On Our Way at Last!

Here are two of the greenest of green missionaries headed on their way to Lisbon Portugal.  We have no idea of what lies ahead for us but we are excited to finally be on our way!!  After a six month delay and a heart surgery for Elder Anderton we feel very blessed to be on this airplane headed to our calling as Self Reliance Missionaries in the Lisbon, Portugal Mission.  It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions.  The last minute discovery in May that Elder Anderton needed heart surgery was like a kick in the stomach and left both of us more than a little rattled!  His condition was discovered on the very day we should have been taking this same flight to Lisbon.  We were delayed due to visa problems and so testing was done on that day and one week later Elder Anderton was have quadruple heart bypass surgery.  There is a saying "it is hard to keep a good man down" which is certainly true of my companion.  He was devastated more by the fact that our mission had to be postponed than about having to have heart surgery!  He set his mind to recovering as quickly as possible and returning to his mission call.  The official recommendation of the church is that a heart patient must wait one year after surgery before leaving on a mission.  Elder Anderton was determined to break that rule!  He has worked very hard and his recovery has been fast.  He started contacting the church missionary office about 4 months after his surgery telling them how great he was feeling and that he was ready.  The short story is that I think he finally wore them down and with the OK from his doctors, he was cleared to leave just 6 months after his surgery.  What a wonderful blessing it has been that we were able to keep our oringinal mission call..Thank you Heavenly Father!

As if recovering from heart surgery wasn't enough... we also suffered the loss of dear, sweet Afton (Elder Anderton's mother) just a couple of weeks before our scheduled departure date of November 2nd.  It was sudden and unexpected even though she was 90 years old.  A fall that broke her ankle led to her passing away a week after she had surgery on it.  We had not even had time to tell her that we were leaving soon for Portugal.  It was her great desire for us to serve a mission and I know she will be there to encourage and help us through this challenge.  In all of the last minute packing and taking care of Mom's home and possessions before we left... we have not had time to grieve properly.  I will this 'other mother' of mine more that I can express.  I am sure she had no idea the impact she has had on me as I have looked to her as an example in so many areas of my life. 

Look out Portugal...  Here we come at LAST!