The Farewell

I was fortunate to be able to fly to Boise Sept. 18th to attend my grandson Jay's missionary farewell (he is leaving for Argentia early October). Jay texted me and offered to pick me up from the airport. Jay, Melissa (his sweet friend) and I went shopping for missionary ties - oh my gosh, that was so much fun. We went several places and along with Melissa's good taste we found some nice ones. Jay is so handsome that he would look good in any color he puts on...but he did choose some pretty cool ones ;-) The last and most interesting place we visited was Peterson's ( LDS missionary clothing store) on Overland. The sales clerk really worked at selling us "the works"...but Jay's mom, Kelly had already out-smarted him and had her son all set for his mission ...but we did buy one nice tie there. After our shopping trip, Jay and Melissa took me out for lunch at Cracker Barrel....yum! That afternoon I went to my granddaughter Aubry's soccer game and then we went out to Kelly's for a wonderful BBQ that evening...and more fun. Oh my, can my daughters cook!!! I returned home with Heidi to spend the night. We got ready Sunday morning and Heidi, Dain and Aubry took me to Jay's missionary farewell at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday, while driving around shopping, etc. I had a nice conversation about (our) conversion to the LDS church with Jay and Melissa. When Charlie and I joined the church it was in 1965. There were about 2 million members and 6 temples. We were both young married for just a few years and with a 5 month old baby. We had driven from beautiful Ohio to Butte, Montana and Anaconda mines. The in-town scenery (what a shock that was for me, as I missed the beautiful & green place I was born and had lived for 24 years). But...Charlie found employment right away...and we at last had a job and food and small apt. to live in!!! Charlie's boss, Al Kohler was LDS. I had been raised with a strong belief in Jesus Christ as my savior and wanted the same for my little girl. Charlie was leaning towards not believing at all (at least he said). I had been raised in the Quaker faith ...but went to the Methodist church in town. I remember asking our Sunday School teacher once about why all the other peoples in the world hadn't heard of Jesus...and how would they (the world map was so big, and the places Jesus lived so small in comparison)? She didn't have an answer for my curious 5 yr. old mind. At fourteen, I again asked this question to our minister. He replied..."you shouldn't ask questions like that". Of course, that only fueled my curiousity. As missionarys began coming to our apartment in Butte, Montana...I really didn't want to listen (as it seemed so strange to me and I didn't want any change, I thought). About the 3rd flannel board discussion....and as I was bringing in some cookies and punch for them...they turned over the the next presentation (a map of the world)...and I knew at that point they had the answer I had been concerned about since I was a child. I also knew that all the family I had been raised around wouldn't understand (they were and are still wonderful Christians) ...why I was listening to someone else & something so apparently so different, etc. It took years...but my father came to see the true worth of things and knew we had done a wonderful thing by joining the LDS church and raising our family there. I missed home and I missed the old familiar songs and people ...just everything, as anyone can imagine if they were in that situation. We both were only 24 yrs. old. We joined the church when Kelly was about one year old and then went to the temple in Idaho Falls to be sealed as a family when Rob was about 3 months. We found a place to raise our large family and a place to "be a family". As I told Jay and Melissa this story....I could feel the spirit in the car as we drove around and got pretty emotional thinking about all of the wonderful things that had happened since those days in the l960's. Jay's farewell was wonderful. Marie gave just a wonderful talk (which I found out she had practiced for eva' ;-) Ana played the piano, oh so sweetly. Jay's talk was one of the best I'd ever heard, although I am sure if I'd had been able to attend my grandson Dallan's farewell, I would have thought the same about that. Jay is so ready to serve. He has been taught so very well by his mom and dad - they are both great examples for their children. The joy I felt as I listened to Jay was so soothing, so inspiring...and made me know...it was all so worth it. To live to see this is more than a blessing to me...it is a testimony to those "unknown" years Charlie and I lived through, and wondered about...and prayed about...that Heavenly Father truly is with us all if we just keep on trying and doing all we can in this world as we raise our children...He will see us through. Yes, bad things happen....but the joy and blessings far out-way the sad times. Each of my children have lived their lives/raised their own children just a little bit different from the others...but as I visit and observe each family...I see the same exactness too. The same sweet spirit, the same type of love, the same love of family that they all show to one another. It just doesn't get any better than that.