find joy in the journey

Conner's Mission Farewell Talk

On June 23rd Conner was invited to speak in sacrament meeting, in preparation for his mission departure.  

His mission farewell was an absolutely beautiful meeting. I can’t quite express just how wonderful it was .... my heart was floating with SO MUCH love for this family. Conner gave a fabulous talk on the love that Jesus Christ has for us, the youth speaker (Pierce Hill) and concluding speaker (Linda Grondel) were SO wonderful as they also spoke of Christ’s love, and Payton and Anna played a piano/flute duet of “Nearer My God to Thee” that brought it all home. I am so blessed.

Many family members came from out of state to be here for this special day.  The chapel was filled with family members as well as friends that we have during our 7 years in Henderson.  Our ward is pretty small -- the smallest in our stake -- and so it was pretty amazing to see the chapel so full.  We even had to open the 2nd overflow which has never happened!

Here is the text of his talk below.

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Hello, brothers and sisters, Today, I have the wonderful opportunity of speaking to you one last time before I leave this hot and sunny dessert in the west, and trade it in for an island in the far east, in a city which is literally the second snowiest city in the world. I am truly looking forward to the experience.

Today, I have been asked to speak on Christ’s love.

I would like to start by quoting a couple passages in Moroni 7,

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him---And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own.”

Now, this is not a talk about charity, but here we learn charity represents his love for us.

Peter also says that charity “Beareth all things, never faileth”

In this case, Christ’s love for us suffereth long, and is kind. He seeketh not his own and beareth all things. His love never faileth and endureth forever. It is a kind of love we should all try to have for our fellowmen.

Christ expresses his love for us in so many ways. The most obvious and recognizable way is through blessings he gives us.

Like any good father, the Lord loves his children and wants nothing more than to bless them, and will take any opportunity to do so.

In the general conference talk, “Abide in My Love”, Elder D. Todd Christofferson states, “God maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Indeed, God does rain down upon all His children all the blessings He can – all the blessings that love and law and justice and mercy will permit.”

Our Father in Heaven has blessings in store for all of His children, but we must each still be worthy to qualify for them all.

Russell M Nelson said, “The resplendent bouquet of God’s love-including eternal life-includes blessings for which we must qualify, not entitlements to be expected unworthily.”

Another way Christ shows his love for us is with the commandments he gives us.

In the beginning, Satan’s plan was to force us all to obey him and all be saved. But Christ does not want us to just be righteous. He wants us to choose to be righteous, and by so doing become more like him.

To help us along the way, he has prepared a plan for each of us, and commandments to outline the choices we should make to have happiness in this life and the next.

Thomas S. Monson perfectly described this when he said, “God’s commandments are not given to frustrate us or to become obstacles to our happiness. Just the opposite is true. He who created us and who loves us perfectly knows just how we need to live our lives in order to obtain the greatest happiness possible.”

Even more than that, God takes an active role in our lives, constantly reminding us with the Holy Ghost of the things we should be doing, when we are too hard hearted to remember.

In Doctrine and Covenants, Section 95, the Lord states,

“Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you-“

Christ lovingly puts forth the effort to help us become more like him and share in his eternal happiness.

He has given us so many resources we can use to further our knowledge, like the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ. His power is on the earth in the form of the Aaronic and Melkezidek Priesthood. He has raised a prophet and apostles, through whom we may know His will in these latter days. He has made sure we have all the necessary tools and knowledge we need to endure this life.

Even up until the very end of his life, Christ continued to show his love for those around him. He knew his disciples would leave him at the end, yet still took the time to teach them the lessons they needed to learn before he left. He washed their feet as an example that they should serve one another. He instituted the sacrament that they should take in remembrance of him. He promised to send the Holy Ghost to comfort them when he was gone, saying “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

He was strong in the face of the false accusations that were cried out against him. Even as he was scourged, tortured and crucified by the people he had just suffered for, he did not use his power to save himself.

Gerald N Lund wrote, “How pitifully futile the might of Pilate’s Roman garrison would have been in the face of the 12 heavenly legions Jesus had at his command...Yet he who brought worlds and galaxies into being stood mute before his mortal accusers.”

Indeed, he seeketh not his own. Instead, he thought about his mother, whom he charged his disciple John with taking care of. The guards who tortured him, he pleaded for, saying “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He knew they were just soldiers following orders and had no idea they were crucifying the man who had just saved them.

