People Make All of the Difference

Back home things are not happy. My dad has been in the hospital recuperating from two operations for a couple of months now. In his absence a simmering volcano exploded between one brother and another and his wife, all of whom have been staying with my parents. It is an unhappy situation there and a stark contrast to my fond memories of home for the past several decades.

As I think about that situation and many other similar situations that I have experienced in my life where each day is a pain to greet, I can’t help but wonder how I can be so happy here. I’m a long ways from home and everything I love, and I deal with problems and frustrations and bouts of home sickness almost every day. Yet, I can’t remember a time that I’ve been happier.

As I pondered that quandary, I realized that the biggest reason for my happiness is the people that Chrise and I work with every day. One example of this happened earlier this week. President Crickmore and his wife invited us to spend a day with them in Cuernavaca. We shopped in a Mexican bazaar, ate a tasty meal, and went for a hike in a beautiful park. All of which were great. But what made the day memorable was the two people we spent it with. These two people have dedicated their lives to the Lord not only for the three years they have been here in the mission but for years before. In those years of service they have developed many of the attributes of Christ—kindness, concern, etc. Being around them lifts my spirit.

I feel the same lifting influence when I spend time with the sisters and elders of the mission. And I realize that many are in the same situation as me, having the greatest experience in their lives because of what they are doing and because of the people that surround them. Is this a glimpse of what the millennium will be like?