After serving for five years with mostly the same men and women in the Columbia River Washington Temple it was a very emotional day for me last Wednesday, my last day as a temple worker. I don't know if I will see some of our older patrons, Sisters Lane and Smith, when I return in 18 months as their health is failing. They attend every week, without fail and are my heroines! My friends held a "Farewell Pot Luck", hosted by Syd and Trudy Rodabough at their lovely home, after our shift. These fellow temple workers are some of the finest men and women on the planet and I am going to miss them all. Not being able to be instructed by Presidents Moody, Johnson, and Naef, and their wives is also going to be a great loss to me, but President Moody was reassuring in my release interview with him. He said in a few short days I would become an official representative of Jesus Christ and that brings a special feeling as well as a unique responsibility...that people would want to talk with me, just because I am a missionary. I anticipate that I will feel the same sadness when it is time to leave my mission as I am feeling today, but in 18 months, I will have the temple to return to.
The faithful know that all separation is temporary. You may take some comfort in the thought that even if you don't see some of your elder friends again on this earth, the next time you do they'll be strong and joyous, free of the constraints and pains of age.
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