my older brother

I have a really neat family.  I hope I can be with my family forever. My whole family is neat,  but let me tell you about my older brother; especially the time when he got his mission call.  I guess we planned on his mission long before he could go.  In fact, our parents were planning that mission long before I was born.  Anyway, the family home evening we had just before he left was super special (even though my favorite one had to be the one we had the first night he was gone).  Before he left, though, we all talked about how we were going to be a part of his mission.  Some were concerned about converts and baptisms; others about the difficulties.  Lots of relatives were there and he knew he was going to the land of his ancestors.

He went before there was a language school and he was going to have to pick up the language and start from scratch.  He wasn't going to open the mission, but we knew that the others that had gone there before had really had a hard time.  When the time for him to go finally came, we were all gathered together and we sand a song--the kind of song that makes you happy and makes you cry at the same time.  It was neat with so many relatives.

He had prepared so long; we knew he would do well.  He did have some problems with companions that slept too much and other things, but he said it was because they didn't understand.  He worked hard.  He had baptisms, although I don't remember how many and I don't know names either.  He talked to people in shops, in their church meetings, in their homes, on the streets, and wherever he got the chance.  Most of the people didn't care.  Some of the people even got angry.  Some even tried to hurt him or make fun of him.  I wouldn't want anyone to call me names or spit on me.  Some of the people did listen and that made him so happy.  It made me happy too.

He did have some problems with the law.  The people that didn't like what he taught decided to try to get him to quit.  He got arrested.  They said he told people he was something he wasn't.  Anyway, there was a trial or something.  It didn't turn out the way I had thought it might, but he said it was okay.  i wasn't sure.  Anyway, after the trial they beat him until he was bleeding and they made fun of him, and then they took my older brother on a hill and crucified him.

He died for me and I just hope that when He comes again, I can sing for him like we did when he was born in Bethlehem so many years ago.

---Layne Thomas Rushforth---