Leaving to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ for two years in Ecuador....

 

 

A goodbye photo with the nieces and nephews the day before leaving.

It's guy time to say farewell!

See you in two years Greyson!

Group hug Tues. night after the setting apart

All You Need Is Love......

Ta da, da da, da da ......

Arrive at the airport at 4:15 am Wed. morning

A few loyal siblings made the early trek.  Bethany and Natalie both know the feeling....

 

Some last good times and happy smiles

The sadness is also there too

Checking luggage

Mom and Dad photo op

Father and son......

Is the passport there?

Heading towards security - feeling a little teary

Waiting 'til the last minute to send him on

The bros do their thing one last time

Say cheese!

Time for goodbyes

A hug to last two years.......

Watching him go through security

We keep watching and waving

One more last view - he's talking to a very tall basketball player from U NM.  (The team was returning to Albuquerque).  We give one more last wave and he's finally out of site.  Time to leave.

The brother left behind walks on ahead to process by himself - he will be going next year.

It will be three years before they see each other again. 

We go home and try to find things to keep busy.  The house feels strange and empty after the months of hurried mission preparation.  We are looking at the clock and saying "He should be in Dallas by now."  or  "He's now on the plane to Mexico City."  (Where the Spanish Missionary Training Center is.)

Finally that night there's an email!!  He has arrived!!!

Hey Family! 

We arrived safe in Mexico! The MTC here is pretty awesome (not to mention the weather!). Everything went well and my stuff made it to Mexico with me. Though some were not so lucky. I'm happy to be here and am ready to serve the Lord. We have the rest of the day to unpack and eat! I miss you guys, though its not as bad as I thought. It was awesome to finally put on the name tag! It´s still very weird and strange. Oh, my companion is an Elder Mears, cool guy!  Mexico city is incredible, different, and large! I love you all, and will write you when I can with more info´(P day and stuff.).The Lord lives!

"Why do ye....notice them not?"

Beggar from the group of Saint Elisabeth. Sculpture by Rudolf Moroder, polychromed by Christian Delago

In the closing chapters of the Book of Mormon,  Moroni is talking to believers in our day and pleading with us to take a look at ourselves and our circumstances.  He poses this very pointed question:

 " Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?"

Each time I read that verse it gives me definite pause.  I wonder how I and each of us will answer that question when we met Moroni before the "pleasing bar of the great Jehovah."  

Ref: Mormon 8:39  and Moroni 10:34

Forbes Thought Of The Day

“ A man is about as big as the things that make him angry. ”

— Winston Churchill

Choice....

Learning by Faith

Quotes from Lorenzo Snow:

"In this system of religion that you and I have received there is something grand and glorious, and something new to learn every day, that is of great value. And it is not only our privilege but it is necessary that we receive these things and gather these new ideas."

"The whole idea of Mormonism is improvement—mentally, physically, morally and spiritually. No half-way education suffices for the Latter-day Saint."

"There are some who do not learn, and who do not improve as fast as they might, because their eyes and their hearts are not upon God; they do not reflect, neither do they have that knowledge which they might have; they miss a good deal which they might receive. We have got to obtain knowledge before we obtain permanent happiness; we have got to be wide awake in the things of God."

"Though we may now neglect to improve our time, to brighten up our intellectual faculties, we shall be obliged to improve them sometime. We have got so much ground to walk over, and if we fail to travel to-day, we shall have so much more to travel to-morrow."

Interesting thought....

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."”
--Isaac Asimov


Worth thinking about as long as we are willing to apply humility to our knowledge.

Vote for Nat!

Natalie Hall bathroom design

Natalie is one of the finalist in the Dal Tile ASID student design competition.  The top ten receive a $1000 scholarship.  You can vote once a day for her project through Dec. 18.  Dal Tile ASID Contest/Facebook.  One vote per computer.  Thanks!!!