Week 28: No Letter from Elder Rash but some notes from our email chat with him while returning from our Utah vacation.

Elder Rash had another good week. We can tell from his letters and emails that he is loving what he is doing. So much so that we can tell he is losing himself in the work and in the process his letters have gotten shorter and shorter. We had to kindly remind him that he need not forget us or his mother will embarrass him with a phone call or better yet a personal visit to his Mission President! Don't mess with Momma, even if you are serving a full time mission. I know that even if Caleb were in the farthest reaches of the world on his mission his mother would find a way to reach out and give him a reality check.

Elder Rash advised us that the next transfers will be mid to end of August. President Brinkerhoff has indicated to Elder Rash that by the next transfers he will be assigned to be a trainer and train a new missionary who will have just recently arrived in the mission field from the MTC. Elder Rash says that the mission slang for trainers and greenies is to refer to each other as father and son. The trainer is the father and the new missionary is the son. I wonder if they keep track of their training genealogy???

This past week our family went on our summer vacation to Lake Powell. We missed not having Caleb with us but know he is engaged in a great work. Elder Rash has had a couple great surprises in the past few weeks. The first came on his P-day several weeks ago. He was at the Family History Center typing a letter when all of a sudden in walks his Grandma Starr and Papa Bruce, who happened to be in the area visiting family. Many of you know how outgoing and gregarious Elder Rash's mother can be, she often embarrasses her children in public. Well Grandma Starr is Mistie Multiplied by 4. Grandma and Grandpa Davis reported back that they sensed that Elder Rash felt a little awkward but he later told us that it was great to see his grandparents and that he was not embarrased at all. The missionaries say that serving in Idaho results in lots of times having people they know drop in on them for a quick visit now and then. They brought Elder Rash a belated birthday gift and we were glad to get a report back on how he looked and was doing.

A short time after this visit, the Marshall Family from our ward went to visit their family in Pocatello. They kindly took a package for us to Elder Rash. While they were there they spoke to Elder Rash on the phone and delivered a couple of treats to him. Thank you so much Marshall's. We love you for thinking of Caleb and caring about him.

Then this week...the Chavez Family was passing through Pocatello on their way home from their summer vacation. They stopped by and saw Caleb. He wants you to know how thankful he was for the gift you gave he and his companion. We also are so thankful to you for caring about him and dropping by to see him.

As missionary parents we have come to know the great blessings that come to not just the missionary serving but to his family at home. I cannot believe he has been out for 28 weeks, the time is going by fast. His mother feels like he has been gone for 28 years, time is not going fast enough for her. Although we miss Caleb we know that he is serving the Lord. We know that he is engaged in a very important work. We know he will come home from this mission greater prepared for the rest of his life and with a greater personal relationship with God. We are so proud of him!

 

 

Chavez Family visit with Elder Rash and Elder Porter

 

(Obviously they were there early before they had gotten underway for the day)