A Mission

In sacrament meeting on Sunday the speakers were all talking about missionary work. Big D and I have discussed serving a mission before. We know we are both on board for it, but when do you set a date.

I am a very goal oriented person. I like a deadline that I can focus on. One of the speakers said her and her husband were going to try to serve a mission in about fifteen years. So I started doing the math, where is Big D and I going to be in fifteen years?

In fifteen years I will be 46-years-old and Big D will be 48. Bug will be 24, Beaner 22, Bud 20, and Bear 18. That is still pretty young for us to leave for two years. However, I asked Big D what he thought about serving a mission when Bear left on his mission at 19-years-old, we could be out at the same time.

Personally I thought I was on to something great. Of course then my realist whispers in my ear that he would have to quit his job, Bud would just be coming home from his mission and so would Beaner if she decided to go (girls don't go on missions from 21 to 23-years-old). That is a lot of missionary bills to be paying all at the same time especially if I expect Big D to be quiting his job.

So if fifteen years is too soon, when would be a good deadline for us to be working towards? I don't want to be old old when we go. I would like to be young enough that I can get my hands dirty and enjoy myself. I guess that raises the question of how old is old old? I don't know.

My in-laws are planning on serving a mission in the next few years and I would not consider them old old. They will both be retired and young enough and healthy enough to enjoy themselves. So why don't I like the idea of having to wait until Big D retires?

Retirement just seem so far away for us right now. Not that I want to escape my present circumstances, I just would love to be able to serve more than one mission if given the opportunity. I guess if that is in the Lord's plan for us then it will happen. I am a planner and I would like to plan on a mission in the forseeable future for us.

Of course, we all know what happens when one makes plans: Life.