Called To Serve Him....The Last Goodbye, and the Sad Airport Farewell.....

When Suitcases come out what do the family pets think?.  I'm not sure what our little cat thought of all the packing up of our sons clothing.  But while she was good company and help to me, I don't think she really wanted to be in the suit case when it left.  She has flown across the country and I don't think she liked it one bit...

The night before our son left on his mission was spent packing everything into the allotted amount of suitcases.  Doesn't seem like enough for a two year journey.  The our Bishop and Stake President came over and we all talked about our son and gave him some last spiritual thoughts.  Good thing we had lots of tissues.   And then They set my son apart as a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Once set apart as a missionary you have to always have a companion with you.  So for the first night as a missionary we got to be my son's companions.  That I think was a wonderful thing for us.  Our son would say I need to run something over to one of the neighbors and we would say, you have to take one of us with you.  There was a wonderful spirit about our house.

Early the next morning we were off to the airport.  Don't expect there to be many good photos.  I realize now that my son was trying very hard to put on a brave face.  And to not cry.  I think we were all trying not to cry. We did not succeed in the not crying...I think that was the hardest, seeing my son crying before he left.

The Airport in Salt Lake City is used to this missionary drop off ritual... Some Missionaries come with their parents because they are going to Missionary Training Centers in different countries.  Other Missionaries come on a bus, having been trained at the MTC in  Utah.  They may also be going to a different country, but had their training in Utah.  Our son was going straight to his new country.  In some ways we were lucky as this made it possible for us to have a long goodbye.  If you go to the MTC in Utah, you just get dropped off at the curb...no long goodbye.   We were not alone in our hugs, and tears.  It was nice that someone stopped and took a photo of us all together.  Somehow our son was able to find the courage to move on and get on a plane and go take an adventure he dreamed of for a long time.  The rest of us went back home, ate breakfast.  My Husband then went off to work, my daughter to school, and I went where I find God...

To the garden.  And He spoke peace and comfort to me.
G.G.