The greatest way Christ has shown his love for us is with the atonement he suffered through.

In the 2018 general conference, Elder Claudio D. Zivic stated, “He suffered for our sins, pains, depression, anguish, infirmities, and fears, and so He knows how to help us, how to inspire us, how to comfort us, and how to strengthen us so that we may endure.”

With this perfect empathy he has, Christ can easily bear our burdens and help us with whatever we are going through, even if we feel like nobody else understands. Christ said himself, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson further said, “His suffering caused Himself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit – and would that he might not drink the bitter cup and shrink. His agony in Gethsemane and on the cross was greater than any mortal could bear. Nevertheless, because of His love for His Father and for us, He endured, and as a consequence, He can offer us both immortality and eternal life.”

All Christ has asked in return is that we have faith in him, use the gift of repentance he has suffered so much to give us, and learn to love as he has loved.

In John 13, Jesus tells his disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

This gospel is built on Christ’s love both for us and within us, for it is in the way we love that we grow closest to him. The best way we can become most like him is through the way we love one another.

John H Groberg once said “When filled with God’s love, we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with his love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us.”

In just about seventeen days, I will have the opportunity to preach to the people of Sapporo and let them know just how much Christ loves them. There, it will be more important than ever to have Christ’s love within me. Quinten L Cook said just this last general conference, “When it comes to gathering Israel, we need to align our hearts with this kind of love and move away from feelings of mere responsibility or guilt to feelings of love and participation in the divine partnership of sharing the Savior’s message, ministry, and mission with the world.” I cannot wait to start my mission and help bring people to the gospel so that they may feel the same love from our savior that I have felt. I bear my testimony that I know this church is true, and that through Christ’s love, we can endure to the end and live with him once more.

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Watch a practice run of Payton & Anna's duet, filmed at home that morning.

Here is a link to the arrangement from the church's music website: Nearer, My God, To Thee

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And all of those wonderful family members who came to support Conner . . . . thank you!!!

Top to bottom, left to right

Idaho - Dennis and Valerie

Georgia - Heidi with kids Carlee, Preston, Audrey, Cole -- they were troopers as their flight from Atlanta was super delayed.

California - Denver, Bree and kids Lincoln & Austin

California - Dad & Candy

Texas - Brian, Rachel and kids Isaac & Dana

Utah - Randy, Kate and Parker

California - Mason, Jessica and kids Alene, Ayden, and Blain

Utah - Kent

 

mission week // wednesday

The big day.

We had several hours before Conner had to report to the MTC so we tried to spend the time as best we could.

First, games.

Before we checked out of the hotel Scott took the opportunity to give Conner a father's blessing.  Definitely a special moment for Scott.  He loved his mission and has talked about it on repeat with our kids over the years.  And now to see his son taking that big step, going into a mission prepared with a righteous heart ... huge pay day.  But also as a dad, hard to watch your oldest son go.

Then we drove over to BYU campus to walk around and grab a few things from the bookstore that Conner needed.  New scripture case (his was broken), a key chain, hair gel, and a water bottle.

The grounds at the Museum of Art was a great place to take some family pictures

And Conner chose Wendy's for our lunch spot.  Really?  Wendy's?  The kid has simple tastes and simple pleasures.  That $5 Biggie Bag brings him joy!

Lunch was so fun, full of laughter.  

While there have been some quiet tears and heartache, my overall goal of this trip was to keep things positive, light, encouraging.  To create an atmosphere that focuses on the good.  Our conversations centered around the things we are looking forward to hearing about in Conner's mission, wondering & guessing what he will experience in Japan, what the MTC will be like ..... and then we had Payton to throw in expertly timed meme references to really keep it light. 

We all know that this mission good-bye is hard thing for the missionary mom (and dad) and I've had so much wonderful support & understanding from other moms who have been in my position and truly know what I'm feeling.  But, I wanted to make sure this trip was not about the hard good-bye.  Not about my emotions.  Not a sob-fest that turns the attention to me and my longing.  Conner was no doubt aware of what I might be feeling, and we had a few tender moments where he was kind & attentive.  But the conversation was never about how hard it is going to be for us.

My goal was to send Conner off with positivity, encouragement, and so much confidence & support. 

