A missionary!

This has got to be the coolest, yet the strangest feeling ever. My son is going to be a missionary! I've known this day would come, but now it's here. Last Wednesday Taylor got his mission call. I know this isn't news, since you all know, but he is going to the Brazil Ribierao Preto mission on February 24, 2010.

We knew the call would come on Wednesday (the 21st). I checked the mailbox, no mail. Then I saw the mailman driving down the street, so I followed him. It wasn't our regular delivery man, and he had turned down a different street than I expected, so I asked if he would be going to our mailbox. He said yes, so I told him I'd go wait for him. He kind of chuckled and said if I had some ID he could give me our mail. So he handed me a couple of wimpy letters. My heart sank. I was probably whining when I said, is that all? I was expecting a big envelope. He looked in the "big envelope" pile, and there it was! He wanted to see if we had any other mail, but I didn't care at all about anything else.

I jumped in the car, looked at the letter, and started to cry. I knew that Taylor's life would be different now. He was going someplace to be a missionary, to teach the gospel, to find people who wanted to share in the glorious truths of what he could bring to them. It didn't even matter where he was going, but this was real.

The night before on my way home from work I kept thinking about all the places he could end up--Australia, Alabama. New Zealand, Nevada. Ireland, Illinois. Argentina, Arizona. The possibilities were truly endless (well, I guess there is a limit, but you get what I mean).

As I looked at that envelope, I just knew Heavenly Father had been thinking about my son and had great things in mind for him. I was gearing up for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Two nights before I dreamed Taylor got the call to Florida, and I just shrugged and said, "Nah. That's not it. I just don't see him there." So I was trying really hard to be ready for Ft. Lauderdale and not sound disappointed when that was the place.

I drove downtown to pick up Corky so we could all be there together and find out where Taylor would be for the next two years. Brazil never entered my mind. But wow--this is so great. I know Taylor will be a wonderful missionary and be enthusiastic about serving the people of Brazil. Now if he can just figure out how Ribierao sounds like "Heberon." There are a couple of people in our ward who served in Brazil, and one right in Riberao Preto. He was pretty excited to share info with Taylor.

Today we received flight information and Visa information. I can't believe all the paperwork that's involved and the questions they want answered. I do have to say I'm pretty impressed by how organized the Church is--I guess they've got this down now. A good deal of the paperwork we received is already filled in with names and addresses and stuff like that. The instructions are very clear on what to do when. Of course, I'll still be able to mess it up. I'm good at that.

I am very proud of Taylor. He wants to go on his mission. He wants to be in Brazil. He is ready to go. He is the first of the group of boys in our ward to go, although there are four who should all be turning in their papers. I hope this will be a good example to the other boys. But I am proud of him and happy that he wants to be a missionary.

And yes, Uncle Lynn was the closest to guessing. He guessed another mission, but still in Brazil. So he's half right. I'm thinking of giving him half a cake for the prize. Hmmm.