The Mickelsons
by
Barbara Fallick
—
last modified
Feb 04, 2007 12:10 PM
Elder Mickelson served as an auditor and Sister Mickelson served as needed but now they have returned home.
Darlene and Neils Mickelson
Elder and Sister Mickelson are from Flagstaff, Arizona. They travel to other islands as part of their calling so they are frequently gone. Sister Mickelson put a heart attack on our door to welcome us when we came. Actually, she does this for everyone and everyone just leaves it up on their door.
The Mickelsons left to go home last week and suddenly everyone was talking release date--but not in a trunky sense but in a cognizance of our own mortality. We realized our time is short here. When we hear new missionaries are coming, it is kind of like expecting a baby. We know their names, we know what their call is, and we know when they will arrive, and we know we will love them, but we do not know them. Then they arrive and it seems they have always been part of the family. Other than the Calls and Schmidts whom we only knew superficially and briefly because they did not live in the Casa de Huespedes, no one has gone home before the Mickelsons and the Cleggs, the president of the CCM (MTC). We were very fond of the Cleggs but didn't get to see them often because of the nature of their call. The Mickelsons were just across the hall down one door. Sister Mickelson had a very cheery voice and there were frequently what we called "hall parties" because especially the Mickelsons and Carrillos would stand in the hall and just visit. We could hear their voices even if we were in the apartment with the door closed. It is kind of like when someone dies in your own family as opposed to someone you just knew. I'm certain that many of the missionaries we come to know well here, we will never see again and some we will never hear from again after we leave here so it is much like death when someone goes home. Except with death, none of us know when our release date is. I do remember visiting a Brother Laney in Virginia who was facing death talking about waiting for his transfer papers.
The Mickelsons left to go home last week and suddenly everyone was talking release date--but not in a trunky sense but in a cognizance of our own mortality. We realized our time is short here. When we hear new missionaries are coming, it is kind of like expecting a baby. We know their names, we know what their call is, and we know when they will arrive, and we know we will love them, but we do not know them. Then they arrive and it seems they have always been part of the family. Other than the Calls and Schmidts whom we only knew superficially and briefly because they did not live in the Casa de Huespedes, no one has gone home before the Mickelsons and the Cleggs, the president of the CCM (MTC). We were very fond of the Cleggs but didn't get to see them often because of the nature of their call. The Mickelsons were just across the hall down one door. Sister Mickelson had a very cheery voice and there were frequently what we called "hall parties" because especially the Mickelsons and Carrillos would stand in the hall and just visit. We could hear their voices even if we were in the apartment with the door closed. It is kind of like when someone dies in your own family as opposed to someone you just knew. I'm certain that many of the missionaries we come to know well here, we will never see again and some we will never hear from again after we leave here so it is much like death when someone goes home. Except with death, none of us know when our release date is. I do remember visiting a Brother Laney in Virginia who was facing death talking about waiting for his transfer papers.
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