Letter 2-18-10

Dear Family,

Well, the time has once again come to email on P-day. I honestly feel like I will be here again on next P-day, but I will not and it seems unreal. Not that I’m in denial, but it just doesn’t seem real. I’ve just got so used to this missionary life that it has become a part of me, but everything happens for a reason and I am just getting called to labor in a different part of the Lord’s vineyard with a different assignment. That’s all.

Following up real quick on last week’s email, two points of concern. First, I would like to point out Murphy’s Law. When you are really looking for something or you really want something, you are never going to get it or find it. The only time you will find what you’re looking for or get what you want is when you don’t need it. Like in Settlers, the only time a 7 is rolled is when you have too many cards in your hand AND you are really hoping it doesn’t get rolled. Why do I bring this up? Well, if you remember, last week I talked about photo CD’s and how I’ve been trying constantly for the last 3 or 4 months to get one made and finally I gave up and apologized to everyone through email that I never got one sent like I wanted to. Well, right after a sent that, we went to Wal-Mart and guess what? It worked. Like it was waiting for me to give up before it would let me make one. So I made two and sent them on Tuesday. They should be here today, yesterday, or tomorrow and everyone will have some pictures to look at for the first few days before I get home. The only photo CD I have left to make is the one for this last transfer with Elder Wakefield and Elder Thode and I will wait till I get home to create it because I am not done taking pictures.

Second follow up is with Sara Fink. I gave a big long story about her last week and have a story to finish. Well, I hadn’t told her that I was leaving and that the 21st is my last Sunday, but we were going to try to push her a little to get baptized on the 21st because she is ready and I would have it in the back of my mind that it would be a great finale to my mission, but that that wouldn’t be the focus. Well, turns out that I didn’t even have to bring that up. Before I even thought of telling her I was leaving, she already knew and had a goal in her mind to get baptized before I left. Wow. First she already knew about the temple without us telling her and now this? She is a very bright young lady. I love it when our job is made easy. On Saturday we went over to teach the commandments. In Preach My Gospel there are 12 commandments that we have to teach. We decided to start with the biggest four, the four that they specifically ask about in the baptismal interview: The Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, The Law of Tithing, and the Sabbath Day. Nope. Didn’t teach her anything she didn’t already know. She was already familiarized with those and had committed herself to living them. Why was I not surprised? Now about the baptism this Sunday, it ain’t happen’. She wanted to get baptized on that day, and we wanted to see her baptized on that day, but her parents will be out of town and both Sara and I agreed that her parents coming to her baptism is better than Elder Droge coming to her baptism. I’m not at all hurt, though. I know she is getting baptized and Sara knows she is getting baptized, it’s just a matter of time and hopefully sooner rather than later, but either way, everything will work out. In my mind she still goes in the records of Elder Droge’s mission as baptism number 14. That’s the official count. 8 of those 14 were right here in Roswell, so I’m not complaining. It’s been a good 7 month tenure here in the UFO capital of the United States. Good city (if you stay away from certain areas at certain times, that is). Good ward. Good People. I will miss Roswell.

I forgot to wish everyone a great Valentine’s Day last week, but I will now wish everyone a belated Valentine’s Day. It was a good day for me; I hope it was for you. The church meeting was very good here. The subject was on love and the concluding speaker got up and gave a fantastic talk about Celestial Marriage. It was as if we were listening to a general authority speak. He was a very talented public speaker and knew a lot about the gospel. I enjoyed it. It was also my last church meeting at the Roswell 1st ward, being that this next Sunday is Stake Conference. I thought that was planned very well. I had done a great job of not advertising my departure and it was planned quite nicely that I would slip under the radar, because even those who knew I was going home this month weren’t going to realize that this was my last Sunday. I was going to be able to sneak home. Well, ten minutes before church started, President Wiser, the Stake President, walked in. He visited with Bishop Malcom in the back of the chapel. Well, I was nearby and noticed that they were talking and saw Bishop Malcom chuckle a little. I thought nothing of it, but I hadn’t thought of the fact that the Zone Leaders live with the Wisers and probably informed President Wiser that this was my last Sunday in Roswell 1st ward. Well, Bishop Malcom then walks over to me asks me if I could give a farewell testimony, since this is my last Sunday in the ward. Dang it! Plan foiled. President Wiser had probably just told Bishop Malcom that I was leaving. Now the whole ward knows I am leaving. Oh well, it’s all good. Even though I’m not one who needs recognition, I guess it’s nice to know that the ward cares and was pleased with the service I performed for their ward and will be missing me when I’m gone.

Now it is time to close for the final time. What a privilege it has been to serve a mission. I am truly honored. I can look back on mission as I am finishing and declare with Paul that I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. I don’t know if I am ready to be offered up yet, but yet I am ready as I ever will be. Looking back, I have seen a change come over me. I am a different person that has learned a whole lot about a whole lot of different things. And as is apparent in everyone’s letters, not only have I changed, but the outside world has changed a lot, too. I am a different person going back to a different world. My whole future is up in the air right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen and that makes me a little nervous, but yet I read my patriarchal blessing and find comfort in reading that when all is said and done, everything will work out. I remember a scene in Star Wars episode II, a guy walks up to Obi-One and asks if he wants to buy some death sticks. Obi-One replies that, ‘you don’t want to sell me death sticks.’ The guy answers, ‘I don’t want to sell you death sticks.’ Obi-One replies again, ‘you want to go home and re-think your life.’ As the guy walks away, he says, ‘I want to go home and re-think my life.’ That has been the inside joke these last couple of weeks between me and my companions because it’s time for me to go home and re-think my life, because it will definitely be different than what I originally planned. We’ll see what happens. Remember, Salt Lake City Airport, 2:15 PM MST this upcoming Wednesday. They sent me the final flight itinerary a week or so ago and mentioned that they sent a copy of this one home as well, so I don’t think you’ll forget, but we will see you then. Peace out and TLM for life!

Elder Adam R Droge
The DrogeMiester