You have been hereby Called to Serve....

You have been called to serve in the Washington, Kennewick Mission...You should report to the MTC on June, 6 2012....You should prepare to teach the gospel in the English Language....

How exciting is that?! 

Let's rewind...

I started the day by waking up at about 9:30 (on a Saturday...) and the first thing I realized was that today was the day. Then I look at my phone to find out it's basically the crack of dawn and try and go back to sleep.

I laid there for about a half an hour and then finally realized my mind was racing and 200 miles per hour and there was no way I was going back to sleep. I got up, had breakfast then got ready for the day.

All day I was trying to keep myself busy so I wouldn't just sit there, counting down the minutes until 6. 

He already made me wait 4 days and now I have to wait for it to be 6?! 

I got more and more nervous as the hours got closer.

At 4, I went to my youngest brothers basketball game. 

We got there and I said to myself, 

"2 hours, you can do this..."

Then I sat there, checking my phone every 2 seconds to make sure for some reason I hadn't missed it.

The last 5 minutes of the game were the longest 5 minutes of my life. 

It was 5:15 and all I wanted to do was get over there!

I rushed my family out of the gym, I was so antsy.

It was lucky that I wasn't driving there because I would have been a speed demon. 

Finally at 5:30, I got to his house, was greeted by his sweet family and then waited some more.

Every one did some guessing on a map (I guessed Paris, France because I did not want him to go there and I always guess wrong.) 

Then we all just stood around talking. 

Finally at about 6:30, he grabs the call and heads over to the other room to open it. 

My heart was racing. It had been all day. I just couldn't keep it from beating so much faster than normal.

I was so anxious.

Finally, he starts cutting it open and I started shaking (This really is meant to be about him but since I don't know what he was feeling during all of this, you get my feelings.)

Ellen and Mckenzie were sitting by me, they both have missionaries as well. Mckenzie's is out already and Ellen's leaves in June as well.

They both start rubbing my back because they knew exactly how I was feeling. 

That made me more nervous.

Finally he reads the call.

"You have been hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of LAtter-day Saints. You have been assigned to labor in the Washington, Kennewick Mission.... You should report to the MTC on June 6, 2012 (Somehow he skipped over this part when he first read it... really?!) You should prepare to teach the Gospel in the English language." (He was really excited about that one.)

He was also really excited that his 2 good friends, Emerson and Taylor, who got their mission calls 2-3 months ago don't leave until June 20. 

He beats them.

But their time overlaps a week in the MTC so the three of them will be there together.

At this point, I'm in shock. I'm thrilled he's staying in the states and that I can get letters without a problem. But it is crazy insane that he leaves in 7 weeks. 

3 of those weeks we will still be in school...

Another week and a half maybe, he will be on a cruise in Alaska.

Then we have the end of May.....

That is 51 days from today. 

Holy. 

It hasn't completely set in that he is leaving for 730 days in 51 days. 

The good news is that once he leaves I can stop my countdown to when he leaves and start the one until he is back. 

Granted that one will take a little bit longer....

Don't get me wrong, I am so glad he is going sooner than later.

I would go crazy otherwise.

But how do you "say goodbye" to someone in 51 days for 2 years? 

I guess we'll find out. 

I am unbelievably proud of this boy. I'm proud of him for deciding to go. I'm proud of him for taking the initiative to get his stuff done so quickly. It took him less than 2 months from the day he told me, and as far as I'm concerned I was the first one he told, to have his papers in and the interviews done. 

Then he opened the call exactly 2 months to the day when he told me. 

I loved that. 

It made it extra special to me.

It has been so fun to see this boys attitude change, the things he takes advantage of knowing he will be gone. I've loved seeing a little bit of a different side of him. 

I loved to see him get anxious and excited to find out where he would serve the Lord.

I loved reading the letter from the First Presidency to him about serving a mission.

(Who knew they were so heartfelt?!)

I loved looking through his book that tells him what to bring, his Mission Presidents, and a ton of other information.

It was exciting. 

I loved to see him in the spotlight, surrounded by everyone who cares about him and supports his decision to be a missionary. 

I had been so overwhelmed with emotions the last week. Mostly being anxious and excited as well as being nervous and scared. 

He would bring up him leaving and I would immediately try and hold in my tears so I didn't have to look like an idiot again in front of him.

I thought about it every second of everyday.

Where would he go and how much time do I have left with him?

Now that I know both of these, I feel better. 

It is still crazy.

I can't explain it for those of you who haven't have this privilege of getting to send out a missionary.

But let me assure you that it will change your life.

It will change the way you think about missionaries and the sacrifice they make. 

Yeah, I loved missionaries before but now, it's a whole different thing.

I loved missionaries for doing the right thing and following the prophets council.

Now, in addition to that, I love them for being able to sacrifice their lives for 2 years and hardly ever think twice about it.

All missionaries, I think, will tell you it's not easy, in fact it's very hard. But they still want to do it.

That takes a certain kind of person.

I think there is a reason they ask 19 year old boys.

They are that certain kind of person.

So Mike, again, you are an incredible kid. This whole process is so exciting and I love it. It's so overwhelming but in a good way. I could not be more proud of you and I can't tell you that enough. You are that "certain kind of person" and I feel supremely blessed to have dated you for the last year... or eight... and to know that you have that in you. You will be the most amazing missionary, yeah, I might be biased but I honestly think that. I've gotten to know you a lot better than a lot of people have. From what I know and have seen, you are more than capable of doing this. Yes, it will be hard. Hard to be away from your family and friends. Hard to do the same things day after day. Maybe even hard to deal with a companion once in a while. But I am positive you can do this. You are an incredible person. Don't forget that and don't ever think you are anything less. I love you to death and I can't wait for all the other exciting things that you get to do in the next 51 days. Not to mention the 730 after that. And especially in 785 days when you are home for good. 

Congratulations (again...) and Good luck! 

I love you.