DAY 154 --- Is It REAL?

Five months from tomorrow we will be celebrating 40 years since we entered the Salt Lake Temple and had Elder Robert L. Simpson seal us for time and all eternity.  We struggled as most young couples struggle while I continued to work toward my Mechanical Engineering degree. 

Father let us experience many things to teach us lessons.  Through forty years, Bonnie and I had six kids and have 18 grand kids and two more coming.  The two news ones will come about the time we will be leaving on our mission.

We watched my mom and dad serve four missions, come home and serve more locally.  Dad was called as a Patriarch, while mom continued  to serve in a Relief Society way.  We continued to  learn, grow, and progress.

Today our Bishop suggested that we sit down soon and discuss our plans, our goals, and where we were and how we were progressing toward our mission.  He suggested that since he does the same thing with young Elders and Sisters getting ready to go on a mission, he ought to do so with the OLD missionaries.  We have countless times explained to him of our goals for June 9th. 

So within the next week or so, we shall sit with our bishop and together plan for that day when the Lord will inspire those in charge and we shall know where Father would have us serve in the Kingdom.

Each time something like this happens, I begin to celebrate about the upcoming mission.  I also remember those times when I was tearing up as I watched friends leave on a mission. I recall the times when "Called To Serve" was sung and my heart felt sad because we were not ready to serve.

It is still hard to keep in my mind the desires I have felt for so long to serve.  I keep remembering the days of the past when I was feeling those excited feelings about the coming mission when I had to be devastated when things fell apart, and things did not fall into place so we could serve.

I am hesitant to actually think that within five months we could really be ready to go, and close to our mission.  It is like a dream, never to come true.  But little things keep happening that it actually be a reality.

I guess another goal I need to plant firmly in my mind is things are going as planned, and unless something major happens, we are going to serve together somewhere soon.  We need to continue getting the body and the internals lubed and oiled, tuned up, and new batteries installed, and all those things.

I am beginning to believe it.