Ya, it stinks to be left behind ..... but he has the bigger challenge.  A work before him that is harder than anything he has ever done before and is going to stretch him in every way and so I wanted to send him off feeling bolstered and uplifted.

Conner's check-in time was 12:30pm.  The MTC drop-off is quick and streamlined (no time for long good-byes) so we followed with popular tradition and went to the Provo Temple grounds just across the street from the MTC to hangout in the grassy shade for our last 40 minutes together.

Light and fun .... Anna played with ladybugs.  Payton measured his height against Conner's so he could have a reference point for Conner's return. I got Conner to come up with his very first missionary-related pun on the spot.

It wasn't long before the perimeter of the grassy lawn was filled with small groups of families, also there for their last bits of time.  It was a fun sight to look around and see.  The nervous or anxious missionary.  Brothers and sisters.  Some groups had little nieces and nephews crawling in the grass.  The mom was easy to spot with a tight-lipped smile, trying to hold it together.

Inevitably, the time finally came.  

And that's when it got emotional

I hugged that boy hard.  And then I stood in front of him, holding onto his arms and told him two things.  Two things I wanted him to remember as he walked through those MTC doors, and next Thursday, and 9 weeks from now when he is boarding that plane to Japan, and each day on his mission.

1.  I have every confidence in you.  You can do this.  You will be amazing. Especially as you allow the Lord to work through you.

2.  You are not alone. We are here to support you.  Most of all, your Heavenly Father is supporting you every step of the way.  Don't forget that.

Then we wiped our tears, jumped into the van (me, a little more shaky on my feet), and brought the party back because it was go time.  

Conner and I sat in the back of the van so I could hold onto him for a little bit longer.

And what happened next was a whirlwind!  We pulled up the MTC security booth and were immediately greeted by a couple adult women with big grins.  "Welcome to the MTC! We're so excited you are here!  Do you have an Elder or a Sister?"  

Elder. So that meant she stuck a blue post-it note on the corner of our windshield (the sisters were pink) and directed us forward.  Later, when we thought back on this experience I told Scott that I felt like we were on a Disneyland ride!  There was a steady stream of cars, attendants everywhere with bright smiling faces waving happily to us, and the whole thing moved with expert precision and timing.

You can watch the video below to see it unfold, but I'll also describe the play by play .....

We were told to turn left.  That took us down to basement parking garage entrance with a sign that said "New Missionaries Enter Here".  As we entered the garage I felt myself starting to break, clutching onto the cupholders in the back of the van I thought, this is really happening. 

As we weaved around the garage we soon noticed a group of super happy missionaries standing behind a row of temporary crowd barriers.  They were grinning from ear to ear and waving vigorously.  They wore black missionary name tags along with a big sticker that said, "HOST".  Seeing their faces settled my panic and brought a wave of excitement, joy, elation, and even laughter.  Thank you missionaries!  You are so so good.

Around the next corner we saw another group of ridiculously happy missionaries. As the caravan of cars lined up and slowed to a stop, one by one, missionaries from that group came running (running!) out of the barrier and up to an individual car.  One of those missionaries ran up to our car giving a hang loose sign.  I said to everyone, "that's our guy!"  We came a stop and I gave Conner another quick big hug before he jumped out of the car.

From everything we had read and heard, we assumed that there was no time for big hugs or goodbyes at the MTC.  But after a short moment an adult woman in a yellow vest came up to our van -- the side door was still open -- and she said, "you can get out."  We can???

So Scott and I jumped out and met Conner & the other Elder around the back fo the van.  They had already pulled his luggage out, the caravan was still at a stop and not going anywhere, so we took the opportunity for a few more pictures. (with puffy eyes). And one more hug.

He had the biggest grin on his face.  So happy.

This is exactly what I hoped this moment would be like for him.  We watched Conner and the Elder walk towards the central glass doors, each dragging a suitcase. Conner saluted as he said a final goodbye and with a smile on his face, a spring in his step, and walked with purpose into this amazing, wonderful experience.

And then, we had to drive away.

That's when I finally let myself go.

Payton was also in tears.

Anna sat quietly, smiling.

Scott, feeling stunned by what just happened, made the comment, "Well I guess we just joined the club."  The club of missionary parents.

