Rubbing shoulders with giants.

Our family has been very blessed not only by the children born into our family but also by the ones who were adopted. We have a way of adding more and more terrific people to our clan. Some legally but many who we just choose to include. Let me explain. Yesterday we went to the Zoetemeer Temple. As I was sitting there I was able to see almost 40 Elders and young sisters walking into the room all dressed in white. I really choked up and thought that this must be what it will be like when we get to the other side. Hopefully we will be able to greet not only our immediate family there but also the missionaries who we have really learned to love and care for. We have become very protective of them.

One of the young sister missionaries was suffering with a terrible case of what she thought was a case of food poisoning yesterday . She and her companion actually made it from Groningen to Zoetemeer on a 3 1/2 hour trip on the bus and train. By the time they got to the Temple our patient was not strong enough to even stand so she waited in the waiting room getting sicker by the minute. We have a medical doctor who is serving a mission by advising missionaries in 13 different missions and we were able to reach him by phone. He diagnosed it as a bad case of the flu. Not wanting to contaminate any more people and also not wanting her to return home by public transit, we chose to drive the pair back home. It was a bit scary to know that we were responsible for this frail little gal. We were able to get her home in one piece and this morning she was feeling much better.

It was a long day from 6 AM to almost midnight but we were grateful to be able to spend the day with such great young warriors. Missionaries are the cream of the crop. They sacrifice 18 months to 2 years away from home, family, friends and schooling while some of their friends stay home and continue their studies and play but I can tell you that these young men and women are years ahead in maturity and spirituality of those who choose not to serve. Their testimonies grow as well as their ability to serve others. Their lives will be enriched by what they learn and experience out in the field. I know I sound very prejudiced when it comes to these young ones but some of them just have a way of working their way into our hearts. I want to bring them all home with us when we are finished serving here. I know my family would be very willing to accept them all.