Missionary Mom

    Elder Riley Stonely has prepared all his life to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The day finally arrived when he would say good-bye to us at the airport for two years. Tears were shed and hugs seemed to last forever but alas, the time came when he needed to get in line with all the other missionaries early that morning. We all stood watching him as he walked away, waiting for him to turn around, look back, and glance at us one more time but to no avail. He walked straight ahead and NEVER looked back! Forward, pressing forward...He was ready to go and serve the Lord and it showed as all we saw was the back of his head until we couldn't see him anymore. Thus, began the two year mission.
 
    The first week since he left was a long hard week for the whole family. His siblings struggled with a mild case of the blues and I, as his mother, REALLY struggled with worry. I imagined all the possible things that could happen to him but by the end of the week, I found myself reciting the words to a song about missionaries. Those words comforted me in my time of loneliness and dispelled the worrysome feelings I had been feeling all week. I knew he was doing what the Lord wanted him to do and I also knew the Lord would take care of him and provide for all his needs as he serves faithfully. My heart was filled with an enormous amount of love and joy and I knelt in prayer literally petitioning to the Lord to keep him in the palm of His hands. I had been given the opportunity for the last 18 years of his life to take care of him...now, I was to hand him back to the Lord and entrust him to the care of his Heavenly Father. 
 
   Now, almost four months later, we are grateful for the opportunity Elder Stonely has to serve in the Tallahassee Florida Mission and to come to witness the personal and spiritual growth of his testimony. That is one of the most wonderful blessings any parent can receive is that of a child's testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have also been blessed to hear of all the wonderful experiences and friendships he has made thus far with not only his companions but with members and non-members alike. He has always been happy to serve others but now he seems to thrive on service. He is happy and LOVES serving his mission, without any complaint. Sometimes I wonder if he is "playing" more than "working" because he seems to enjoy it too much but I know he is happy because he REALLY ENJOYS serving the Lord and the people to whom he has been assigned to work with. 
 
   I am almost certain that Elder Stonely will want to extend his mission and that would be perfectly fine with us. He will definately struggle to come home as I already know he will miss everyone in the mission field. Although, I know for certain that when he does come home, he will be looking forward, pressing forward to the family and friends that await him at home, NEVER looking back only looking forward to what lies ahead. In the meantime, we love and support him as we continue to fast and pray in his behalf as he serves as one of the Lord's faithful servant. We are happy knowing that he is happy and that is the greatest blessing of all for a Missionary Mom!;)
-Daisy Stonely