HAPPY. . . . . . . . . . . .

The Last Goodbye

There was a post on the MG FB Group about saying goodbye to your missionary and since I did not have my blog when Brandon and I said goodbye and it has been on my mind I will post it in a little more detail here.

The last time I saw Brandon was in the Seattle airport as he left for the MTC. That morning I drove to his house and his mom had made breakfast. Everyone was trying to act happy and calm but I think I was not the only one breaking down inside. After Breakfast Brandon and I snuck off into the backyard. He held me tight while tears flowed down my face. He kept whispering that he loved me over and over again. We shared the perfect last kiss and it was incredibly painful to pull away knowing that it would be two years before this happened again. The grass was damp and the air was cold. His being there so close felt so right.

His family left to have him set apart and I drove home until that afternoon when I met his family at the airport. He was already set apart so no more hugs and kisses. After his family said goodbye they gave us some space. Brandon and I walked around the airport. I showed him the exact spot that I would be standing when he returned and told him that I would be wearing the same clothes that I am wearing today down to the shoes and would not wear them until then. He took a picture of me standing there on his camera to look at and help him imagine his return. I put on my best welcome back face for the picture though I know that I am going to be blotchy red with tears when that day arrives. That outfit is now in a box not to be worn until I see him again.

I wanted to be the last familiar voice that he heard so I watched him go through the security checkpoint line before running up to him just before he went through and leaned close to his ear careful not to touch and whispered that I loved him. Apparently he was not as careful about the no hugging rule because he suddenly grabbed me close for one last hug. I think he talked to his bishop about that once he got to the MTC. Haha. I handed him three very bulky letters that I had already written him. One for the plane, one for his first night in the MTC and one huge one for when times got tough. He tells me the he has not read the third one yet but gets strength from just looking at it in the envelope. He wants to read it on his flight home just before he sees me again in my same outfit standing exactly where the picture was taken.

AHHHH! When will it end!

To everyone who has expressed their love and concern for Brandon, I want to say that I love you so much and share what I have learned from Brandon about the swine flu. I have been postponing venting my worries about it but am just plain worried. I sit online every chance that I get reading about it, praying that there will be a break in the epidemic. My latest letter from Brandon said that the missionaries are under strict sanitation orders. He sent me his copy of the guidelines:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially if you have had contact with someone that is ill.
  
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with your hands.
  
• Do not greet someone directly with a handshake or a kiss. (come greet me with a kiss, I'm safe, I promise!)
  
• Avoid places where there is close contact with large groups of people, like the subway and buses.
  
• Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze.
  
• Eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A and C (carrots, papaya, guayaba, oranges, mandarin oranges, limes, lemons, pineapple, etc.)
  
• If flu like symptoms are detected, seek medical help immediately.

On top of this they are not allowed to eat from street vendors and the missionaries carry antibacterial gel. All their church meetings have been cancelled until further notice from the church. I always wish Brandon was here with me but I know that he is doing the Lord’s work. Is it to much to ask for him to come home until this blows over? I guess all we can do pray for Brandon and all the other missionaries at risk of being exposed.

Brandon wrote: "Pretty much everyone is wearing face masks and we wear them when we go outside. Really dorky but it is better to be safe. The buses are kinda empty and the lack of tourists in the city is strange. Kinda weird to be in a city that was once so busy and is now relatively quiet. Kids are not going to school, people are staying home from work and all
our church meeting are canceled. Everything we are told is pretty scary stuff about how quickly it spreads and how many people are dying. Pray for everyone here."

This whole thing is driving me CRAZY! I am trying to not go insane but can I just say how ridiculous it is that we live in a world like this! Why does Brandon have to be in Mexico instead of somewhere safe like North Dakota?

Here is the statement that the church released:

“Church leaders are closely monitoring news, security and medical reports
regarding the swine flu outbreak. The Mexican government has requested that all
churches and organizations in Mexico City and affected areas suspend public
meetings and has asked residents to follow basic sanitary precautions to guard
against infections. We have asked our members and missionaries to follow these
precautions and Church leaders have cancelled meetings until further notice. All
missionaries in the affected areas are reported to be safe."

New Calling!!!

My Bishop pulled me aside today to give me a new calling. I am going to be a RS teacher and I am SOOOO nervous, excited, and anxious. I will be teaching once a month which gives me a month to prepare. I can't wait to talk to the pres. and find out what my first lesson will be on! I am so scared that all the sisters are going to have to listen to me talk for 40 minutes. I really hope that I am not boring. I have never had a calling like this before ('cept when I was a GD teacher but there were only 5 or 6 in a class and being Laurel's pres was pretty tough because I would have to conduct all the time and give lots of mini-lessons) but this is just so much more stressful then those.

Even though I'm embracing change and going forward with faith I will seriously miss being a VT supervisor. I got to know so many amazing sisters who I will miss having church reasons to call. I will miss getting to know all the sisters in their homes, being a VT sub and having busy days at the end of the month to make sure we get 100%. Being a supervisor was challenging but I liked having a goal to achieve and being a teacher is so much different. I will just have to prepare as much as I can, pray, have faith and let HF use me as an instrument to touch the sisters who need to hear the words of the lesson. If you have any teaching tips let me know. I will post when I get my fist lesson looking for ideas! OH BOY!

SO PRECIOUS!

I got this in an e-mail and it was just to precious not to post!For Sale: Useless Cat

Dear Toaster

Toaster, Oh Toaster

I'm pretty sure that my parents got you as a wedding gift a billion years ago.
You had no setting, just overdone.
I love eating bagels in the morning but had to buy small ones that fit into you.
Once you caught on fire and I thought you were broke but you kept on cookin'.
Now you are dead and I have no idea why.
You passed in your sleep without a struggle or a battle.
I will always miss you, no toaster will ever be the same.

Oh to be 17 Again

Yes! I saw the movie opening day and Yes! Zach is as beautiful as ever! It was certainly not an original story idea but a classic one. And let's be honest, you could tell that same story over and over and I would go see it as long as the actors are as beautiful as Zach!