What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall that day!  To watch Conner make his way through the MTC, receiving his name tag, meeting his companion, settling in his room, going to his first class, navigating the cafeteria . . . .

I couldn't help but think of my mom and how she gets a front row seat to all of this.  When Conner was set apart he was blessed that angels would be with him and I am confident that my mom is at the front of that line.  She loved her missionary boys so much.  While it has been a really hard thing for me to not have her physical presence & help & mom-support in the milestones, celebrations, and preparations leading up to this moment .... I can be somewhat consoled in knowing that she gets to watch over him while he is far away from us.

Overall, as I have stated before, we are so excited for Conner.  To see him take steps throughout his life that put him in a position to enter missionary service worthily and faithfully is the stuff parents' dreams are made of.  Last week I bore my testimony in church and spoke of the things that we give to our Father in Heaven and Savior.  The things that we can lay at his feet.

...... our burdens.  And He will take those up and make those things light

...... our time, talents, our very lives.  And He will magnify us and make us stronger & better as we devote ourselves to Him.  

I think of Conner, and all missionaries around the world, who set aside 2 years of their lives to the service of God.

I finally came across a quote that sums up my feelings on this exactly.  As we drove to the Missionary Training Center I shared it with Conner, and all of the kids:

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994), "Jesus Christ -- Gifts and Expectations", Ensign, Dec 1988

He is going to be a great missionary.  And I can't wait to see the growth and blessings that come over the next 2 years.

 

About an hour down the road we got our first email from Conner.  He can email us once a week on his preparation day.  Read it HERE.  It is short & sweet. :)

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So what do you do when you drop your son off for a 2 year mission and have a 6 hour drive home ahead of you .....

Get 2 boxes of Chip cookies.

Or as Anna puts it .... "stress eat"

mission week // tuesday

Tuesday was wonderful.  Just a great, great family day.

After taking Cooper to a sitter, we hopped the car and started our drive north to Provo, Utah.  

Now, this drive was going to be a little different than our typical road trips because we had a missionary in the car which meant no popular music and no video games.  Sooooo, we had to change up our entertainment a bit!

We .....

• listened to the Tabernacle Choir
• listened to a BYU devotional from Elder Uchtdorf
• made origami creatures (Conner received an origami book from a sweet lady in our ward)
• talked (!)
• and enjoyed the scenery

Funny that that should be such a novelty! But such is life in 2019.

We also made sure that we ate well today.  We stopped in St. George for shakes and burgers at Iceberg.  Epic milkshakes.

Our next stop was at my brother Kent's house.  We visited with him and Becca and kids for a while.  Kent ordered warm Crumbl cookies to be delivered to their house while we were there.  Yum!

Fun to see these cousins one more time!  (Nicholas, Spencer, Ellie.  Not pictured: Christian)

We checked into our hotel in Provo and crashed.  Have I mentioned how busy life has been the last couple weeks?  Haha! Non-stop.  I know that Conner and I both appreciated the hotel nap.

Conner's dinner request was pizza and I have heard good things about Slab Pizza for quite a while so we decided to try it out.

It did NOT disappoint.  Delicious and very well priced.

Scott and Conner stuck with the basic pepperoni (+sausage for Conner).  Payton got the Fire pizza - he loves spicy things. Anna got the Basil & Tomato.  And I got the Thai Chicken.  

As we drove by the hill & botany pond on BYU's south campus we decided to pull over and take a look.  Both Scott and I have never visited this spot.  Back when we went to school it had a sketchy reputation and an awful nickname. But now they have fixed it up and it's a beautiful place to stroll and watch the ducks.

REAL turtles, not robots as Scott would have you believe.  Never believe anything Scott says about turtles!

These kids.  They are so good to each other.  So good.  Over this trip we made sure to point out to them how lucky they are to have each other.  And how grateful we are for the way they treat each other.  Watching our kids truly be friends makes me so incredibly happy.  It was also pretty fun to observe Payton & Anna over this trip.  They were getting along exceptionally well, being silly and fun with each other, just a new level of connection we hadn't seen before.  Conner was a little more quiet/reserved than he typically is (I'm sure he had a lot to process), so watching Payton & Anna bond in the way they did left us feeling good that they will be ok.

I have been doing crown braids in Anna's hair for the past week. She loves it.  And when you're able to do something that your 13 year old approves of, it's a happy day.

