One reason why I would ever want my children to serve missions

This Christmas I get to receive an incredible gift. Our daughter is coming home from having served a mission in the England, Birmingham mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past 18 months (read about her adventures here). I am so excited to receive her smiling, happy face into my arms- I can hardly contain myself.

I also have been able to give a gift. One of our sons is serving a mission in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South mission. As I write this he has been gone for almost 3 months (you can read about his adventures here). He will be gone until September 2017. I will be able to see his face and chat with him through skype on Christmas Day, but that is the only voice contact we have until Mother's Day when I will get to talk/chat via skype again. For the past little while I have had both of these children out on missions. To be totally honest, I have really missed them immensely. I wouldn't want my children to be anywhere else even though I feel like I have a hole in my heart when I think about them too much. So, I choose to focus on the why I would ever want my children to serve missions.

This Christmas I realize even more why I am willing to do this. I love my family more than anything and I want to be with them forever. I know that families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan and I want other families to have this same gift of an eternal family. Because of this joy of eternal families, I am willing to send my children to foreign countries to share this "good news" (see Bible Dictionary: Gospels), even "glad tidings of great joy" (Helaman 16:14). It was proclaimed by an angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). These "glad tidings of great joy" are for all to hear and all to receive, not just for my family.

Heavenly Father's plan is to bring home all of His children who desire to come back and live with Him through faith and repentance in His Gift to all of us, His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Gift we get to receive! Heavenly Father was willing to give His Beloved Son (see Moses 4:2, Mark 1:11, JS-H 1:17) so that we may all live with Him again. That is an incredible gift to give...your child so that others may also receive gifts- even the gift of an eternal family.

This is the reason why I am willing to give my daughter and my son to others of God's children for 18 or 24 months...that they too may receive the Greatest Gift. 

(Enjoy this short video: He is the Gift)

"...let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you" Alma 34:27

At this time I have two children serving missions. My daughter is serving in England and my son is serving in Argentina (you can read their emails here and here). I get to hear from them through email once a week while they are on their missions. I can't tell you how excited I get to hear from them, hear how they are doing and all the good and hard things they experience each week. It is such a great feeling to read their letters and see how happy they are while serving Jesus Christ and teaching others of Him.

The other day, as I was praying, I wondered if this is what Heavenly Father feels like when we pray, or communicate with Him. He wants to hear from us, daily- always! We are taught over and over: "Pray always" (for example: Luke 21:36; D&C 19:38; D&C 88:126; 2 Nephi 32:9; 3 Nephi 18:15). When we pray always we draw closer to God, we open ourselves up to His protection and direction. He wants to hear from us!

Heavenly Father wants to hear how we are doing and what we are doing. I think that Amulek said it best about what we should be talking with God over, for, and about. He taught:

"Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields...over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. ...Cry unto him against the power of your enemies. ...Cry unto him against the devil, who in an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. ...and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you" (Alma 34:19-27)

As a parent who gets to hear from my children once a week while they are on their missions and the joy that I have in hearing from them, I can only imagine the joy that Heavenly Father has as He hears from us, for we are physically apart from Him, just as I am separated physically from my children.

When my children email me, they will ask for items, support, prayers, and encouragement. They ask for things that are temporal and spiritual. Heavenly Father wants us to ask him for those same temporal and spiritual things that we need in our lives that will help us and lift us. A prophet taught that we should be "asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive" (Alma 7:23). Our Father in Heaven cares about us more than we can imagine. He wants to help us, and it is made possible when we ask.

As a parent I find great joy in hearing from my children. I know that our Father in Heaven wants to hear from us too. "Pray, He is there; Speak, He is listening. You are his child; His love now surrounds you. He hears your prayer; He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom... of heaven" (A Child's Prayer). He's waiting to hear from you daily. I know that praying not only brings great joy to our Father in Heaven, but also to us as we feel his love surround us as our prayers are answered. This I testify.

My daughter- serving in the England Birmingham mission

My son- serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires South mission