British elder qualifies for missionary service at age 22
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George Fahey of the Huddersfield England Stake very much wanted to serve a mission when he turned 19, but a mysterious and chronic condition caused him to fail his physical exam.
Now 22 years old, his health has improved enough for him to serve that full-time mission. His call is to the Albania Tirana Mission, and on July 21 he'll enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, to begin learning Albanian.
"I'm looking forward to it because it's been such a long time coming," he said. "It's been something that I've been planning to do for years … I'm really glad it's finally come around; I've had a long time to get ready for it."
At age 10,he began having episodes in which he experienced the physical symptoms of a heart attack. Doctors declared his heart to be healthy, but they could not diagnose the underlying cause of his condition.
"I'd get stabbing chest pains, my left arm would go really achy and my lips would go a bit blue," he recalls. "They didn't know what it was. Every time I went [to the doctor], the symptoms would go and I'd be fine.
"We never really got to the bottom of it, to be honest. The specialist I saw consulted with people around the world, and there wasn't much like it and there weren't that many documented cases."
During the past few years, though, his symptoms have essentially subsided.
"Over the years it's kind of died down in intensity and severity and frequency," Elder Fahey said. "Now it's gone, and the only effect it's had on my life has been a loss of sleep every now and then and it's delayed my mission."
He made the most of the last couple years while his missionary aspirations remained in a holding pattern. He attended Leeds University Law School, from which he graduated with his Bachelor's of Law last year, ranking 7th out of 170 classmates. His Church service has included a stint in the elders quorum presidency and his current calling as ward mission leader.
One of the downsides to leaving on his mission this month is that he'll miss the wedding next month of his younger sister Darryl.
"She asked me to go see her when she tried on her dress," he said. "I went and saw her in her dress, and I was a bit [bummed out] that I won't be there because that made it a bit more real and she looked dead gorgeous in [the dress].
"It's just one of those things, isn't it? I suppose it probably happens to a lot of Latter-day Saint families that have got children around the same age."
With his education completed he is at a time in his life where, all thing being equal, he'd be ready to settle down. However, the decision between pursuing his career or laboring in the Lord's vineyard is a no-brainer for George Fahey.
"Being older and things, you kind of want to be slowing down in a way instead of uprooting yourself," he said. "But I'm really looking forward to [my mission]. It just feels dead right at the moment and I'm just so happy to be doing it, because I wouldn't be happy with myself if I didn't do it."
