Being a Senior Missionary

Well, for those of you who have read Wade's latest email, you learned that I finally had a melt down last Saturday - the day before Easter. I woke up Saturday morning after dreaming that I had gone home and was putting all sorts of spices and such in snack size Ziploc bags to bring back with me. (I have this thing with having what I need at my finger tips - not here though!) I had also been thinking a lot about my dad and wondering how my mom was doing last week. Also, since Mike (who everyone in our family refers to as the 'Golden Child') doesn't have the internet at home, we haven't been able to communicate with him much - of course that is what he likes best about us being gone!! Anyway, I started to cry and Wade was baffled. I told him I wanted to go home. (After all, I have been in the Philippines for over a month now, isn't that long enough??) Then I told him I just wanted to talk to my mom and my kids and hear their voices. I had put $10 on our Skype account the night before. So, I called Mike who was at Cafe Rio and couldn't hear me. I told him I would call back and then I called my mom. It was good to hear her voice and she sounded great! I called Mike back and he had picked Charlie up at the airport. While I was talking to him, Charlie told him to hang up on me- great kids, huh? At that point, my sweet husband intervened and told them to be nice to me that I had been crying because I wanted to talk to them. We have been able to Skype with Andrea & Ryan weekly so we can talk to them and the kids (mostly the kids). Patti and Charlie have Skyped as well. So we have been able to stay in touch with them. I am now glad that we have a way to communicate with Mike and my mom. I think I can go forward now! Why do I confess my melt-down to you all? It is to let you know that a mission is a wonderful experience, but it is also hard to be away from family. I think that is why so many people our age choose not to serve missions. It certainly was a concern for me! As a senior couple, we have been encouraged to keep in touch with our families through Skype, internet, facebook, emails, telephone calls and letters. It is important to know that our families are okay at home without us so that we can carry on with the work we have been asked to do in the mission field. Heavenly Father blesses our families and he blesses us. Sometimes it is hard to be with your spouse 24/7. But you just keep smiling and serving one another as you serve the Lord. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission in the Philippines. I'm not sure if I can go another 16 months (who is counting?) without another melt down, but for now I am doing great! The people are wonderful even if we can't always understand them - we just feel their love for us!