A Treasure On Which They Will Live The Rest of Their Days

Scott-

Our first cohort of missionaries going home. We had a beautiful day with them, laughing, singing, crying, telling stories no one else will ever understand, bearing testimony of the gospel, and speaking of their time representing Jesus Christ in one of the most humble corners of the world.

We have only known them for two months yet today we feel like we have lost part of our family, never to be seen again in this life. They are heading home to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Utah, Fiji, Congo, and the other side of Sierra Leone. They will never be the same. We are proud of these eight missionaries. 

For some reason, one of the best adventure books ever written, Annapurna, First Conquest of an 8000-Meter Peak by Maurice Herzog, came to mind today. The book tells the epic story of the first climbers to summit one of the 14 tallest mountains in the world. If you haven't read the book, I'll just say as an understatement, they had some difficult moments. They also became brothers. I was thinking specifically about the closing words in the book. Herzog writes about their feelings as they finish their adventure and return to their families. “Annapurna, to which we had gone empty handed, was a treasure on which we should live the rest of our days. With this realization we turn the page: a new life begins. There are other Annapurnas in the lives of men.” I am paraphrasing as I think now—not about the mountain climbers—but our eight departing missionaries. "Their mission, to which they had come empty handed, is a treasure on which they will live the rest of their days." 

Five new missionaries fresh from the MTC in Provo and Ghana will arrive tomorrow night. We have been praying for them for months and already love them. They are from the United States, Canada, and Nigeria. They have no idea what is in store for them. But it will be a treasure.