Change

Our dear sweet missionaries had transfers today.  We knew this was coming.  We knew they would receive a call Saturday evening from the mission president telling them who was leaving and where they'd be going.  So it's not like we weren't prepared.  But, honestly, we (the entire ward) had been sort of mentally and emotionally preparing to lose Elder Christensen, not Elder Saenger.   Elder Christensen has been in the Allen 1st Ward since August, so each time a transfer date comes up, we expect it to be him.  But once again, he gets to stay…and we are all secretly breathing a sigh of relief about that because he's awesome.

We have had a lot of missionaries come through our home.  Some of them make a huge impression and others just pass through.  These two have left a lasting impression for sure.  They are great young men individually, but they also made a great companionship.  It's so amazing to see two 20ish boys come together not knowing a single thing about each other, and potentially not having a single thing in common, but still be able to form an effective and spiritual partnership.  Elder Saenger and Elder Christensen made a really good team.  I would have loved it if they had both gotten to stay.  Their spiritual thoughts and their object lessons were a great opportunity for our kids to learn about the gospel and to feel the spirit in our home.  They have also gotten so excited about sharing their faith with friends at school and people that they meet.  Elder Christensen and Elder Saenger have been great examples of how amazing missionary work can be.

But…as I have to keep reminding myself and the teenagers around me…change is good.  Change helps us learn and grow.  This change will bring new opportunities for both of these missionaries and for the wards in which they serve.  We're excited to meet Elder Christensen's new companion this week and we hope he likes us as much as his companion does.  

I'm so grateful that these missionaries feel so comfortable here, that we live in an area where we can interact with them regularly and often, and that my kids have been able to see the influence great missionaries can be.  We will miss Elder Saenger so much, but we know that he'll be a great missionary in the Little Elm area for the last four months of his mission.  And we look forward to hearing from him after he gets back home.  

Skype

I started to include this in the other post I wrote about Christmas, but it sort of requires it's own space.  

I have a special place in my heart for missionaries.  I don't know if it's because I love that 18-21 year old age.  Or if it's because I know so many people who have children serving missions.  Or if it's because I can feel the impending departure of my own little missionaries in a few short years.  But whatever it is, I am drawn to these amazing kids.  I love having them in our home.  I love watching them bring the Spirit into places where it has not been before.  And I love watching them mature and change in the short time we have them in our ward.  

We don't always get as attached to missionaries as we have become with this particular companionship, but we always include our house on their regular dinner calendar.  The two currently serving in our ward are Elder Christensen (from Utah) and Elder Saenger (from Oregon.)  We discovered Elder Christensen in September just after school started.  His companion at the time was Elder Wilbur (also from Utah.)  We instantly connected with both of those missionaries and soon became a regular stop for them at least a couple of times a week.  Elder Wilbur was transferred to East Texas at the beginning of November and replaced with Elder Saenger.  We love him as much as we loved Elder Wilbur.  These two boys have totally become part of our family.

Missionaries in our Church serve for 18 months if they are girls, or 2 years if they are boys, with very little contact with their families.  They are asked to leave home, forget themselves, and work daily to teach the gospel to people who have not had a chance to hear it yet.  Most of these missionaries are called to serve in places far from where they live, where they may or may not have ever traveled or even heard of before, and sometimes to speak a foreign language.  They get to email their families once a week, and Skype (or call if they are serving in a remote area) twice a year (Mother's Day and Christmas.)  

That's why we put ourselves on the missionary calendar in October!  There is nothing like being a tiny part of that reunion between a missionary and his or her family.  It makes me cry every single time I think about those sweet families who anxiously await their semi-annual phone call from their missionaries.  I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to not get to hear my children's voices on a daily basis, and only communicate with them via weekly email.  I am in awe of the parents who send their children out and the sacrifices they make so that their kids can be successful missionaries.  And I'm so happy to connect in just a small way with the families of these two amazing missionaries. 

