February 25, 2015
It has been awhile since I have written anything directly on Elder Muller's blog. I have been just adding tidbits of translation and explanation on his letters, but this week I felt the need to share some things going on in the life of Elder Muller.
February 10, 2015 was a very day sad for our family. I had to take our beautiful dog, Sariah, to the vet to be put out of her pain. It was an incredibly painful decision to make, but one that was right for our beautiful Sariah. She has been part of our family since April 2002. She was just weeks old when we adopted her from a Tri-County Human Society Adoption Day in St. Louise, MO. She has lived with us in Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Florida. She has been the best companion ever. And she was Elder Muller's dog. He was six when we brought her into our family, and he took ownership of walking her and playing with her. Before he left for the airport on September 17, 2014, he came back to Sariah and was on the floor in his suit holding her and telling her she needed to be here when he got back from his mission. I will remember that image forever, and I prayed that I could make that plea a reality for him. That is why making the phone call to the vet was even more difficult for me.
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| Our Beautiful Sariah |
The incomprehensible task of informing Elder Muller was now looming in front of me. It took me most of that night to write him a letter that I thought would soften the blow I was about to tell him...but, really, is there even a way to do that? No, there wasn't. I mailed the letter the next day not knowing for sure when he would received this sad news, and not knowing how hard it would be for him to process this information so very far from home. I had sent him pictures of Sariah and explained that Jeremy, Alyssa, Jaedyn and me were with Sariah during the procedure. We were able to hold her and hug her and tell her how much we all loved her and would miss her. We were able to give her extra hugs from him, Hillary and Papa since they weren't able to be there.
It was only this week's email that we found out when he had received my letter. He received it Tuesday, February 17th. So almost a whole week had gone by before he could "talk" to us via email. He addresses his loss and his pain in this week's email. It is a somber email, but I am so proud of my son and how he has worked through his loss. His parting statement in the email shows his maturity and devotion to his mission. I am so proud of his realization and that he continues to work hard and forge through these difficult days. As his mother, I wish that I could comfort him with a mother's embrace, but that is not possible. I wish he could know how much my heart is breaking for him and how guilty I feel for not being able to keep Sariah with us until his return.
Our Heavenly Father is a Father of miracles and tender mercies, and I received the tender mercy I needed yesterday. A very long story short, my English friend, Anne, that I meet in Mechelen, Belgium, and who first introduced me to the Elders, is now living back in Antwerpen. She is in the same ward that Elder Muller is serving in. By chance yesterday she and I connected via Facebook. It turns out she was with my son yesterday (Tuesday, 24 February) as well as on Monday, February 23...the day of his email. And she even had pictures she wanted to send me of the four Elders from a visit to the Cathedral of Antwerpen on Monday. She also informed me that he has a great companion and that he is doing better with the loss of Sariah. Heavenly Father answers our prayers and many times he does that through another person. I believe that he answered my prayers through Anne. It brought me just a small glimpse of my son, and the words of another mother telling me that he is a wonderful young man doing well on his mission brings some peace to my heart.
Elder Muller has heard the story many times over about how I met the Elders at Anne's house after a play date together, and how she then "secretly" sent them to my house! And now he has the pleasure of meeting her in person!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true!
The Cathedral of Antwerpen: http://www.dekathedraal.be/en/
Pictures of Elders Muller, Shelton, Lyman and Childs in the Cathedral of Antwerpen:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jlbefarfi6a1chp/AACkpbAKBdspnaqw_lmMkvepa/_DSC0189.JPG?dl=0
I will share more exciting news happening in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission another time, but just know that our Father in Heaven loves us all and we are all here for a purpose. If you would like to know more about where we all came from, what this life on earth is about, and where we are going after we leave this life, please contact the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have five short discussions they give to help teach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Check out lds.org or mormon.org for more information.
