FEEDING MISSIONARIES

I LOVE TO FEED MISSIONARIES. WE HAVE MANY MISSIONARIES IN OUR CHURCH, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO PAY THEIR OWN WAY TO SERVE FOR TWO YEARS TEACHING THE GOSPEL AND OFFERING HELP TO THOSE IN NEED. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE JUST AVERAGE, COMING FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. BECAUSE OF TWO MISSIONARIES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH, I HAVE A LIFE THAT I COULD ONLY HAVE DREAMED OF.
NOW, WHY DO I LOVE TO FEED THEM? I GUESS I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EASE THE WAY OF THESE YOUNG FOLK THAT DEDICATE ALL OF THEIR TIME TO HEAVENLY FATHER IN A PERIOD OF LIFE THAT IS USUALLY SPENT IN THE FIRST OF COLLEGE YEARS. THEY PUT THEIR LIFE ON HOLD AND GO OUT INTO THE WORLD WITHOUT EARNING ANY MONEY AND LEAVING THEIR FAMILIES. IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE THEM IN MY HOME. THEY ARE ALL POLITE AND GRATEFUL FOR AN HOUR A WEEK TO SPEND TIME WITH EACH OTHER AND A SIMPLE MEAL. I LOVE TO FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THEIR DEDICATION AND LOVE FOR THE LORD.
I HAVE BEEN FEEDING MISSIONARIES FOR 34 YEARS. I HAD A GOOD RECORD OF ALMOST NEVER MISSING A WEEK, UNTIL I WAS ILL AND IT WAS HARDER AND THEN THE HURRICANE TOOK THE HOUSE AND I HAD NO PLACE TO SERVE THEM. BUT, I AM HOME NOW, AND EXCITED TO START OVER; FEEDING MISSIONARIES.
I HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL STORIES OF MISSIONARIES THAT I HAVE MET OVER THE YEARS. SOME, I STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH. USUALLY THEY GO HOME AFTER THEIR MISSION AND FALL IN LOVE AND MARRY. THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND A CAREER. THEY PROBABLY FORGET ABOUT THE SMALL TIME THEY WERE HERE AND THAT IS OKAY. BUT OTHERS KEEP THE LIGHT OF FRIENDSHIP GLOWING AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO CALL AND WRITE AND TELL ME OF THEIR PROGRESS IN LIFE. THESE FRIENDSHIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I RECALL ONE YOUNG MAN, WHO WAS SO VERY CLUMSY. HE TRULY DIDN'T MEAN TO BE, BUT BELIEVE ME, HE WAS. WHILE I KNEW HIM AND HE HAD DINNERS WITH US, I LOST LAMPS, DISHES, A WINDOW AND A SCREEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE BROKE THEM. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE RUDE AND TELL HIM TO JUST SIT ON THE COUCH, BUT I WAS AFRAID TO LET HIM LOOSE AS I COULD NOT AFFORD TOO MUCH MORE OF HIS ENTHUSIASM. HE LOVED TO HELP WITH DINNER. TO MAKE THINGS EASIER, I WOULD HAVE EVERYTHING DONE BEFORE HE ARRIVED, SO ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS SIT DOWN AND EAT. ONE EVENING, I WASN'T QUITE DONE WITH DINNER WHEN THIS YOUNG MAN ARRIVED. HE JUMPED IN ASKING WHAT HE COULD DO TO HELP. I GOT THE PERFECT IDEA. AT THAT TIME IN MY LIFE, I WAS FREEZING ICE IN GALLON MILK JUGS, AND WOULD BREAK UP THE ICE AS I NEEDED IT. I GAVE HIM A LARGE WRENCH AND A GALLON OF ICE AND TOLD HIM TO GO AT IT. I MEAN, WHAT COULD GO WRONG? FAMOUS LAST WORDS! AS I WENT INTO THE OTHER ROOM TO SET THE LITTLE TABLE, I HEARD HIM POUNDING ON THE ICE. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A MELODIC "CHINK". UH-OH, THIS DID NOT SOUND GOOD! I WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN, AND SAW HIS FACE WHITE AND SCARED. "I'M SORRY SISTER SEE, I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO IT! HE SAID, POINTING TO THE SINK. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE SIGHT THAT GREETED ME! THERE, BEFORE MY DISBELIVING EYES, WAS A BOTTOMLESS SINK WITH THE DRAIN PIPE STANDING ALONE. THE MISSIONARY TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT HIT THE SINK, BUT WHEN HE HIT THE ICE, THE BOTTOM OF THE SINK JUST FELL OUT. GREAT, NOW I HAVE NO SINK. HE FELT SO BAD, BUT I ASSURED HIM THAT I DID NOT BLAME HIM. MARTIN LATER TOLD ME THAT THE VIBRATIONS FROM SLAMMING A LARGE WRENCH AGAINST ANYTHING IN THE SINK WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE BOTTOM OUT. SO, AS USUAL, IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY FAULT! ANOTHER TIME, AFTER WE MOVED TO THE COUNTRY, WE HAD A MISSIONARY THAT LOVED TO PLAY PRANKS. HE IS THE ONE I WROTE ABOUT THAT LOVED TO TEASE THE ROOSTER. AS I TOLD YOU, MARTIN LOCKED HIM IN THE CHICKEN YARD AND THE ROOSTER GOT HIM REALLY GOOD. YOU WOULD THINK THAT HE WOULD HAVE LEARNED, BUT OH, NO-AND WE HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT THAT I WON'T FORGET. IT WAS HALLOWEEN AND THIS MISSIONARY WANTED TO SPOOK THE KIDS. HE DECIDED TO HIDE BACK IN THE CHICKEN YARD AND JUMP OUT AND SCARE THE KIDS WHEN THEY WENT BACK THERE. THAT SOUNDED OKAY TO ME, AFTER ALL IT WAS HALLOWEEN- AND SO HE AND HIS COMPANION MISSIONARY WENT BACK INTO THE CHICKEN YARD TO WAIT. IT WAS GETTING DARK AND PERFECT FOR A SCARY PRANK. BEFORE LONG, THE KIDS WERE DRESSED UP AND READY TO GO OUT TRICK OR TREATING. I TOLD THEM THAT I NEEDED SOME EGGS FOR IN THE MORNING, AND WOULD THEY GO AND GATHER THEM. I TOLD THEM ALL TO GO TO CUT THE CHORE SHORT. BEFORE THEY COULD GET OUT THERE, I NOTICED THE MISSIONARIES COMING BACK UP TO THE HOUSE. I WENT AND ASKED THEM WHY, AND THEY SAID THEY WERE COMING IN OUT OF THE RAIN. I POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT RAINING-AND THEY SAID, YES, IT WAS, THEY WERE GETTING RAINED ON UNDER THE TREE BRANCH WHERE THEY WERE HIDING. THEN I GOT A GOOD LOOK AT THEIR WHITE SHIRTS THAT WERE COVERED WITH SPLOTCHES OF SOMETHING. I REALIZED THAT THE "SOMETHING" WAS IN THEIR HAIR, ON THEIR SHIRTS, PANTS AND SHOES. WELL, I KNEW JUST EXACTLY WHERE THEY HAD BEEN HIDING. THEY HAD BEEN HIDING RIGHT UNDER THE BRANCHES WHERE THE CHICKENS LIKED TO ROOST! IT WAS NOT RAIN AT ALL, BUT CHICKEN DOODIE! CHICKEN DOODIE! I CRACKED UP, AND TOLD THEM THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE PRANK WAS ON THEM! BEING CITY BOYS, I GUESS THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU NEVER STAND UNDER A BUNCH OF ROOSTING CHICKENS- AT LEAST NOT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE COVERED! I HAD TO DRIVE THEM HOME, BUT I MADE THEM RIDE IN THE BED OF THE PICK-UP- I DIDN'T WANT TO SMELL THEM. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SO POLITE AND MANNERLY. ONE TIME I WAS TAKING A COUPLE OF MISSIONARIES TO THE BANK, AND WE WERE SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE TRUCK. I LOOKED OVER AND SAW A LARGE BLACK ANT CRAWLING ON THE NECK OF THE ONE SEATED NEXT TO ME. I SMACKED IT SO THAT IT WOULD NOT BITE THE YOUNG MAN-BUT HE GASPED AND PUT HIS HEAD DOWN, WITH HIS FACE FLAMING RED. THE OTHER MISSIONARY ASKED WHY I HAD SLAPPED HIS PARTNER, AND I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE ANT. THE ONE I HAD SLAPPED MUMBLED, "OH, SISTER SEE, I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I WAS SITTING TOO CLOSE TO YOU!" GOOD GRIEF- POOR BOY, THOUGHT I SLAPPED HIM FOR GETTING FRESH! IT WAS FUNNY THOUGH. I GUESS I AM ON THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT BECAUSE IT IS WEDNSDAY, AND WE HAD MISSIONARY LUNCH TODAY. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO FEED THEM AGAIN- AND I WILL TRY TO REMEMBER SOME MORE STORIES OF THE MANY YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE PASSED THROUGH MY LIFE. TILL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE