Four Days

My sister posted the following on her blog today. I thought it was a really nice tribute to my parents and wanted to share it:

"In just four days my parents will return home from serving as Mission Presidents in Brazil. Three years have flown by and yet it seems so long since the day they left. My father has seven new grandbabies to meet and a son-in-law he has only talked to on the phone. They left the house with a field behind it and only a few houses. Now there is a fence and houses staring into their backyard. Two of their children and Bob were all still attending college. Now they are all done and happy to be through. In the time they have been gone all six of their children have had ups and downs, shed tears of joy, and tears of sadness, frustration, or pain. But the one thing we can all agree on is that we have all been blessed and we all feel closer. Over the last three years my parents have given my siblings and myself the greatest gift they could have. They blessed us by serving a mission. They taught our children the gospel is more important than anything else on this earth. They have taught love and sacrifice to me and my children in a way nothing else on this earth can. My parents chose to serve God, they chose to serve the people of Brazil, and they chose to do what they knew was right. I am so proud of them and am proud to call myself their daughter. Thank you Mom and Dad for the legacy you have started by choosing to serve! See you in four days!!!"

I am also so grateful for the sacrifices my parents have made to serve the Lord. Their dedicated service has shown me that service to the Lord comes before anything else. Even though I missed having my parents with me during some of the events that occurred in my life while they were gone, their absence taught me lessons I never could have learned in any other way. Love you mom and dad!