Posted by:
Heartless
(
)
Date: August 05, 2020 02:32PM
Recently I've seen three sets of missionaries wandering about town. All but one wore a mask. Technically the sixth "wore" a mask, just around his neck.
I was thinking how a parent would allow a child to go out into the world at this time. How dangerous it is.
It brought to mind a story I'd heard 40 years ago from my cousin.
He was on an overseas mission. With four months left he became quite ill. Doctors "paid for by his dime" couldn't tell what was wrong. Eventually it became clear as a lump developed under his skin. He wanted to get home early to have it treated.
He wrote his father who sent him a letter stating that since he only had two months left to tough it out. Adding this encouraging bit of words. "If I went over the hill in the military I would have been shot." And "what will the ward think if you come home so close to the end?"
After that my cousin never had much to do with his father who put family pride ahead of his safety.
He returned home one week early with an honorable release. Three days later he was in the hospital having a tumor removed. The family was relieved there was a tumor to justify his illness.
Two months later my cousin left home and never returned. Cutting off most communication with his family.
The family could brag about a missionary who worked through serious illness. But a father lost a son.