Monday, Nov 24, 2008

Monday, Nov 17, after several pre-op visits and consultations, etc, with her doctor, Ron Burton, MD, of Mesa, Linda underwent bladder repair surgery at the Banner Desert Hospital. They kept her in the hospital overnight. She came through the operation just fine. The recovery should take about 6 weeks. She expects to be ready for travel to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah by January 3, 2009 for the preliminary training before our missionary assignment in the West Virginia Charleston Mission.

During our stay at the hopsital, she was visited by a woman Chaplian; a very nice lady, who is serving others as a part of her committment to an inter-faith ministry. She goes from patient to patient in the hospital, offering comfort, prayer and her expressions of faith and love.

We had a nice visit together and we told her of our service as senior missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and our call to a second mission, beginning in January. She congratulated us on our mission call and spoke of her positive experiences with Mormon Priesthood leaders and Home Teachers who she is often in contact with as a result of her chapliancy here in Mesa. While Linda was temporarily out of the room the Chaplian remarked that she could tell that Linda was a woman of great faith because of her quiet and cheerful demeanor and her lovely smile. She said, "Your wife's faith can be seen in her eyes."

I believe that to be true. We are all praying that Linda will continue to make a successful and complete recovery from her surgery and that she will be blessed with all that she needs to go forward in fulfillment of her sacred missionary calling. This is the sincere desire of our heart, that we can continue to go forward in our committment to fulfill our missionary call, overcoming any health or other difficulties that may beset us from time to time.