News - AT LAST!!

We finally got some news about what's going on in Guyana. This is a picture which was printed in one of the newspapers there. Lance told us his picture was on the front page of the newspaper there and that he would send it home. I don't know if this is the picture or not, but I'm thinking that Lance is the missionary in the window on the left, 2nd one from the left in the pink tie. You'd think a mother would know her own son but alas, I'm not positive.

Lance and his companion got a call around midnight on Tuesday night telling them that they needed to report to the police station in Georgetown at 8:00 a.m. the following morning. There were about 60 missionaries in all who were detained - that is every missionary serving there. When they got there, their lawyer, who is guyanese, said that he would have them out by 10:00 a.m. that morning.

The missionaries were told that the reasons they were there was because they hadn't filled out work permits, that they were there illegally and all of their passports were expired, none of which was true. They were all held together in one room (which was very hot) and while they waited they played games, sang songs (not "We Shall Overcome"), slept and talked. It was a very long day.

Lance wrote, "This didn't sound like a big deal until that later that day. Everyone made it sound like it was gonna be a wham bam done deal and that the missionaries would be fine. I've heard rumors that the government thinks we are spies and that they don't want us here because we are leaking info to the US. The president of Guyana said that we had 24 hours to leave the country, all 60 of us."

They were finally able to leave a little after 7:00 p.m. having been there for almost 12 hours after they made a deal to keep a few missionaries in Guyana and everyone else had until the end of the month to leave. The next morning it was all over the news and in all of the papers.

Everyone was very nervous about who was staying, who was going, and where they would go. Lance says he is one of the lucky ones (I say, lucky?) who gets to stay and that there would only be about 18 of them who will remain in Guyana. President Gamiette (their Mission President) came and talked with them and told them what to expect.

They are going to bring in 20 mini missionaries who are local. So Lance will be serving with a guyanese missionary. Some of them will be coming on full time missions. There are some who aren't 19 yet, but they are getting permission from the church to come early.

Lance wrote, "I think one of the things that's sweet is when you step back and look at the Lord's hand in the work. We think this is a horrible thing at first but then stepping back it's great. Guyana is looking to get a stake but in order to do that we need worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders. God gives us that. It's sweet.

So while I'm worried sick about my "little boy" and what will happen to him, and impatient for a good outcome (all the while thinking that Lance will be leaving Guyana and that he will be so sad), God once again proves to me that He knows what he's doing, He knows what is best, and He knows us and loves us. His work will go on!!

I'm so grateful for our Heavenly Father and for the love and kindness he shows to us. For His wisdom in all things and for humbling me without devastating me.

I asked Lance if he was scared and this is what he wrote: I was scared about going to a new mission but that's not happening. I told a bunch of people, "The next time I step foot in America it's to hug my mom!" Okay, the tears are flowing again so I'll leave you with one last picture for today. : ) I AM SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!