We went back to our hotel and decided to play a game on the outdoor patio.  The weather was ah-mazing!  Coming from a place that currently has a 6-day forecast of 110 and above . . . . we relish any and all opportunities to be outside.

We played Five Crowns into the evening and it was just. so. fun.

One of the main things that has been pulling at my heart these past few days is what this change -- Conner going on a mission -- means for our family.  Just knowing that THIS -- the family dynamic you see above -- is never going to be the same again.  And while I know that I can't keep all my chicks in the nest forever, the reality of them starting to leave - and what that means for the rest of us left behind - just makes me ache a bit.

This thought of change has been on my mind so much so that when Eleven read Hopper's letter in the final scene of Stranger Things I'm all tears because I'm feeling it!

I guess, if I'm being really honest, that's what scares me. I don't want things to change. So I think maybe that's why I came in here, ..... To turn back the clock. To make things go back to how they were. But I know that's naive. It's just not how life works. It's moving, always moving, whether you like it or not. And yeah, sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's sad. And sometimes, it's surprising. Happy.

I'm glad he said happy.  Because change can be happy too.

Like this. These boys.

They make me so happy.  Their kind relationship has always made me so happy.  Best friends from day one.  Payton is the one I really feel for .... losing his buddy, partner .... they are so connected.  Hoping they will find connections in new ways -- I just might be surprised.

mission week // monday

After months of planning -- well, actually years of preparing a little boy for this day -- it was finally here.  Conner is going on a mission. 

The last couple months have been incredibly busy - eagle court of honor, Melchizedek priesthood ordination, graduation, temple endowment, farewell party & sacrament meeting talk, shopping for mission supplies - and that's just the stuff that involves Conner!  One day I came up with the phrase "happy exhaustion."  Everything we were experiencing was good!  And things we really enjoyed and looked forward too!  It was just a lot all squished together and many times I found myself just plain exhausted and my brain was fried.

But all of this, all of this planning, organizing, and celebrating culminated in one big moment ..... taking Conner to the Missionary Training Center and officially beginning his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That happened just yesterday and we're still in a daze.  I have a lot to share so I will break it down a bit - day by day.

Last week we spent some time gathering everything he was going to need on his mission, everything we had purchased and laid it out on the dining table.  We pulled out our checklists and went over it one more time to make sure we had everything.  Of course there were some things that had fallen through the cracks, which is exactly why I wanted to do this a whole week early so we had plenty of time to purchase or order anything that was missing. Doing this inventory proved to be a lifesaver as we discovered that one of the pairs of pants we had purchased 6 weeks earlier was the wrong size!  So glad we caught that in time to go to the store and make an exchange.

The missionary list is loooong.  And a little more expensive that we anticipated.  (Although, I will admit that it's not nearly as expensive as getting a student ready for college, but still ....).  I feel like I need to share a PSA to prospective missionary families . . . . All of Conner's missionary gear came to $2900 and another $1100 was spent on medical/dental/vision expenses.  $4000 just to get him started.

Granted, of that $2900 in supplies we had $500 in winter gear and another $300 for a tablet he was required to purchase. Those costs are not the norm for all missionaries, but still ..... start saving now!

With everything laid out already, on Monday we simple opened the suitcases and went to work filling them.

I found these Bago packing cubes to be SUPER helpful!  We used one for all of his winter gear (sweaters, gloves, hats, scarves, thermals), one for pajamas and athletic p-day clothes, one for other casual clothes, one for ties, one for socks, and one for underwear. I loved them so much I bought a second set for myself!

We also used this 3-pack of packing pouches to help organize supplies.  The large one was great for holding all of his meds.  He was told to bring a 2-year supply of advil, cold medicine, and pepto as well as Vitamin D3 (they don't get much sunshine on Hokkaido) and allergy medicine because many of the missionaries deal with allergies even if they have never had allergies before.  The small pouch was great for holding charging cords & such.  And 1 pouch was leftover for him to use however he wants.  

I shared a peek of our packing process on my Instagram highlights -- go here and click through to find those videos.

It all fits!  Conner is allowed to bring 2 large suitcases and 1 small carry-on.  It worked out really well because we were able to organize everything so that the teal suitcase holds everything he will need in the MTC.  And for the most part, but red suitcase holds the things he won't need until he gets to Japan.  There are a few things on top that he will need to access at the MTC, but we placed them on top for that very reason. 

