Got Details?‏ (from the pres)

Dear Parents and Families,

The season has come to toss any ideas out the window that a mission is a piece of cake. We are in a COLD, cold front and it is time to put on the coats, neck scarves, hats, and gloves. It is dark by around 5:30 and that makes missionary work more challenging. I have great admiration for these missionaries who put personal comfort on the back burner and go out to save the world.

President Gee, the assistants, and I welcomed nine new missionaries last Tuesday and said good-bye to eight returning missionaries. We had a great last day together on Wednesday as we attended the temple and then met with the new temple president, President Southward. After dinner we had a meeting where each missionary shared some memorable mission experience and his/her testimony. You know it can't be described in words but you would recognize an intensely wonderful feeling. On Thursday morning there was a little experience that could symbolize the good every missionary is doing here.
As we arrived at the airport, there was a mother and daughter who had been baptized by Elder Fogleberg, They had been planning for weeks to surprise him at the airport to say good-bye. They were as excited as kids at Christmas. When Elder Fogleberg saw them he had a smile as big as all outdoors. While they chatted I thought about what had really happened. Elder Fogelberg, among other missionaries, was blessed to find a family to teach. The father and brother in the family were also baptized. What a payoff for leaving the world behind to bring unspeakable joy to people the missionary had never met. Now there is an eternal bond. They will never forget one another. In two months that family will be sealed in the temple and Elder Fogelberg will return to be there with them. His parents will be there also. That is a missionary's dream. Not everyone gets to see a family sealed, but every missionary contributes to the process of conversion and in the end they are all promised "how great shall be your joy with them in the Kingdom of Heaven." I got to see a glimpse of that on Thursday morning.

Once in a while a missionary will mention that you parents have told them about my e-mails. I have to smile when they say you have reminded them to do something more diligently, like not spend all their money eating out. I want to assure you that there is a feeling of wanting to please you. You still have a great influence on them. I think it strengthens them when you give them counsel. Many times parents have responded with something like, "I don't get many details from my son." I can understand that from the letters they write to President Gee. While I never read the letters, I do file them so I know that some do well to write two sentences and some write two pages. If you are having trouble getting enough information out of your son, I suggest you might ask them to answer some questions. (The sisters don't seem to have trouble writing a lot.) What do you do to exercise? What do you study during personal study time? How do you and your companion practice teaching? What insight did you get from your study this morning? Is it hard to get up by 6:30 in the morning? Have you had any miracles in finding people to teach? Are the members helping you with the work? What does the ward mission leader do to help you? Are you sleeping well? When is the last time you had a good laugh?

Hopefully questions will help trigger things they could share with you. It won't be long until the much awaited Christmas call. Then you can all catch up. I hope this gives you a few ideas. I think I will remind them when I talk to them how much the details mean to their families.

Well, have a wonderful week. We pray for you and certainly appreciate your prayers for your missionary and for the work of the mission. President Gee sends his greetings! The missionaries are still working hard.
Love, Sister Gee