I was at my mother's house for a visit and came across my color slides of pictures from my mission. I was in the PI in the late 70's. As a missionary I followed the rules as best I could. I was not super crazy TBM but tried to do my duty. As I was looking through the slides it brought back a memory of when my district(I was the district leader)went on a P-day trip that was against the rules. It involved swimming (oh my)and one of the elders getting hurt (with stitches and subsequent infection)and getting home late on P-day! I have never told anyone about this, let alone wrote home about my wayward experience. So I came clean and told my Mom and wife. My wife was laughing but my Mom... I felt like I was 10 years old and just got caught taking a cookie out the cookie jar! She was visibly upset. Note to self: some things are better left unsaid!

It's interesting to go back through old mission letters I sent home--I can see how I varnished the unvarnished truth to keep mom from worrying or tsk tsk-ing. I can totally relate to the feeling.

I think, too, that all missionaries leave things unsaid, and it's kind of a detriment to future missionaries. At a mission report, you hear two or three awe-inspiring stories and rarely hear about the actual grind (or the fun, wacky rule-breaking misadventures). I suppose that's exactly how the leaders would want it--always inspiring, half-or-less truthful.

I cringe at how naive and gung-ho some of my mission letters were. And when I look at the few photos I have (mustn't waste time taking pictures or waste money having them processed) I notice that I don't look very happy. Except there's one taken a couple of week before going home. I look...relieved.