After we carved out a little personal space for each of them and got them connected on two different iPads, they talked to their families for almost 2 1/2 hours (which was probably a lot longer than they were advised, but we didn't really enforce a time limit.)  We snuck these pictures just after we had given them a 10 minute warning for dinner.   That's Elder Christensen in what used to be Emma's room but is being transformed (slowly) into McKay's room.



And this is Elder Saegner trying to be patient with the constant flow of girls into Craig's office reminding him that dinner was happening soon.  :)

When they emerged out of the little spaces we gave them, those two missionaries were absolutely glowy!  One of them has been out for 18 months and the other has only been out for 6, so it was interesting to talk to each of them about how they felt talking to their families.  Both were so uplifted and encouraged.  Both were unbelievably relieved and happy to have connected almost face to face with their families.  And both were motivated to get back out and work hard to do what their families sent them out to do!  I loved that we got to experience that from behind the scenes.  It was a little bit like inviting their sweet families into our home for a few hours.  We love Elder Christensen and Elder Saenger and we are so grateful for all that they do and all that their families have done to make it possible for them to be here.

We could not have asked for a better Christmas opportunity than to have these two missionaries in our home talking to their families on Christmas Day.  
 

Snow Days

We've had an unexpectedly long weekend.  It started raining on Thursday night, and the temperature dropped quickly, so we knew there would be some ice and a little snow.  Texas is not equipped for ice and snow.  So they cancel things.  Emma's Little Mermaid shows on Thursday and Friday night were the first things to be cancelled.  Then Seminary.  Then school.  

On Friday morning, we woke up to this beautiful sight…and the snow/freezing rain kept coming down through the morning.  We knew we wouldn't be going anywhere.

We spent the day in jammies, pulled together a hot chocolate bar and invited some frozen missionaries to come over to warm up.  Fortunately their apartment is within walking distance.

They happily and gratefully took us up on our offer.  And stayed for the rest of the day.  

 And came back the next day…

And the next…

For three straight days, we played games, ate food, colored pictures, baked sugar cookies and empanadas, decorated my house for Christmas, and just hung out…TOGETHER.  Not once did Savannah retreat to the privacy of her bedroom, not once did Emma get mad and slam any doors or complain that there was nothing to do.  Not once did we run out of things to keep everyone happy and entertained.  And not once did we run out of food…which was pretty miraculous because these kids can EAT!

I loved this weekend.  I loved that despite the most well thought out and organized plans, we were forced to toss our calendars and schedules out the window and do something totally different.  There were so many times this weekend that I looked at my family and my heart swelled with gratitude that they love each other, they love us, and they love these two missionaries.  I'm so grateful for a snowy, icy weekend that helped us all bond together a little more tightly than before.  

Our three-day weekend extended into a four-day weekend because there was lingering ice on the roads yesterday and school was cancelled again, but today the sun is coming out, things are beginning to thaw, and everyone is safely back at school and work.  As we jump right back into a full schedule of things that have now carried over into this week, I am so grateful to have had that precious 72 hours filled with unscheduled togetherness.  

Missionaries

We have an amazing pair of missionaries currently serving in our ward.  They have been with us for several months so we've seen them struggle to find a balance between their very different personalities and learn to work together and appreciate one another.  They have been to our house for dinner a number of times and they now feel comfortable enough to just drop by when they're in the neighborhood.  And we love that.

Tonight they scheduled an appointment to come over and practice teaching a lesson with us for Family Night.  I've always wondered if they really need the practice, or if they're encouraged to do this because it strengthens the members so much.  Either way, it was a lovely lesson and a wonderful way to spend a Family Home Evening.  

The Elders taught a very simple concept of building the Church on a solid foundation of Jesus Christ and his teachings.  They used Dixie cups stacked in various configurations to illustrate this and testified of the Savior's divine plan and organization of His Church as well as the importance of baptism, repentance and faith.  

A few times there were cups that didn't stay upright or one of the missionaries would forget a piece of the lesson.  It wasn't perfect, but I had an overwhelming feeling as they were teaching, that the details and imperfections didn't matter nearly as much as the truthfulness of their message and the Spirit that was helping them deliver it.  And I had an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude for these two boys.