Amy Schaefer, A Proud Missionary Mama
Hello Family and Friends,
I haven't posted any of my "musings" here for awhile. I guess I just haven't had the strength to bare my soul for awhile! Because that is what it feels like. Sometimes I think maybe I wasn't meant to be a missionary mama! I keep waiting for it to get easier! Sure, outwardly to the world I can talk about it now without crying, but that doesn't mean my heart still isn't weeping from missing my son, or that I don't hide in a closet to let the tears flow! And I can't stop looking at the clock to figure out what he might be doing at that exact time in Belgium. I am sure this is what every mother of a missionary does! I don't seem to get anything else done. I wonder when that stops!
I was so thrilled when I heard where Bryan would be serving his first few months in the mission. Brugge is a beautiful city in Belgium. My second favorite Belgian city next to Antwerpen. We have several European tapestries hanging in our home, and two of my favorite are of the cities of Brugge and Antwerpen! Brugge is a major tourist area and so beautiful. It is on the North Sea Coast. They call it the Venice of the North because of all the canals that run through it. Brother Muller used to take many of our visitors there and give tours around the city....and we used to always find tourists following us around listening to his tours in English! It was quite funny. So Elder Muller has been there many times. The city will be spectacular during the Christmas season with the Christmas markets being set up, and the lights and music...and smells of food! Oh, if only I could be there!
Here is a map of Belgium so that you can get an idea of where Elder Muller is, and just how big his proselyting area is:
He is in Brugge and his area covers all of Brugge, Oostende and everything else north and west of Kortrijk. Crazy big! To get to Oostende takes an hour by bus!
His District Leaders live in Ghent. The District Leaders are the two Elders who oversee several companionships of Elders and Sisters in a given area. They then report to Zone Leaders who live in Angwerpen.
For Preparation Days, Elder Muller and Elder Childs travel to Ghent to be with the missionaries in their District. It gives them a chance to be with other missionaries and have some fun. It gets lonely being with only one companion 24/7!
Hopefully this helps to give a visual as to the area that Elder Muller is working in.
For whatever reason, the last week has been difficult. I think it started with my son, Jeremy, playing some of Bryan's old Christmas arrangements....just brought back the memory of Bryan sitting at our piano practicing this piece to perform in Sacrament for Christmas. Silly, right? Jeremy performs it beautifully, so that is another tender mercy from Heavenly Father...I can still listen to beautiful piano being played in my home! All five of my children play beautifully.
I realize in my post about tender mercies I have had with Elder Muller's mission, I neglected to mention the first and most amazing one! The fact that Elder Muller was called home to the Belgian/Netherlands mission is an amazing tender mercy. The Lord is responsible for this call to serve, not Bryan! Our missionaries do not request to be sent some where in the world. It is a spiritual experience for our leaders of the Church to place these young men and woman in their missions. It is done with much prayer and promptings for the Holy Ghost to tell them where the missionary should serve. So for Bryan to be sent to his homeland of Belgium, was indeed a great tender mercy for our family. He is going back to the land where he was born, where his family and ancestors are from, and most importantly, where our family found the gospel! It is in Brussels, Belgium where we were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 12, 1998. We were taught by Elders and Sisters from the same mission! Amazing!! It has changed our lives so much...for the better!
The other tender mercy of this mission call is that I know where my son is! I know the streets he is walking. I know the language he is speaking. I know the food he is eating! That is an amazing blessing to me. Heavenly Father understood how hard this would be for me, and he gave me these comforts for the next two years.
Let me share another reason that my son is serving, along with 88,000 other young men and women of our Church...did you ever stop to think why so many young people would put their lives on hold for 18 to 24 months....when I say on hold, I mean on hold. They leave their families, they leave their friends, they leave their studies at universities, or they leave jobs that they have had, they leave their phones, their computers, they leave any connection to the life they had been living. They and their families sacrifice financially to send these young stalwart adults into the mission field. There must be something important that they want to share with the world, or why else would they sacrifice so much?
It starts with the belief that God is YOUR loving Heavenly Father. He is your Father in Heaven. He knows you personally and loves you more than you can possibly comprehend. He wants you to be happy in this life and in eternity. To accomplish this purpose, He provided a plan called the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God; His life and teachings are the guide to peace in this life and joy in eternity. The gospel is Heavenly Father's plan to help us have peace in this life and joy in eternity. The gospel is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and requires us to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.
The Atonement is the event that enables us to be reconciled to God. To atone is to suffer the penalty for sin, thereby removing the effects of sin from repentant sinners. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of making a perfect Atonement for all mankind. His Atonement included His suffering for our sins, the shedding of His blood, and His death and Resurrection. Because of the Atonement, everyone who has lived will be resurrected. The Atonement also provides us with a way to be forgiven of our sins and to live forever with God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses all who accept and live it. One of the best places to teach and apply the gospel in in our families. God has established families to bring happiness to His children, to allow us to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and to prepare us to return to Him after we die. Although family relationships can be challenging at times, our Heavenly Father blesses us as we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. These teachings help us strengthen our families. *
*From the Church pamphlet "The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ"
This is a part of the message these young people want to share with people around the world.
One other question to answer....why am I a missionary mama and not a missionary mom?! This is a cute question I have been asked. It is simply because my first three children were born in Belgium and started their young lives there. We lived the traditions of that country...including me maintaining my maiden name, and our children calling us Mama and Papa instead of Mom and Dad! We kept that tradition going once we moved back to America! As my kids explain - I am their Mom but my name is Mama!!
Until the next time....and if you have any questions you would like me to answer, please feel free to contact me at amylschaefer1210@gmail.com !
Well, week three is actually almost touching week four! We will get another email from Elder Muller on Wednesday this week, and I have failed to get his letter from last week posted until today, as well as post some of my thoughts and feelings from this week.
This has been an emotional time for me because, as many of you know, Elder Muller was in the Missionary Choir that performed at our October General Conference meetings. The choir performed in the Saturday night, Priesthood Session. If you have not had a chance to see this session, or to hear this magnificent choir perform, please go to this link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/10?cid=HPTH100914477&lang=eng . You will find links to the two days of fantastic talks, and if you look for the Saturday Night Priesthood Session, click on the icon that says music, you will be able to see the choir sing. (If my link doesn't work, please go to LDS.org and click on General Conference.)
Just for clarity sake, Bryan is in the middle section of the choir loft, on the very end chair on the right side as you face the screen. He is the eighth seat up from the bottom! You can catch glimpses of him in just about every song!
The special part of this performance is that it was the first time that Primary songs were sung in a General Conference. Primary songs are the songs our children from 18 months to 12 years old learn in our Primary Sunday School lessons. They are beautiful, and the choir put an amazing medley together. The other special part of the performance was the closing song. It starts out with Elder Hunter singing a solo. Also never been done before. This required the permission of the First Presidency! Elder Hunter is Bryan's bunk mate, so Bryan was pretty psyched! And he is Scottish...which is really cool to Bryan! You will also take note that these missionaries performed all these songs sans folders with music in them! Another pretty awesome testimony of how the Spirit can help you in all things!
Hearing this choir perform was incredibly moving. Circumstances just happened that I was alone at home during the broadcast. Jeremy hooked up the laptop to our TV so that I could stream the session while he and Patrick went to the Church building. I thought I was prepared for it, but once it started and I realized Bryan was somewhere there in the sea of missionaries, I guess I just lost it. The crying turned into painful sobbing and I just wanted to reach out and hug him. So when I actually saw him on the screen, then the wailing really started! So glad I was by myself. If I were technically savvy, I would be able to put some screen shots in this post so that you could see what I was able to captured as I sat snapping Bryan's phone constantly hoping to catch a glimpse of him! Okay, so I was able to figure out how to turn the camera function on, how to snap a picture, but had no idea what to do with them then. So my sweet Jeremy uploaded them to Facebook for me. So I hope most of you have had a chance to see them there!
I am sure there were so many happy/emotional missionary moms watching that choir that night. What a thrill for Bryan to be part of it. I asked him how he got chosen for the choir, and he simply replied "I was lucky". I know that it was an amazing experience for him. To be sitting in the same choir loft that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sits in has to be just amazing!
So know that I've told you my sob story about this last week, I want to share some tender mercies that have been bestowed upon me during this time of preparation and then sending Bryan off to the Missionary Training Center.
Clothes Shopping Tender Mercy: Imagine trying to buy clothes for your son for two years?! It was a daunting task, because it has to also fit in two suitcases - including a winter coat! So we started our search at Men's Warehouse in the Avenue of Viera shopping center. We met a wonderful salesman, Fred, who took us under his wing. He outfitted Bryan with three, sharp looking missionary suits, ten long sleeved white shirts, socks two belts, and two amazing pair of shoes. I had already loaded Bryan up on ties and extra dress pants from my days of working at Kohl's. But Fred went above and beyond helping us get Bryan ready. He also contributed a winter coat to Bryan for his mission from his personal collection of men's clothing he had from the time he used to run clothing stores up north. This tender mercy saved us several hundred dollars. These coats have to be suitable to wear over suits and for wear in the elements for 24 months. So it is water proof and has a removable wool lining. It is a long trench coat. It is an awesome coat, not a current style or model, but we felt blessed to have met this man with such a generous heart. He also gave Bryan an awesome looking pair of leather gloves! One sharp 19 year old!
Airport Tender Mercy: Bryan had a 07.15 flight out of Orlando direct to Salt Lake City on September 17th. He had to report to the Missionary Training Center by 12.30. We got to the airport with plenty of time in case that the security lines were backed up. As we walked up to the Delta counter to check in, we encountered a very friendly Delta agent, who must have sized us up immediately. A worn out looking mom, a Dad in charge of luggage, a sixteen year old looking pensive, and two little girls looking sleep deprived and anxious, and then one tall, handsome young man in a white suit and tie giving him his flight information. The agent glanced at the ticket and commented it was a direct flight to Salt Lake City. Bryan replied in the affirmative, and then the worn out mother, as always, had to put her two cents in. "Yes, he is flying to Salt Lake City because he is reporting to the Missionary Training Center in Provo to begin his two year Church mission." The agent smiled, took Bryan's bag and said, "So where will you be serving your mission, Elder?" Worn out mother's mouth drops open in amazement! "You called him Elder!" "Do you know our Church?". Agent replies, "Yes, What Stake are you in?" Tuns out he is from the Orlando Stake! He then does something that can only be a blessing from above. He asks me "How many of you would like to accompany Elder Muller to the gate?" It took me awhile to understand what he was saying, and I immediately said "All of us!" So he wrote out five passes to get us by security to walk with Bryan to his gate! The TSA agent who checked our tickets commented "Wow, somebody must be in a good mood at Delta today - they never give out this many passes!" Thank you Heavenly Father. I know you were looking out for us. We didn't have to painfully watch Bryan wind through Security. We got to wind through with him and sit with him for nearly an hour before he boarded. This was good for Bryan, because he had been set apart the night before as a Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ. That meant from the moment on he had to follow missionary rules...no TV, radio, internet, phone, and should have someone with him at all times. Obviously, if we had't been able to accompany him to the gate, he would have been fine. But it gave this super emotional Mama more precious time with her son.
Watching him board that plan was hard, but I knew in my heart he was doing what he needed to be doing. What he had been preparing to do since we joined the church when he was 3-1/2 years old. I know he will be a blessing to many people in his mission, just like scores of young men and women who left their families to come and serve in Belgium/Netherlands had blessed my life, and all the missionaries we have known state-side that have blessed my life. It still is so incredibly hard, but I know he will come back home in 24 months an even stronger disciple of Christ. What more could a mother ask?
