Week 10

Classes started this week, and the campus was hopping!  We'd gotten used to a very quiet town, but it was back to the usual bustle this week, and it felt good.  We enjoyed teaching our three classes, but they were very small, and we won't really know total enrollments until the end of next week.

For home evening on Monday we went to some batting cages and folks could work out their frustrations with either softballs or baseballs.  The YSAs really had fun.  I've mentioned before that the committee really comes up with some great activities for FHE.

YSAs in the batting cages

We had a couple of warm days this week (followed by some very cold ones), so we took a little walk one day.  We love the pond and fountain right on the edge of campus, so took a couple of pictures.  A lot of the trees on the pond are cypress so have the funny, knobby roots that poke up all around the mama tree; very interesting.

A few thoughts about life as a senior missionary couple:  

(1) It's important to have a good companion.  My companion is fantastic!  I think he wakes up every morning thinking, "How can I make my wife's life easier, more comfortable, or better today?" 

(2) Senior couples are not nearly as restricted as young missionaries.  Our mission president has two rules for senior couples.  "Don't embarrass me, and don't leave the mission boundaries without telling me."  Obviously, he knows maturity, wisdom, and commitment will prevent seniors from doing anything stupid or out of line with mission guidelines, but it is nice to be able to phone, text, e-mail, listen to music, even watch a little BYUtv or public television from our computer sometimes. 

(3) Our schedule is also not as rigorous as the younger missionaries'.  Because our responsibilities at the institute have us arrive there early some days and late others, our morning routine varies, but we get up about 6:15, exercise, have breakfast, and then either do our scripture and gospel study at the apartment or do it at the institute after the class or cooking that got us there earlier. We stay at the institute until about 7 Mon-Thur and leave about 5:30 or 6 on Friday.  Saturday is P-day, when we do our grocery shopping, the laundry, and clean the apartment.  We also work at Elite Repeat from 10 am-12 noon for our community service.

(4) The apartment was built in the 70's and is showing its age.  It is quite small (two in the kitchen rarely works), but that is nice when it comes to cleaning.  In some ways it's kind of refreshing to have so little "stuff," but I do miss my very well equipped kitchen.  I spent the last 15 years slowly making everything in my house "tall friendly" (shower head, toilet, vanity; kitchen counters and cabinets; closets and storage shelves; furniture. . . ).  No one has done that here, so it is not as comfortable and convenient for the two of us as it might be for most folks, but we're adjusting.  

(5) As CES missionaries, "Our purpose is to help young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven." 

(6) One of the mission requirements we adhere to is always wearing our name badges whenever outside our apartment.  We even have second badges to put on our coats, so they are always visible.

 It's very interesting to watch people take note of the tag--some with surreptitious glances, some staring, some with suspicion.  I've thought a lot about the significance of this name tag. Note that it doesn't say "missionary," it just has our names and the name of the church, with Jesus Christ in bold letters.  (When we were having such problems with the sewer, we went to the apartment management company to see what could be done.  As we drove there I said, only half jokingly, "Remember whose name is on your chest!")  It's actually quite sobering to realize that we really do represent Jesus Christ, and people make judgments about our level of commitment to Him by our talk and actions all day every day. 

While missionaries wear a tag proclaiming that commitment, didn't we all take upon ourselves His name when we were baptized? In Mosiah 18: 8-10 Alma explains the covenant of baptism which includes, "as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people. . . and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places. . . "  Earlier, in Mosiah 5, King Benjamin tells his people that because of their covenant they "will be called the children of Christ. . . I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ. . . . remember to retain the name written always in your hearts. . . ."  

The name tag is a very physical, tangible reminder of something that should affect our thoughts, speech, and actions every day, with or without the official call as missionaries.