The Party's Over

The Party's Over....

November 15, 2015

     "Turn out the lights, the party's over...." Any of you remember that old country, western song? That is how I am feeling tonight. I am sorry to report my elder has already turned out the lights. I am the only one reporting from Missouri this week. 
     We have had Les and Linda Seaman from Flagstaff here with us this weekend. Les is Mike's younger brother. We have been traveling the mission again hitting all the sites. Along with every other true blue BYU football fan from across the country. Then, as if it were general conference, we all met again at Arrowhead stadium, home of Bishop Ky's team, the Kansas City Chiefs. As you all know, the Lord did not intervene to cause a BYU win but it was a good game. Now, you might ask...can missionaries do that? Yes, if you are old ones. We were allowed. I loved when I walked by a little girl and I heard her whisper to her mom, "She's a missionary!" Did I stop and talk to her? Of course I did, and she had traveled from Iowa with her family to see the game.
     I can't let the week begin without reporting one sweet story. One of our new elders who arrived two weeks ago in the mission lost his Ipad last Sunday night. Elder Mejia is the youngest child in a family of 14 siblings. His family had immigrated from Mexico to Utah several years ago and they all have worked hard together to send child after child out to serve on missions throughout the world. He is being trained by Elder Kirby, who has been here only 6 weeks longer than he has. These two are go-getters. They were out tracting last Sunday evening when they were approached by someone asking  questions. During the course of the conversation, Elder Mejia set his Ipad on the hood of their car. You can imagine the rest of the story in your mind.......yes, they drove off. No, it wasn't there when they went back to find it.
     These missionary Ipads are expensive little gizmos. 300 and something dollars. The families of missionaries now pay that added expense when their child heads out to serve the Lord. His Ipad had not been paid for yet. Now, he needed to buy yet another one.
      On Wednesday, I answered a call from a woman who did not know who to report to but she had an Ipad in her possession with the name of Elder Mejia on it. Did I know of him or where he could be located? I took her number and turned it over to Sister Crow who is in charge of Ipads for missionaries. She called him. He called her. He got his Ipad back.
     The details are sketchy but we do know that this new, young elder's Ipad had been found and sold at least two different times. It had been in three different people's possession. This sister had bought it when she recognized the first name of "Elder". 
      A coincidence? I'm not saying. All I know is this young elder worked hard to get here. He and his companion had hit the ground running, doing all they could to be obedient, faithful elders. Both elders left faithful mothers home in Utah who were praying for their success in spreading the good news of the gospel. A bunch of old senior missionaries in the mission office were praying for a miracle that this young elder would find that Ipad.  I just love those kind of coincidences, don't you?
     Good night. Lights out.

I love, love you all,
Sister Seaman........Kortney, Ethan, Jett, McKenzie, Mattie, Chloe, Livi, Kyson, Brookie, Teag, Ellie, Macy, Noah, Ezra, Mikael, Elijah, Zane, Max, Cash, Sailor, AND Avy's Grandma