Week 11

The past couple of weeks have been challenging for Kyle as he has been extremely homesick and even questioning why he chose to serve a mission.  Kyle is a strong kid and I know that he will get past this but as his Mom, I can't help but worry about him.  My grandma passed away on the 5th and my sisters and Rich and I all travelled to California to go to her funeral.  Believe me....it was so hard not to just pass through Irvine and see if we couldn't hook up with Elder Hess.  As tempting as it was....we didn't.  We did however put together a fabulous package that we knew Kyle would love.  I have an aunt and uncle who were willing to drive the California freeway to deliver the package.  We stuffed the package full with 5 boxes of Cinnamon Life, a big bag of peanut M&M, a big box of goldfish crackers, and $25.00.  My aunt and uncle delivered the package to the mission home and we heard from Kyle today that he didn't receive the package.  He said that the zone leaders picked the package up, placed it on top of the car, and then forgot to put it into the car and drove away.  Once the zone leaders realized what they had done and they went back to retrieve the package....someone had stole everything in the package and left them with an empty box.  Kyle said, "the zone leaders said they feel really bad and want to buy all the stuff I didnt get but I told them no.. its a good lesson for me to be more humble and gratefull for the stuff that I do get and I hope wherever the food did go the person really needed it so im not down about it at all."  Kyle also reported that this last week they lost another propsective investigator.  Kyle expressed this week that going on a mission has been the hardest thing he has ever did.  He isn't telling me anything that I didn't try to tell him, but he is now learning and experiencing the hard things I knew would come.  Nothing is harder for me as his mom to not be able to take all the frustration away...to make everything better...and to protect him from the disappointments.  I yearn to be able to give him a hug and help him see that this too shall pass and everything will be okay. Kyle knows the gospel, he knows the principles, and he knows what he needs to do.  Sometimes he just doesn't always like it.  Always.....Kyle is in my thoughts and prayers.  I miss him deeply but I too know that he is where he needs to be.  President Hinkley's father expressed to him while he was on his mission that he needed to forget himself and get to work.  I reminded Kyle of this today in our emails to which I am sure he was not very impressed, but he knows I am right.