DO SOMETHING!

Jenna Baumgart

Please welcome guest blogger Jenna Baumgart! Jenna has both a son and a daughter serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  She posted a story on MMs today that really touched my heart! In fact, I think from now on I will keep a 20 dollar bill stashed in my purse somewhere....just in case ;)

On the way home I drove past a pair of sisters walking the opposite direction and my daughter Kristen's begging words from her first letter home from the field slammed into my brain, "Mom, every time you see the missionaries, promise me you'll DO SOMETHING for them, even if it's getting them a cup of soup!" (Her first area was pretty unfriendly to the missionaries) I drove about a half block past them and felt horrible that I was still driving, so I peeled into a church parking lot, rummaged thru my backpack and violin case and came up with $20 that had been stashed and pulled back out into traffic. I pulled over and rolled down the passenger window. Both of these sweet girls looked in,

smiled and said 'hi'- at which point I started to cry and explain to them the promise Kristen had me make, handed them the $20 and told them it was all I had and all I was able to do right now and to get lunch or something on me. They each, in turn, reached all the way thru the passenger window to give me a big hug, graciously accepted the money smiled ear to ear and said 'God bless you!' I left them with a wave and drove home thru tears and mixed emotions of missing my daughter (and son) but, after a crappy day it was one teenie bright spot -- to see that tall willowy African American sister with her short blonde blue eyed companion walking up the road and to spend 30 seconds making them smile even bigger than they were already smiling.

I love being a missionary momma...even a surrogate one for a brief minute. I surely thank my Heavenly Father for these brief moments to return a kindness for all the kindnesses shown to my missionary children.