 |
| Family at the Brighton cabin- November 2002 |
Back in late fall of 2002, I was preparing to serve a mission in Frankfurt, Germany. Mary had already been serving in the Rome,Italy mission for about 9 months. Tom had just opened a mission call to serve in Leipzig, Germany (later combined with the Berlin mission), and was set to leave just two months after I did. There was a lot going on. Mom and Dad were battling monstrous monthly payments with 3 missionaries, regular life expenses, and also waiting for the Brighton cabin to sell.
 |
| Mom and Dad with me at the MTC |
I had been working for months. I had been saving more than I had ever saved but didn’t have enough to pay for my mission. I remember coming to Mom one day in tears. I told her that I didn’t have to go on a mission. I was met with encouragement and reassurance. I asked my mom about the brutal reality of financing this important experience. “How will you afford to have three missionaries and pay for everything else?” Mom looked at me and told me that I just had to have faith and that with trust in Heavenly Father it would all work out. I knew that she believed and trusted and knew that I could too.
 |
| Bob, Mary, Mom, Dad, Maggie, Sister Cassens- Heidelberg |
My brothers and sisters and I were raised in a household of faith. This experience is probably closest to my heart, but I’m sure that we could all share dozens of experiences. I never heard Mom complain about any of her own church callings or Dad’s. They just served, exercised faith and were relentlessly charitable. I was the fifth of seven children to serve a mission and I am grateful that my parents sacrificed so many times to send their children to serve the Lord.
Solid pic Magge J. Everyone looks skinny! Is that Sarah Jane I'm holding? Time flies when dad's losing ten grand a month, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post for posterity. It's hard to remember a more trying time for many members of the family, but look how far we've come! (I just heard Karen Carpenter sing "together" in my head).
Thank you mom and dad for digging deep and praying hard. It reminds me of an old letter that the original Nanny send to Grandpa Neil on his mission that said, "keep your pants worn out at the knees." I always loved that. And I'll always love you guys.
mags, this was a glorious time. I felt so removed from it all, but was inspired by the great stories of faith, sacrifice and fasting that we did as a family. I never felt closer to my brothers and sisters and parents as I did on my mission.
ReplyDelete