When I first got back into the car after saying goodbye to my son at the MTC, I was crying, and thinking to myself, “Why does it have to two years? Why isn’t one year enough?” I just couldn’t imagine how it was going to be not being able to see my son for two whole years! Only being able to actually talk to him four times in those two years, on Christmas, and Mother’s Day! Then only receiving emails once a week, and an occasional letter. It just seemed way too long!
I had heard mothers of returned missionaries say that the two years went by a lot faster than they thought it would, and thought to myself that they must of not been as close to their child has I was with mine! There was no way that two years was going to go by fast for me!
Let me say that if this wasn’t the Lord’s work, and the blessings weren’t just flowing in, then yes the two years would have been very long. Don’t get me wrong I missed my son very much, and there were times when the time did go by very slowly, but for the most part it went by very fast!
The blessings, the MANY blessings that just kept coming, and the growth I could see in my son and in my testimony was the reasons that one point I even said, I am so glad that his mission isn’t just one year, and I’m not even sure two is enough!
Being a missionary mom isn’t something that everyone gets to be, and it is such an honor to be a mother of an missionary, so don’t get to missing your child so much that you wish that amazing time away. Two years really does go by fast, and you will miss the emails, the twice a year phone calls home that mean so much, you will miss those letters. Try to enjoy every second of those 18 months or 2 years! Don’t wish that time away looking forward to their homecoming, because if you do you will miss out on some of the best time of your life!
I couldn’t believe how fast the six weeks at the MTC flew by! Before I knew it it was time for Elder Farner to leave the safety of the MTC and for him to go to the other side of the world.
I have spoken to other missionary moms and no matter if they are going to the USA or any other place in the world, it is a little scary to know that your child will now be out in the world. I have also spoken to returned missionaries and they told me that it was nice, but scary to be out of the MTC and out into the world.
I was nervous that my son was now going to out into the world and that he was going to be on the other side of it! The thought that my “little boy” was going to out of the USA without me! I was also excited because he was going to be able to call me from the airport.
I looked forward all day to receive the phone call from my son. I didn’t know exactly when he was going to call, so I was on standby all day. [continue reading…]
I didn’t get home from Utah until Sunday, and when I did there was a letter waiting for me from my missionary!!! I couldn’t wait to tare into it! I had all kinds of thoughts go through my head like, “I hope he is telling me how much he loves it and NOT how he wishes he wasn’t there!” I quickly skimmed through the letter just to see if there was anything I needed to be concerned about, then I slowly, almost as if I didn’t want it to end, read the letter, my first from my missionary!
It was a sweet note he wrote on his first night just to let me know how his first day went. He did start out by saying that he was writing to let me know that he hadn’t ran away yet! Haha! He can be such a funny guy! He said that he thinks he is really going to get along well with his companion, (relief to know!), that they had stake for their first meal, had already been taught in his new language, ( didn’t understand a word!), had a meeting with all the missionaries where they sang The Army of Helaman song and instead of singing it ” We WILL be the Lord’s missionaries”, they sang “We ARE the Lord’s missionaries!” He said that brought tears to his eyes.
What a great relief and joy to know that all was going well, and he wasn’t begging to come home! [continue reading…]
The drive back to Salt Lake wasn’t near has fun as the ride down! I ended up with a migraine, most likely from the stress of saying goodbye to my son, and trying not to run off the road through my tears!
Ok the tears did stop before we were out of Provo, but it was a quite ride back. We stopped to get something to eat,because food is my comfort, and as we were parking I noticed that an hour had past since I had dropped off my son. I made the comment, well one hour down, how many left? It took us awhile to get the math all worked out , 17,530 more to go! ( Don’t ever count down your missionary’s time in hours, it will only depress you!)