In Conference earlier this month, Elder Rusell M. Ballard spoke about missionaries and said, "The Light of Christ radiates in their faces, and they are eager to move the work forward - to find and teach, to baptize, to activate, and to strengthen and to build the kingdom of God.  Meeting with them, one quickly comes to know, however, that they cannot do this work alone.  There is an urgency for each one of us to be engaged in sharing the gospel."

I love these missionaries as I have loved all of the missionaries who have served in our ward.  That Light of Christ that Elder Ballard talked about is definitely apparent in these two boys.  Their excitement about the gospel is contagious.  And their enthusiasm has helped us to be a little more willing to share what we know and to invite people to listen to their message.  

Transfers are coming up this week, which means that one or both of them will be relocated to a different area within the mission and we won't get to interact with them as much, which makes all of us sad.  Change is hard but necessary.  The next companionship will be great, I'm sure, and we will come to love them as much as we have loved Elder Christensen and Elder Wilbur.  I am amazed at how much they've changed in just the short 6 or 7 months that they've been in Allen.  And I am amazed at the impact they have had on the families in the ward and the people in the area.  

I love the missionary program.  I love the young men and women who leave behind the things they know and the families they love to go to parts of the world they've sometimes never even heard of to teach the gospel in languages they've sometimes never spoken.  And I love the families who support them.  I hope the Christensens and Wilburs know how amazing these two boys are and how grateful we are that we've gotten to know them.

The Field is White...

Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.  Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.  Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  Amen.   (D&C 4)

Last weekend, a friend mentioned to The Scout Master that since the wheat in our area was starting to look "white already to harvest," he might want to gather all of his Deacons Quorum, dressed in white shirts and ties, and convince his aspiring photographer wife to go out and get a few pictures of them.  I LOVED that idea.  So, after some prodding, the Scout Master sent a mass email out to all the boys' parents asking them to show up in this particular wheat field at 10:30am before church today to have some pictures taken.  

We showed up a little early with some extra lenses, a ladder and a model (for test pictures.)

These little wheat fields are on just about every corner in Allen, and while they look vast in these pictures, they really are just about a block wide.  With the ladder, though, it made them look like they went on for miles and miles.  

My friend, Amy brought her family a little early, too, to get some family shots, so I took some test pictures of them, too.  

Look at this gorgeous girl!  Is she totally stunning in this picture, or what!?  She is so beautiful and glowy that I had to catch my breath a little when I saw this.  LOVE it!  LOVE her!  Amazing future missionary, for sure!  I think this was the best picture of the day.  

When the boys got there, we took some individual shots of them and then some group shots with the Scout Master.  These are such amazing kids.  I can't even tell you how much I love these boys, and all the other boys who came before them and who have now graduated on to become Teachers and Priests.  If I had had my choice, they would have all been in this field.  

And then, since there happened to be an ACTUAL missionary with us (well, soon...he leaves in July) we took some pictures of him, too.  Isn't he so cute?  He's going to be such an amazing missionary.  I can't wait to hear his reports from the Dominican Republic.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed spending the morning in this giant wheat field with a bunch of teenage boys practicing my photography skills.  I'm so grateful for that man who suggested we do this.  I'm grateful for surprising wheat fields in Allen.  And I'm grateful for these little future missionaries who hopefully caught a glimpse of who they can become in the very near future.  

Mother's Day

Here's how my day started...

flowers from McKay

a card from Craig, but made by Emma because he couldn't find anything good at the store

a green smoothie made by Savannah and Megan

everyone ready on time for church...hooray! 

After church, we found these things leftover from the party last night, so we HAD to use them!

And here was the best part of the day...

Twice a year, on Christmas and Mother's Day, the full time missionaries in our church get to call their parents via Skype and connect with their families.  The missionaries in our ward had made arrangements to go somewhere and call their moms today, but plans fell through.  We happened to have Skype at our house.  We also happened to have tons of food since the Scout Master did all the grocery shopping yesterday.  I happened to have the table set for 8.  And we happened to have no special plans after church.  So we invited the missionaries to come over for dinner and Skyping.

