Mom and Dad

Dear Ward Members and Friends: 

With each class, we become a family.  Each missionary who leaves home undergoes a test and transformation, leaving father, mother, brothers or sisters.  Many of them have no father or mother, often both parents are deceased and the missionary has been raised orphan.  Some of them are very homesick for their family. 

            So many of them crave the warmth, shelter, loving security of parents.  They are almost desperate for physical reassurance.  I read numerous letters each week from the missionaries.  One elder recently said in his letter, President, will you give me a hug?  Later, I responded by giving him several hugs.  He and other missionaries just melt and weep in my arms.  So many express their love to Sister Taylor and to me; so many refer to us as papa, mama, daddy, mommy, father, mother!  The missionaries adore Sister Taylor and they hug her as often as they can.        

            They call us their Mom and their Dad,

            But, sometimes it makes us so sad.

            Yet, when they have none,

            It gives us the fun

            Becoming their parents so glad. 

One sister from Taiwan, a very charming intelligent, outspoken sister, having attended BYU-Hawaii, would in good humor, repeatedly call out to me, “Daddy!”  I had to respond, also in good humor, “I’m not your Daddy!”  I learned that she had no real father, had been forsaken as a child by her father.  In one of our final meetings, she drew near to me and asked me to give her a hug, which I declined, but I shook her by the hand and told her that from my hand to hers is a “great-big-hug!”  We send to each of you, a great big “virtual” hug! 

Love, George & Debra. 

Recently, we had a large group of primary children visit the MTC.  See Sister Taylor’s “I Hope They Call Me On a Mission,” attached.