Best Earthly Time

Everytime we talk about retirement at work, someone says " I will settle in the Carribeans ", and another would say " I will go to exotic places I've never been ", and more thoughts and plans will arise. I sit there smiling,my thoughts are travelling back to the best earthly time I had spent...Serving a Full Time Mission. I was about more than a year old convert in The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints and a 23-year old woman when I was called by the Prophet,  Pres. Ezra Taft Benson to serve a full time mission in the Philippines Davao Mission. As a new convert, the burning desire to serve a mission was in my bossom everyday while waiting for my employment abroad. It was a time to choose between temporal progress and spiritual service. I tried to keep my desire until I could not deny the Holy Ghost testifying to me that the Lord was expecting for my decision. I went to get my Patriarchal Blessing and there, Heavenly Father revealed His blessings and expectations of me to share my knowledge and even talents to those who will accept Him. It was the best calling I had, it was the best time of my life. I witnessed how the harvest in the field is being accomplished as described in D&C 4:4. I have witnessed how the Gospel of  the Lord has changed men,making them good or better. I have witnessed how I became stronger in testimony by being the witness of the restored Gospel of Christ,the restored true church on earth. I have witnessed the pure love of Christ in sending missionaries to places that only brave men would traverse. Because without fear, LDS missionaries lift their voices in sharing the secret towards home...towards eternity where Heavenly Father is. The secret that only a true Prophet of God knows,next to Him on earth. Now that I am what they call middle aged woman, that desire of serving a mission is here again. So if they will ask me my plan of retirement from work...this is my answer, together with my Eternal Companion (husband), it is our desire to serve as couple missionaries in a few years time. D&C 4:3 qualifies us on this goal " Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work".  The work that will save the souls of men.

Adele Ladjeman ( Edel Ducusin Ladjeman )