Dear Family and Friends,
The work continues here in Tokyo, Japan and we are staying busy and working hard. But as many of you know, this past week was significantly different for us. We spent last week at home in Utah, attending the funeral of Elder Low’s father.
Let’s back up a bit. Last year, about the same time we received our call to serve, Elder Low’s father called us with some bad news. His cancer had resurfaced for the third time and that meant a long, possibly painful road lay ahead for him. At 85 years old, treatment options were more limited, and we were looking at a situation that would possibly, eventually end his life.
As we discussed the situation with him, he never showed anything but complete support for our serving a mission. We are called and were to go forward. That’s what he wanted. It was also Elder Low’s mother’s and siblings’ wish as well.
At one point, Elder Low asked his dad: “If we’re serving in Japan, I’m not sure we would be able to come home for a funeral.”
Dad replied, “That’s OK. I won’t be there either. Go serve.”
The last few months of Dad’s life were fairly miserable as he slowly declined to the point where he struggled to walk, talk, or eat. It was painful for us to watch this when we called from Japan often via FaceTime. We worried and felt helpless thousands of miles away.
Meanwhile, Elder Low’s brother and sister were exceptional in caring for him. So was Elder Low’s mother. They never complained and continued to support us and fill in our absence as we continued to do our best to serve our mission.
Here’s the key point: Yes, serving a mission is a sacrifice. But in our case, Elder Low’s entire family – brother, sister, mother, and father – made great sacrifices at a crucial time – so that we could continue to serve. We can’t put into words how grateful we are to all of them. Thanks again.
As the end grew near, we began having conversations about options for the funeral. It became clear that our attendance was important – not for Dad – but for Mom and the rest of the family. President Node also strongly encouraged us to find a way to get there.
We were able to be with Dad during his final moments via FaceTime. It was a tender time for all of us. Then we used Delta’s bereavement service to find an affordable flight home. We left on two days notice. It was tricky to find substitutes or announce temporary cancellations for all the activities, lessons, and classes we conduct, but we managed to pull it off, with the help of wonderful folks from the mission, branch, and institute staff. We love them all.
Then, we were suddenly back home. To be honest, it was a strange, weird feeling to be back. But it was great to be with our family, children, and grandchildren. It was great to be with Mom and Elder Low’s siblings.
We were no less busy than before. We spent every minute either with our children and grandchildren or preparing for the funeral with Mom and siblings. We burned four tanks of gas in five days as we drove to visit as many loved ones as we possibly could. We also visited our home ward on Sunday and it was a blessing to be with them. Plus, we continued to teach institute and language study via Zoom in the middle of the night Utah time.
The funeral was wonderful, and it was great to see many extended family and friends, some we haven’t seen in years. We love you all. Loved ones from our home ward and our beloved stake presidency also came to the viewing and we were stunned at their thoughtfulness for us. Thank you all.
One of our most tender surprises was when Sister Cutright’s parents came to see us at the viewing. We currently serve with her here in Shibuya. She is a fantastic missionary. It was amazing to meet her parents, feel of their love for her and for us, and listen to them express their gratitude for the opportunity we have to be with and watch over their daughter on a mission. We love Sister Cutright and now we love her parents as well.
Yes, it’s hard to lose Dad. No matter the circumstance, we will miss him. Elder Munson in Wales reminded us: “The world is worse off without Rod Low in it.” Dad was a wonderful man. We feel we’ll never come close to being the quality of person he is. An exemplary life we can strive to follow, but we’ll certainly come short.
But we will continue to go forward. We will serve and do our best in a way he would be proud of. We will try harder to reach out to others, make more friends, show more love, and provide more relief for those in need. That’s what Dad taught us to do.
During this “pit stop” with our family, we both came to the realization that our hopes are coming true: Our family really is being blessed as we serve. We could tell. Our grandchildren are growing stronger and more valiant. We are all being blessed together. And more than ever, we feel that we are where we are supposed to be. Dear grandkids – please keep praying for Grandma and Grandpa Low.
We’re now back in Japan and going through round two of jet lag. We’re doing our best to catch up on what’s not yet done, and we have a way to go. Tonight is Family Home Evening and tomorrow is Institute and we’re back in preparation mode.
There are many more exciting things to come, so stay tuned.
Love,
Elder & Sister Low
ロウ長老姉妹
Elder & Sister Low 