My parents went into the MTC to begin their mission to Vanuatu Port Villa on Saturday. This will be a new, exciting adventure for them and a whole new phase of life. They have been full-time parents for the last 43 years! Most people are finished raising a family long before that! Eli (their youngest) left on his mission to Chile two weeks earlier.
My dad is a convert to the church, and my whole life he has told us kids that some day he was going to serve a mission. He has looked forward to it for a very long time...he and mom have sent six sons off on missions...and I am thrilled that they get to go at last.
Interestingly, enough, however, is that I have been on the verge of tears ever since they left! I didn't realize how much their leaving was affecting me until, on the day they left, I mentioned the fact to one of my friends. I couldn't say it without crying - which if I had known I would cry, I never would have brought it up! Later I thought I had things under control, and Caden and I were telling each other about our day. I told him that I had had a sad day - and started crying again. He looked a little alarmed because I'm not much of a crier:) I think a lot of us siblings feel the same, because while talking to my sister Katie, she got all choked up, and it was so quiet on the other end that I thought we had lost our connection. I guess we all get to experience what it's like to be orphans for a little while:)
 |
| Vanuatu - a tropical paradise! |
Saturday evening I went to the Relief Society Broadcast and there was my niece, Abby, singing with the choir from the MTC! She looked so beautiful and all official with her name tag on.
This is a missionary season for our family! Shawn's parents are serving, my parents, my brother, my niece, and soon a nephew. It is a neat time and I see my own children's minds being turned to missionary work and service. It will be a real blessing!
Well it's not just me then. I was thinking that I must be so emotional because I'm pregnant, but really I haven't gotten teary over anything else- only the thought of Mom and Dad being gone. For two years they won't be around the house and near the phone when I want to talk. It's been very encouraging, though, to see how often they have emailed just in the first day of being there. I hope they continue to give us lots of updates. I told them not to worry about writing too frequently because that's not possible.
ReplyDeleteYou have such wonderful parents! We were so thrilled to be able to pick them up from the MTC on Sunday at 2:00 and drove them to our house. We had Maddie and Bronson drive and pick up Grandma Knowles from her care center and we all met up at home and had a great visit and lunch. We got them back to the MTC in time for their 2 firesides that evening. They will be fantastic missionaries!!
ReplyDelete