Finally in Lubbock!!! Week #3

Heather (Left) her Mission President and his wife, Pres. and Sister Heap, along with the new missionaries.  Lubbock Texas, June 20, 2016

She has landed in Lubbock!  Heather's flight to Texas landed June 20, at noon.  Her mission mom was kind enough to send us a photo of her along with all of the new missionaries for the area.

She called us at 6 am that morning and sounded delighted, excited, and so very confident.  Her first words were, "I'm serious when I say that I didn't truly understand the gospel until I went to the MTC."  This made me wonder what I missed in teaching her, and then I wondered if there was something that I myself was missing in my understanding of the gospel!  But I think her knowledge was expanded while she was learning, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 3 weeks!

We were able to talk for almost an hour.  She told us a little about the missionaries who are heading to Texas with her.  One that stood out to me was a young man who is a convert, and his parents are completely against his being on a mission. They do not support him in any way.  They did write to him a couple of times, but that's it.  It has been so difficult for Heather to leave home and commit her time to serving the Lord for a year and a half.  I can't imagine how much harder that would be if we did not support her, financially, spiritually, mentally.  It made my heart ache.

She is definitely in "The Mission Zone" - a state of mind in which everything is focused on the gospel.  I tried to talk to her about some of  the things going on here, and she was interested, but not completely into the conversation, because she is focused.  The phone call made me realize that there truly is a mantle that is placed upon these missionaries, if they are doing it right, and that she is being given extra gifts of the Spirit.

People keep asking me if I'm okay with Heather not being here.  Of course I'm okay!!!  She is exactly where she needs to be, where she wants to be, and most importantly, where the Lord wants her to be!  I am more than okay!  Heather has had many friends go through some serious challenges in their lives because of the choices that they have made: one friend even committed suicide after being bullied to the point of pulling a trigger.  Heather is serving the Lord; has put everything on hold so that the good people of the Texas Lubbock Mission. can know who they are and what God has  planned for them.  Yes, I am definitely okay.

I do miss her.  I think about her multiple times a day.  I thank God each time I think of her for allowing her to be my daughter!

She is in Texas, finally!  And so begins, Heather's adventures in Lubbock!!!!

Mary Ann Overson