Friday, September 11, 2015

A Sad Day

It seemed as humid as yesterday, so I checked the weather again today after my morning jog -- 79 degrees and 94% humidity.

We drove to the mission office today to pick up a missionary, Elder Stott, who is returning home for health reasons.  We drove him to the Orlando airport so he would have a direct flight home rather than having to change planes.  It was sad because he would have preferred to stay on his mission.  He commented to us while we were driving that he has never been so happy as during his missionary service.  He said that probably comes from being focused on others rather than on himself.

The challenge for missionaries with health issues is that it would be difficult for them to recover while still serving as a missionary.  They would be able to find adequate medical services in the area.  However, while they are missionaries, they must be with a companion.  So if they need bed rest, that means their companion must stay in the apartment as well.  Should they need hospital care, a companion would need to be in the hospital.  So the perspective of the Church's missionary department is to send them home and have them recover there.  If the problem is resolved, then they can return to full-time missionary service.

Elder Stott (r) and Elder Newbold before taking Elder Stott to the airport

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