Feeling good about our packing job!

This little stowaway did not make it into the suitcase, but it was close! :)

Conner spent much of the day trying to put some final touches on the book trilogy he has been writing over the last couple years.  I think he was satisfied with the progress he made, we saved a copy on multiple devices, and now he can step away from that project for 2 years and feel settled.

Over the past few days I let Conner choose our dinner menu so that he could enjoy all of his favorite foods before leaving on his mission.  His choices included: German Pancakes, Hot Dogs, Meatloaf, Hamburgers, and for his last dinner Sweet & Sour chicken.

Monday night we had an appointment at 8pm to visit the home of our Stake President so that Conner could be set apart as a missionary.  The whole family went over.  President Gates was great and just talked to Conner (and us) for a half hour.  I loved that he gave conner so much real advice and counsel. He said, "I wish I could tell you just how hard a mission is.  It is harder than you think."  He spoke on growth and how it comes from adversity.  And that is why so many missionaries come home, and while the mission may have stretched them more than they have been stretched before, they will still say that it was the best 2 years of their lives and the happiest time of their life. He also shared a list of the most common things that missionaries struggle with -- a list that he got from the former Las Vegas Mission President.  These items are listed in order with the biggest struggles at the top.

1. Homesickness
2. Companions -- differing personalities, learning how to live & work with another person 24/7
3. Accountability -- missionaries are required to keep & report an accounting of everything they do each day - how they spend their time, hours spent in study, how many street contacts/day, doors knocked/day, calendaring, miles tracked, etc.
4. Environment -- Living conditions, weather, mission rules/culture, the culture of the country/region, not having home-cooked meals from mom, taking care of a living space, etc.
5. Living on a fixed budget
6. Carrying on a conversation
7. Everyone is special - you've been coddled your whole life, and now you're "just" a missionary
8. Technology
9. Expectations of perfection - in regards to others -- expecting that other members of the church, the bishop or branch president, or even the mission president is supposed to be perfect, and then being disappointed when that is not reality

I thought it was awesome.  To send Conner off into his mission with eyes wide open.  

Scott also contributed to that "eyes wide open" approach with some discussions & stories he has shared with Conner.  For someone like Conner who strives to really, truly do everything right, who follows the rules, who is ready to give his all to a mission . . . . it could be incredibly dis-heartening when you come across missionaries who don't go into this calling with the same commitment.  So Scott sat down with him and told him stories of the ways some of his companions struggled with the rules & the mission lifestyle.  Scott also went into his mission as a young 19 year old believing that missionaries were one step away from heaven (!), and it rocked him to discover that not everyone had the same commitment that he did.  Again, talking openly and honestly about what he might encounter in his mission does nothing but set him on a path for success and managing the different challenges that might come his way.

Conner received a wonderful blessing in connection with being set apart.  We came home and jotted down as much as we could remember so that we can type it up and he can keep it with him on his mission, to be a strength and reminder of what the Lord has promised him.

Now that Conner (Elder Brown) was set apart as a missionary he had to start living the mission rules!  Some of those include

• Have a companion with you at all times.  Payton became his companion and even slept in Conner's room that night.
• Go to bed by 10:30pm
• Wake up at 6:30pm
• No tv, video games, or music

I went in his room to say goodnight and give him a hug.  Realizing that this was his last night sleeping in our home (for a while) was definitely pulling at my heart strings.  I asked him how he was feeling -- nervous, anxious, excited ..... Conner has been so calm, cool, and collected through this whole process. 

I commented, "You know there has been so much build-up to this over the last couple months.  So much to do and prepare for and so much going on and we have been so busy. Does it ever feel like going on your mission and getting to the MTC will feel like a relief?  You know, just to get it started already?"

Puzzled, he replied "Mmm, there's really only been some build-up for me in the last week."

(spoken like a true teenager who doesn't look more than 2 weeks in the future!!!!)

Exasperated and laughing I said, "Well, I guess I'm the only one who's been buried in this build-up!  You better remember that next year when you're writing my Mother's Day card!"

Sheesh!

After he was asleep I snuck downstairs and opened up his luggage so that I could hide some candy notes throughout his stuff.  Anna wrote all of the notes and we're hoping that he gets a kick of out them -- he loves puns.