When I was on my mission in Germany, I wrote to my parents every week and called them at Mother's Day and Christmas. That's what was allowed. More recently, missionaries were given permission to email instead of write letters. That was great. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that missionaries may now text, call home, and/or video chat weekly during their off days, plus on special occasions like Father's Day or birthdays.
As I read that, I remembered fondly a panic I gave my parents. I was sick (again!) and the doctor said he needed to have me checked for Tuberculosis because nothing else seemed to fit. I wrote my parents about that, then a few days later got tested. My tests were just fine - no problems at all - so I forgot about it.
My parents got my letter about TB and started worrying.
A week later, no letter showed up. I had sent it, but mail sometimes doesn't arrive on time. They wrote me and asked me for confirmation that everything was okay.
Two weeks later, no letter showed up from me, and I didn't one from them either. They wrote me again, frantic.
Three weeks later I got both of their letters and wrote them right away. My weekly letters finally showed up, which reassured them I WAS STILL ALIVE but didn't tell them anything about the TB because I hadn't known they were worried yet when I sent those.
A solid month of worry later they finally got a letter from me reassuring them I was okay. I'm not 100% certain, but I feel like they may have called my mission president at some point to hear I was okay, and Pres. Schubert kindly asked me to write my parents and let them know everything was okay. I reassured him that I already had.
Now, yes, email would have solved most of that. But a quick text would've saved them a lot of grief even faster!
I think about what a relief it would have been to have been able to chat with them while I was in the hospital - once getting nails put in my arm when I broke my arm on black ice, the other time getting the nails taken out.
So glad this is happening!
As I read that, I remembered fondly a panic I gave my parents. I was sick (again!) and the doctor said he needed to have me checked for Tuberculosis because nothing else seemed to fit. I wrote my parents about that, then a few days later got tested. My tests were just fine - no problems at all - so I forgot about it.
My parents got my letter about TB and started worrying.
A week later, no letter showed up. I had sent it, but mail sometimes doesn't arrive on time. They wrote me and asked me for confirmation that everything was okay.
Two weeks later, no letter showed up from me, and I didn't one from them either. They wrote me again, frantic.
Three weeks later I got both of their letters and wrote them right away. My weekly letters finally showed up, which reassured them I WAS STILL ALIVE but didn't tell them anything about the TB because I hadn't known they were worried yet when I sent those.
A solid month of worry later they finally got a letter from me reassuring them I was okay. I'm not 100% certain, but I feel like they may have called my mission president at some point to hear I was okay, and Pres. Schubert kindly asked me to write my parents and let them know everything was okay. I reassured him that I already had.
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| On my mission in Neubrandenburg, recording a radio program about Jesus. |
I think about what a relief it would have been to have been able to chat with them while I was in the hospital - once getting nails put in my arm when I broke my arm on black ice, the other time getting the nails taken out.
So glad this is happening!