Missionary Choir Tender Mercy: What an amazing gift this is to me, to be able to watch over and over again the video's of the Missionary Choir singing at the Saturday Priesthood Session. I know there are many mothers who didn't get to see their missionaries do that, so I do treasure that. I know that was yet another tender mercy from my Heavenly Father trying to help me transition into this new season of my life. I have served in the Primary organization of our Church almost exclusively since we joined the Church, so singing those Primary Children's Songs has been a normal occurrence with me and the children. So to hear Bryan singing "I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two. I hope by then I will be ready, to teach and preach and work as missionaries do."...as a 6'5" three week old missionary, was pretty tender for me.
I cannot close this post without including some explanation of Mormon terminology that might be unfamiliar to most of you! So when Bryan refers to pre P-day activities, he is talking about the night before Preparation Day. Preparation Day is the one day per week that all missionaries get "time off"! But this is what this "time off" includes! They still get up at 6.30 to do their studies, but during this day this also have to get their laundry done, do their grocery shopping, clean their apartments, email home to their friends and family, write letters to their friends and family...and try and find something fun and relaxing to do...and maybe, just maybe even catch a little nap! And be back in proselyting clothes by 17.00. So the night before P-day has become a night of excitement for Bryan and his friends at the MTC! His P-day in the MTC is Wednesday. That will mostly likely become Monday when he enters the mission field overseas. It is the day all moms (okay, and the rest of the family!) waits with baited breath for an email to come! It is our only connection with our missionary son or daughter-a weekly email/letter and a phone call on Mother's Day and on Christmas.
So again, I will put my plea out there to all of you....when you see these young men and women walking or biking, or if they are lucky enough and are in a car, please smile and wave to them! Offer them a friendly handshake. Don't be rude to them or ignore them! Thank them for their service. Remember they have left friends and family to come out into the mission field to serve you, your family and your friends. They love to serve - if you need help with anything - yard work, painting, moving, cleaning, - anything you can think of - call the missionaries! They will come and do service for you - and ask nothing in return. I would ask that you give them a drink and maybe a sandwich, but that's because I love them and want them to be taken care of! :) And icing on the cake would be if you let them share a message with you - it will brighten your day and theirs!
So this is Elder Muller's mother, Amy Schaefer. I am the one who is posting Elder Muller's letters and pictures to this blog. I decided that I might add to this blog by sharing my thoughts and feelings as a mother of a missionary son.
Since this blog is being seen by many of my friends and family who are not members of my faith, I thought it might be helpful if I share some explanations of the things you are reading here. And not only will I share explanations of words and things, but I will also share my feelings as a mother of missionary who is devoting the next two years of his life to serving the Lord, and to serving our Brothers and Sisters in Belgium and the Netherlands.
These last two weeks have not been easy for me! I will just put that out there! My heart aches for my son I still haven't been able to face going into his room and straightening it up. I still have time, right? I go to my phone to call him or text him, and realize that I can no longer do that. I reread the last few text messages that I had from him! I don't have a smart phone, so on my little flip phone I have to erase my text messages in order to have room for new ones! So if you were to look at my inbox, you would find text messages from "Bryan Muller" that are really old, but I have saved them because they are the last "communications" I have had with him. Some of them are as old as last year when he first went off to college and he sent me a text telling me he loved me! Or simply just texted "Good Night!" Yes, I am a sentimental fool!
That is probably the hardest part of the mission for me...not being able to talk to my son. In order for them to stay clearly focused and dedicated to their work, they call home only twice a year....Mother's Day and Christmas. The only other communication we have is the weekly email that you see me post on this blog. That is what makes it so difficult for most mothers! Myself included.
Let me get to some of the questions that I have been asked by people.
