Momma

(This is portions of a letter he wrote just to me!  It was the best thing ever, and I thought that I would just keep it private, but I loved what he had to share so much, I wanted it documented here for our printed book. Here's a little glimpse into my heart.)

Excerpt:
The mission is interesting. One thing I've learned is that the gospel truly is for the family. Everything that the Lord has given us is to be happy, and the greatest source of happiness is the family. I really truly believe that. But, here on the mission, you see a lot of really hard things within families. You see people who don't have that happiness within the family, and the problems they have come from not living the principles of the gospel. Much of what we talk about is hope, we talk about what a family should be like. They KNOW a family should be awesome and bring a lot of happiness and talk about how important it is.  But it's so obvious how hollow those statements are. A lot of people in families are very self interested and do not make the decisions necessary to give their families better lives. The young people we teach cling to the hope of the family that we talk about they can have. For them, it's so foreign and even a cultural block people have to get over. Satan's attack on the family is real, and his goal is that they are miserable. 

That does not exclude missionaries. I can not tell you the number of elders that I have met, who have no one to write on Mondays. Whose own mothers and sisters don't write them, who don't have Moms to write, or who are the only members of their sweet families. They are on their missions thanks to some very loving church leaders. These elders, who put their hope in the sealing promise of the Holy Ghost that one day, though they don't have it now, can live in eternity with their fathers and mothers, and who are on the mission for no other reason because they KNOW it's what they are suppose to do, it's where they need to be, and it will bless their families. No one is keeping them here, if they were to go home tomorrow, no one would say a word. Their hope, faith, and testimonies light their path and they focus on the abilities to be able to raise one day, their own eternal family.

My patriarchal blessing speaks strongly of my parents, and how fortunate and blessed I am to be born unto such, because only few are so lucky. Before the mission I didn't really understand it.  At BYU, I especially didn't understand it, because everyone has basically the same family right? But now I am only beginning to understand.

Words can not express how grateful I am for my Mom. I'm grateful for the role you play in my life right now, and am forever grateful for the role you had in my life before the mission and the role you will have after, and that through the grace of Christ and thanks to a loving Father in Heaven will always and forever have a role in my life. 

 

I am truly am one of the few and lucky. I not only have the hope of a happy eternal family, but get to know...without a doubt, the happiness it brings to a troubled soul. Because of this testimony, I am able to turn to others and give them the hope they cling to, of their own happy, and eternal family. 

I love you Mom, I'm doing good and I miss you.

Your son and missionary,

Elder Parker John Yocum