I can't tell you how overwhelming it was for me to listen to these two sweet boys talk to their families.  Elder Pruitt's family was SO excited.  He had cousins and siblings and a whole boatload of family gathered at his house to talk to him.  And Elder Maldonado's family was just as cute.  I overheard his grandma ask him if he was eating well and tell him that she would make sure he always had enough money in his account so he didn't have to starve.  (...sniff..)

They talked to their families for an hour and a half!  So I took a much needed Mother's Day nap while we waited for them to come back downstairs.  

And they emerged so grateful and happy that they had the chance to hear familiar voices just for a little while.  I so wanted to hug those boys and run back up there and tell their families how awesome they both are.  What an amazing experience to get to overhear these two boys who work so hard, who eat, sleep, and breathe the gospel of Jesus Christ, telling their families about their awesome (and some not so awesome) experiences in the mission field.  I love missionaries.  And when I have one out on Mother's Day, I hope some nice family will invite him (or her) over for dinner and let them call me.  I'm totally gonna be a mess.  I don't know how they do it.  Parents with missionaries are as amazing to me as the missionaries themselves.  

I loved today.  I love the mothers in my life.  I loved listening to those missionary moms.  And I love that we belong to this incredible church that provides opportunities like this for all of us to learn, and testify, and grow, and transform.   

Happy Mother's Day...especially if you have a missionary out serving in the mission field right now.  I think you're amazing!  <3

Homecoming

Saturday was a BIG day for us!  First, the Connemara Eagle project in the morning, then a baseball game scheduled for McKay's team at 4:00pm.  We also had a little friend of his over for a few hours before the game.  And right in the middle of all of that, I blasted out a text to my sister-in-law, Nance, who was expecting her missionary son to come home from his two-year service in the Cuernavaca Mexico Mission.  We knew he would be arriving in SLC sometime Saturday night, and I knew that she had so much to do that I thought I'd just quickly send out a little love via iPhone.  

Here's the response she sent back...

  
We had to move a couple of small mountains to get all 6 of us to the airport on time, but we did it!  The Customs line took a little longer than any of us expected, which was a huge blessing actually because we had no way of getting in touch with him to let him know we were there.  So, we waited...mostly patiently...

...some of the elderly and bored in our crowd found ways to pass the time...

and finally...after about an hour, Elder Thunell finally appeared through the doors...

I'm so sorry it's blurry, but we were all jumping up and down...

Tyler was shocked to see us, and we were all so excited, I'm sure we caused quite a scene.  I don't know how many missionary almost-homecomings the people in the DFW airport get to witness.  

We took Tyler to the closest place with food that we could find, and we sat in a giant circle around him peppering him with questions about Mexico.

He was pretty excited about the food, though, so we slowed our questions long enough for him to take a few bites.  He was so cute raving about how beautiful everything was and how good American food tasted after being in a foreign country for two years.  He also went on and on about how big our kids have gotten since he left.  

He had the most adorable Spanish accent and had trouble sometimes remembering the English words for things.  He told us some great mission stories and shared his sweet testimony, and left us with these little facts... 

Fun Facts about Mexico

1.  They DO NOT use utensils there.  They just use their hands and tortillas to scoop everything up.    

2.  Instead of a Tooth Fairy, they have a Tooth Rat.  (hmmm...I can't really picture that in my very-American head) 

3.  There are NO speed limits in Mexico.  

4.  Iguanas are food there. 

and this was my favorite... 

5.  "You get used to eating eyeballs."

After an amazing, leisurely dinner, we took Tyler back through security and sent him off to his  REAL homecoming in SLC, and texted his parents about how awesome our hour with him had been.  

What an unexpected delight it was to be able to catch Tyler halfway between his mission and his final destination.  He had that glow-y, humble, happy demeanor that comes only after serving for two years as a missionary of the Lord.  I am so grateful that the kids all got to experience that glow and hear his love of the gospel, his love for the people of Mexico, and his love for our Savior.  There is nothing better than hanging out with a returned missionary for an hour!

Welcome home, Tyler!