Perhaps I should begin by explaining just what Bryan, I mean Elder Muller is doing. Elder Muller was found worthy, both spiritually and morally, to be a representative of Jesus Christ. He has put his life on hold for two years. The Lord has called him to labor in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission. He reported to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah on September 17, 2014. I believe our Church has 15 Missionary Training Centers around the world. Elder Muller will be in the MTC for approximately six weeks. In that short time, he will learn the Dutch language. Yes, these young men and women learn languages in a short span of time. I think one might call that "the gift of tongues"! Obviously, he will still need to refine his language skills in the mission field, but he is in a complete immersion setting right now. His first week in the training center he was already teaching lessons in Dutch to Dutch speaking people!
So what is a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? It is the time in the life of a young man or woman in which they put their lives on hold and, instead, devote their lives to serving the Lord. Young men are able to go into the mission field as early as 18 years of age. They serve for 24 months. Young women are able to go into the mission field as early as 19 years of age. They serve for 18 months.
These missions are funded by the young man or young woman and/or their family. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not pay for the over 83,000 missionaries serving in the world today. We also have senior missionary couples who can also go into the mission field and serve. Having a son or daughter in the mission field is a great blessing to that young man or woman and also to their family, but it is also a sacrifice in the sense that it isn't "free". Elder Muller has been working since he was 16 to save the necessary funds he needs to be able to serve. I am incredibly proud of him for all the hard work he put forth to be worthy to serve a mission, both spiritually and morally. But I am also grateful that he was willing to work, be a full tithe payer, and still save money for his mission.
He is in a trio companionship. Typically our missionaries have only one companion, but Bryan is lucky enough to have two! Several companionship are then put into groups called districts. Elder Muller's district is comprised of his trio and six Sister missionaries. Elder Muller has been called as the District Leader for the first few weeks. That means he is responsible for making sure those missionaries in his district are okay. The District Leader (or DL) will report to a Zone Leader (ZL). A district of missionaries is put into a group called a zone. The two leaders of this zone then report to the Mission Presidency. This is done so that all missionaries are looked after and helped while on their mission. These young men and women learn so many skills while in the mission field!
A mission is also made up of transfers. A transfer is when missionaries will be moved around their mission area. These are done every six weeks. It doesn't mean that a missionary will be reassigned every six weeks, but there is always a lot of things going in in a mission! The Mission President prays and receives inspiration as to which missionaries should be put into a companionship and to where they should serve. It is not done by pulling names out of a hat! It is done with much prayer and inspiration. So you can imagine how grueling the life of a missionary can be. They learn to pack their bags quickly, say good bye to people and places quickly, relocate and start all over with new companions! And missionaries are never without their companion. They must always be within eye sight and hearing distance of each other. This, again, is for their safety and protection. All these "rules" can seem very harsh to people who do not understand what a mission is all about. But these young men and women have to learn to adapt to living with roommates 24/7! It teaches them good people skills....and humility to adapt to whatever their new situation may bring.
The Mission Presidency is made up of three men and their wives. A Mission President and his two counselors. These men and women also are devoting three years of their lives to serving in this calling. None of our leadership is a paid position. These men and their wives will be called by our First Presidency of the Church to serve in different mission areas around the world. Their calling is usually a three year assignment.
So this is probably enough for now. I don't want to overwhelm you! But perhaps this gives you a better understanding of some of what these young men and women are doing. So when you see these missionaries, either on foot or on bikes, please be nice to them! Offer them a drink or a sandwich or even a hello! Just a smile and a hello will make their day! There are enough people yelling at them, calling them names and generally just being rude to them! A smile can make their day a better day! They are out in the elements all day long--wind, rain, snow, sleet, heat, you name it...they are working in it!
Till next time.....keep these missionaries in your prayers as well as their families! Our sons and daughters are leaving their families for 18 to 24 months so that they can show you how your family can be together forever!
The Book of Mormon is true! It has changed my life, and it can change yours as well. Check out LDS.org or Mormon.org for more information.
Sister Amy Schaefer
A Missionary Mama
