"Elder Young you are called to serve in the England, Manchester Mission"
He wanted to go on a foreign mission, speaking another language, but in retrospect we are relieved he will not have to worry about translating ingredient lists for his nut allergy. And, we must admit that learning English from the English is going to be an adjustment!
For several years now I have enjoyed reading the news from the UK, which is cool now that Will is going to be there for the next two years! I already know what a lorry is, I can find the boot and bonnet of a car, and I know what "bangers and mash" is. Will has also enjoyed his favorite sport, soccer, over the years and now he can share in the love of English Football! Yes, Elder Young + Manchester England Mission = match made in heaven! Literally!
While Elder Young was preparing to serve, he had many assignments to complete on the Missionary Portal, a website that tracks his assignment completion, immunizations, and it even does a countdown until they leave! So Will and I would sit down at night and work on the assignments together after the other 8 kids were in bed. It was a nice time for us to spend together, discussing the gospel and cheering excitedly as we checked off another assignment! I truly valued this alone time with him, as I get fairly busy with 9 kids. It was a great time!
Young Family May 2014
So the time finally came for us to pack and be on our way to the airport, but I challenge anyone with 9 kids to get this done in a timely fashion! I am stretched thin with teens need rides to sports, activities and lessons, grade-schoolers with field trips and assignments, a first-grader whom I am homeschooling, toddlers getting bored and into everything, and four month old baby who needs something different every 20 minutes. Add to that my regular activities. I am the Cubs Leader, Nursery Worker, soccer-line painter, belly dancer costume designer, I'm on parent council, do newspapers every morning, teach sewing lessons, cook for my family, and I even got my garden in this year! I have time for all this because I skimp on housework which my sweet husband picks up the slack by doing laundry and anything that needs doing. Lol
As you can see, getting to the airport in a timely fashion is a gargantuan achievement! The night before Elder Young's departure, we headed up to Grandma Toni's to stay for the night, leaving at 3:30 am to drive the rest of the way to the airport. We dressed quickly as we slept in, but soon realized Will had forgotten his suit at home! I could tell he was quite frustrated with himself for leaving it behind, as he exclaimed " Do you know what I was Doing? I was playing with Lego!" He went down to his room to get the suit, but saw his vast Lego collection and decided to put it out for the kids to play with after he left. It was tucked away for years, but managed sidetrack him enough that he forgot his suit. How sweet to think of the kids when he is so busy trying to leave, I thought, and I tried to let my eyes get watery but they misted up anyways.
So, Elder Young has therefore secured himself his first package! How sneaky of him! I teased him to lighten the mood! Besides, that suit could really use a cleaning before heading overseas! He also forgot the candy his dad gave him, and the sucker he saved. He also had a waist-belt thing for his money and passport that was forgotten in his checked bags! Darn! I cannot, however complain too much, because none of this really matters. He will be at the MTC soon enough, without his suit, suckers and money belt, but he will be there and that is what counts!
What a blessing it was to run into another missionary going on the same date to the same MTC while at the Cardston Temple! I was able to call church travel after that and have them put in the same flights! There was an 8 hour layover in Chicago, so I am very grateful to have him with someone! Especially because this is his first plane ride and Chicago airport is huge!
We dropped him off, I cried a respectable amount, not too little nor great heaving sobs, and hugged him as tight as I could. I gave him four kisses on his cheek, one for each Christmas and birthday we will miss. Oh, I love this boy! Oh how I love the man is is becoming! I watched him walk into the airport with his dad, trying so hard to etch this image into my mind forever. His square shoulders looking much like his Dad's, they walk the same with Will just an inch shorter. I love watching them walk together. They are like twins, twenty years apart.
It reminds me of another moment etched in my mind. Will was a newborn baby so sweet and soft. I held him in my lap, his tiny head in my hands, and I vowed to remember this moment forever. So I keep that image tucked away safely, close to my heart, and add to it my handsome young man in a suit, walking straight and strong with his dad at his side.
I do have a few worries at this point. Will he find his connection in the Chicago airport? Will he get through customs and the TSA with his Epi-pen? Will he be able to sit with the other missionary? Will his second ticket print out, because it did not print with the first and there was no-one there to help? Will he find his luggage? Will someone tell me if he arrived safely?
On the drive home I looked around our van, which has eleven seats and several of the children were not seated. They kept sneaking out of their seat belts and into the back of he van to lay down. Finally, after telling them they could not ride back there for the umpteenth time, I saw an empty seat and yelled to the back "Who's not in their seat?" As my words were yet hovering on my lips, I realized the children were all seated and it was, in fact, Will's seat that was unoccupied. What a shock! A wave of emotion came over me like pins and needles, caught in my chest and leaked a bit from my eyes. I was sure to wipe away the evidence as the children loudly protested that the were indeed still in their seats!
Once home again, I looked around and so much has changed, but it looks the same. I hoped I would get an email or call from someone telling us if Will reached his designation in time. How was his adventurous day? Did he love flying like me? Did turbulence thrill him to the core? Seriously, I DO love that feeling!
I slept fairly well, probably due to exhaustion from the sleep that eluded me the night before he left. Morning came too soon, and while I was up making Matt's lunch for work I checked my email, and there it was, Will's first email to us as a missionary:
"Hey fam jam. I'm now at the MTC, the flights were okay...not really what I thought they were gonna be. I was expecting more roller coaster-like, they weren't. I went to the wrong terminal 2 or 3 times in Chicago, but we had time to spare because of he huge layover so that's a plus.
Really tired, didn't fall asleep as much as i wanted to on the planes but I'm still functioning. I don't think it's kicked in yet, which is weird because i'm already here. From the sounds of it I'm going to get busy coming up quick. Apparently I'm supposed to teach an investigator tomorrow so we will see how that goes.
It's actually really beautiful here, it's kinda like a rain forest, and then you look past the top of the trees and see power lines popping out. I miss you guys, it's weird here. The MTC here is pretty small, I think there's a max of 40 missionaries here at a time.
Anyway, i'm just letting you know that I've arrived safely and miss you all. So far it's been fairly fun, but I think it's about to get hard. Talk to you soon."
I cannot wait for next Monday and another email! I hope he got all our letters we sent with DearElder.com. From what I read on their website the letters should have arrived there before he did. Nearly all the kids wrote something to him and that should be a good stack of reading material!
After I sent him a reply, I went to wake up the kids for newspapers and school. I did my usual routine and as I went to get him up I was shocked to see his bed made and him not in it. I had to stand there for a moment to fully take it in. His Lego was set up for the kids, and nearly all his decorations are down and put safely away until his return. Deep breaths.
My mantra: When I think of myself, I am selfish and sad for him leaving. When I think of him, I am happy and at peace. I took a deep breath and thought of his adventure. A huge grin spread across my face. I sure miss him but there is nowhere I would rather he could be.
And, there hangs his suit! Ah ha! Time to research how to get it to him the cheapest. Do I mail it here, or drive over the US/Canada border to mail it? I will soon find out!
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