Missionary Work

This month, two of my great-nephews and one great-niece completed their missions:  Sean Bowman, Chrisvenn Bowman and Olivia Bates!  We are so blessed to have so many missionaries in our family!  I am so proud of all of them.  I am the youngest child in my family so that is how I have "greats-" already.  I am currently the only one under the age of 70.  :D 

 

This legacy of missionary work started with my father, Pauly G. Brown.  Although he never served a mission in his youth, he spent the rest of his life being a missionary.  His father took him out of high school to help on the farm and to help support first, his older brother, then, his older sister, then, his younger brother on missions. 

He was a stake missionary the rest of his life, it seems, and our house always had missionaries in it.  He and my  mother served two missions in Guatemala together in the 80's:  the first was a proselyting mission in Quetzaltenango and the second was to train temple workers for the opening of the first temple in Guatemala--Guatemala City.  My daughter, Laura, was born while they were in Guatemala and the only way to let them know was by telegram!

Their example made me want to serve as a senior missionary.  Tim and I had decided that we wanted to serve together before my parents served but that only strengthened my conviction.  Their service was a great example to all of us and one that my other siblings have emulated.  

Our mission has differed from theirs because we serve in the mission office but it's the consecration of one's service that makes all the difference, don't you think, to put your life on hold for months/years and put the Lord's work first and foremost? I know that this is the church that Jesus Christ established while He was on the earth.  I know that gathering Israel is the most important thing happening on this earth.  It is a privilege to be part of that gathering even if it is in the background, making sure that the young missionaries have everything that they need to complete this work.  We are all needed and together we can accomplish more than we could separately.  I can testify that God has magnified our efforts here in Australia.  We have been stretched until I thought we would snap, but we haven't.  God needed us here in Australia right now to do the best we can.  My best is not the same every day and He knows that and He put me where I could do the most good and learn the most.  I love my Heavenly Father, my brother, Jesus Christ and my brother, the Holy Ghost.  I could never do this without them.  Their tender mercies keep me going and show me their infinite love for us.  Mom, Dad, thank you for your legacy of service and missionary work.  You taught us what to value most in life:  God and family.