5 Things to Remember When Your Missionary is Leaving Home
Well we dropped Elder Anderson off at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah on Wednesday. We are excited for him and a little sad for us. He will receive 3 weeks of training at the MTC and then will head to Ohio for two years.
Two years! That is a long time to be away from your family for the first time. I remember serving a mission and being excited to go and make a difference in the world. The first week went by really slow and then it sped up and then it was over before I knew it.
Here are some 5 Things to Remember when your Child Leaves on Mission:
1. Remember the WHY
He will so an awesome job teaching people the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told us the night before he left that if he didn't know the gospel was true there is no way he would leave us for two years. Truly, it would be too hard.
2. Remember This is A Good Place to Be
Might I add from a mom's perspective that there is no way I'd let him go for two years with only 4 phone calls allowed if I didn't know this is where God wants him to be right now. He could be doing something WAY worse. A mission is a good place to be.
3. Let Go and Let God
It is interesting to be looking at missions from a mom's perspective now. One of my primary roles for the past almost 19 or so years has been to make sure he is taken care of, fed, clothed, hugged, loved, protected and nurtured. And now, suddenly that isn't my responsibility anymore. I have to give him to God. AND IT IS HARD!
God has given us family members a measure of peace in the days since he left and so I have to "let go and let God."
4. He was God's before He was Mine
Jordan was God's son before he was ever my son, and I know I can trust God to help him through the next two years (and help me too). God knows my son better than I do, and I can try to hold back my tears and let God have him again.
5. Learning Life Lessons
It isn't going to be easy, but I also know that it will be good for him to learn to rely on God in good times and bad. Mom and dad aren't always going to be there, but God will. He will have ups and downs and God will be there with him through it all.
Conclusion
My sweet daughter Noelle prayed the last week, "Bless that we will be excited for Jordan to go on his mission and not sad." Yup! I just gotta have faith, be excited, and hang in there.
