The Trials of Sending Out a Missionary - Part of the Process

 I have often heard about people experiencing trials before getting baptized as their faith is tried. They feel that Satan is working hard on them to keep them from making good changes in their life. 

I have also heard that when you are getting ready to leave as a missionary, you can have those same trials. I have personally known many who have planned on serving as a missionary and even get the place they would be serving and then a huge trial comes along and they struggle with things. Often, how they handle that one struggle can change the course of their lives forever. 

I know of one man that planned on serving, he was ready to go, knew where he was going and a married woman approached him and he ended up having an affair with her. From that time, his life unraveled and has never been the same. It affected his siblings and his parents and the lives of the woman's family as well. 

We read stories of that type of thing in the scriptures, but I think with social media, Hollywood, social pressures and more, it is even more difficult to try and live a "good" life than ever before. There is just so much outside influence in our world and sometimes it is hard to stay on a good path when there are so many temptations.

One thing that I think has happened with each of my girls is my finances go CRAZY before I send a daughter out as a missionary. I though for a few months back that I would be "OK" financially." I even had enough that I started going to the chiropractor each week which I haven't been able to afford in many years. 

We haven't had a vacation in years. I allowed myself to go on the trip the girls wanted to go on. They paid for the flights and I thought I would have enough for the extras. I arrived home knowing I spent more than I should have but figured I could just "tighten the belt" so to speak for the next few months. 

When I got home, I literally opened the mail while I was still bringing things in and my mouth dropped at the bill from the roofer above. They told me it would be about $200. As you can see, it was more than they thought. I had a dishonest roofer do my roof a few years back and it has caused me much grief over and over as I have to fix this or that on it. 

I went to our family reunion at the beach that next week and get home and am carrying things in and I get this bill from my mechanic for four car fixes over the past several years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my mechanic as he is a saint in an oily garage but I have asked him many times for the bills on those as I take him treats every so often, I ask about him sending a bill. It was a hard hit to get that big of a bill all at once as that is a huge chunk of my monthly income. 

Before being able to submit Princess Fives paperwork for her mission, she needed dental and Dr. appointments. Neither of us have any health insurance currently so that out of pocket was $500 or so. The Dentist had the wrong address for some reason so the bill came this month. 

I then took Princess Five shopping for mission clothes and we had to get her a new wardrobe essentially. Once again, I am not complaining as God's little helpers guided us to stores and sales where we spent much less than we normally would on items and even getting her winter boots on sale was such a blessing but we spent probably $700 on everything and found that we need one more really comfortable pair of shoes and am praying we can find them on a good sale.... 

I then got a bill this last week saying that since I have had a birthday recently and am over 50, they are over doubling my premium for my life insurance. It went up to over $400! 

There have been a few other unexpected bills showing up and I don't think it is coincidence that they all happened to show up just before Princess Five is headed out as a missionary. I remember having similar things happen when the other girls were headed out and I remember stressing out about how I was going to be able to get what they needed and how I was going to pay for the mission each month. I know that God will take care of it and am trying to not stress as the bills pile up and come in. 

I seriously was headed out of town again when I opened up a bill for this months credit card. Princess Five was in the car with me and I think I gasped out loud as the bill was one of the largest monthly bills I have ever gotten in my life. For the past two months, the monthly bill was over $3000, nearing $3500 both months. When I opened up the bill and it was nearly $5000 I thought maybe they hadn't gotten my last payment. Nope, they did get my payment and I thought for sure that something had to be wrong on the bill. Nope. Just me paying for the roof, the car repairs, not even the life insurance was on the bill but the Dentist, all the clothes shopping and the regular monthly bills which is usually about $2000 as that is how I pay all my bills but fore a few that don't take credit cards. 

I spent the evening paying this bill and trying to balance the check book a little. It wasn't pretty. 

I told Princess that we were going to start eating food storage for the next few months as I am going to try and avoid the grocery store and other shopping for the next little while. She was thrilled with that as I am a good cook when it comes to getting into the storage, we do well. 

In fact, l I used stuff I had to make a wonderful meal today that we both enjoyed and it does take a bit more time to prepare but we both gave gratitude that we have so much wonderful food frozen and dried food from the food bank and I have been a prepper for years so this will be good. 

I know that this is a trial of faith and God has always provided for me no matter how bad things have gotten through my divorce and being a single mom, I have never gone without food, clothes, cars or housing. We have always had what we needed or he gave me a way to earn the money or find what we needed cheaper. I have been truly blessed in my life in this way and we are so blessed. I have such an amazing family and my girls are all healthy and alive. 

I will take this trial over those of others any day. I have not had much excess when it comes to money in the past 20 years but I have ALWAYS been blessed with what I needed and with AMAZING friends and family! God has been good to me! 

Have a Blessed Day!