I couldn’t help but think about what he was doing, how was his first hours going, does he have a cool companion??? Is he being a cool companion?? I was wishing he could just send a quick text letting me know that all is well! It really is hard not knowing! [continue reading…]
6:00 AM February 12, 2013. I wake up with the fact that I only have 31 more hours until I say goodbye to my son for two years! I knew the day would go by fast, but I just wanted to enjoy every last minute of it, and not waste any of it!
We still had some things we needed to get before he would be completely ready. Things that we knew we could get in Utah that we couldn’t get in Colorado. Like short sleeve white shirts in February! We had also put off getting his shoes until we could look at the places in Provo that would have shoes specific for missions. So we needed to get going.
First, we had breakfast with my great aunt, who is an amazing lady who would be contributing to his mission, as she has done for so many other missionaries! That ended up being a two hour breakfast! It was a great time just visiting and eating!
Then off to Provo! Of course I would have to take some wrong turns as we had done already on this trip, but we did make to Provo, and to the place we needed to be. We were able to get his shirts and shoes and some other things and now he was ALREADY to go!
Another tear jerking moment came after that, time to say goodbye to grandma, and uncle (my mother, and brother). 
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After being set apart as a missionary, my son was now officially a missionary which meant he would have to live by the mission rules! I was to be his first “companion!” That was just fine with me!
It was time for us to get on the road! Time for him to say good- by to his dad. That was the first of many tearful moments for me to come. As we were driving away, I could see my husband standing at the kitchen window, and that brought tears to my eyes to know that he would not see his son for two years! I could feel the love that a father had for his son! [continue reading…]
Ever since my son was a little boy I would dream of the day I would take him to the MTC! (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, UT. I had gone with my mom when she took my brother many, many, many years ago, and thought it would be a wonderful experience to have with my own son one day. Well, since then they have changed the way you drop of your missionary at the MTC and they have other MTCs around the world that your missionary may be sent to, so you can be just dropping them off at the airport. I have to admit that I really wanted to still take him to Provo, even if it meant just dropping him off at the curb! I don’t know why that was so important to me, it just was!
When my son received his call I was excited to see that he would be reporting to the Provo MTC! I knew that they had changed the way you drop off your missionary since the time I had gone with my brother, but I still was excited to go! [continue reading…]
The thing that every mother, and I would add father is excited for; calls home or being able to Skype with your missionary! Isn’t technology awesome!
My first phone call from my missionary came when was leaving the MTC on his way to the mission field. He was able to buy a phone card at the MTC and call me from the airport for a very brief time! I was just glad to hear his voice even if it was just for a little bit after not being able to really talk to him for six weeks! It was amazing to hear the excitement, and joy in his voice to be finally on his way to the field! I had been able to communicate with him through email, of course, but it isn’t as good has being able to hear his voice!
For me the next call came only six weeks later when it was Mother’s Day! He did have the option to skype or just call. The computers where he was, really weren’t good for skypping so he called. Now everywhere, and every mission president is different, so just because your friend’s missionary got to skype, doesn’t mean yours will. Also some mission presidents put time limits on the time you can talk or skype, so be prepared for that.
My son’s mission president uses Facebook, which I love! He is always posting pictures and updates! He always posts the rules for calling and skyping when Mother’s Day and Christmas come around. Whatever the time limit may be you should be a good example of being obedient and stick to the time limit if there is one! Sticking to the time limit is hard,but we do want what is best for our missionaries. [continue reading…]
It is amazing the amount of blessings that come as soon as your missionary accepts their call! One of the best advice I received was from my best friend, and I am going to share it with you. You will be wise to do this! As soon as your missionary accepts their call, get a notebook, or a journal, just something to keep track of all the blessings that come!
I am so grateful for this advice, for one thing it is a wonderful way to see how many blessings come and a great way to show your Heavenly Father how grateful you are for those blessings. It will also be an amazing thing to give your returned missionary!
As you start to keep track of the blessings, your eyes will be opened and you will be able tosee things you probably wouldn’t have noticed. You will be able to see your Heavenly Father’s hand in all things! [continue reading…]
