us. We leave comfortable homes, comfort zones and best friends.

I had an opportunity to speak briefly this week with President Benjamin De Hoyos, first counselor in the Area Presidency (the supervisory body over our mission), and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, or in other words, a General Authority. He is from Mexico City, but speaks a little English. I am proud, by the way, to report, that when he couldn’t find the English words to say, I asked him to switch to Spanish and I could understand most of what he said. He speaks slowly and distinctly and simply. What a relief!

He told me that when he was a young missionary in Mexico, probably 30+ years ago, most of his companions were North Americans because at that time, most missionaries were North Americans. He talked about how much he admired them for leaving their comfortable circumstances and serving for two years among the Mexican people. He then said how much he admired us (senior missionaries) for the same reasons; he is well aware of what we leave behind in order to serve, as I’ve illustrated above.

Honestly, I try not to think much about what I’ve left behind. It simply gets in the way of the work. But when President De Hoyos told me about his admiration, the tears welled up in my eyes and I said, “We do it because we love the Lord.” He said, “Exactly. That’s why I admire you so much.”

What leadership! His acknowledgement feels like it came from the Savior himself. As His appointed representative in this area, it did. And that’s why we serve.