Off to Mexico!

We said goodbye to Wesley this morning! We love you Elder Wride!!

I started a mission blog for him where I'll post his weekly emails - nothing on it yet, but it is on my list to catch up there posting his mission call opening and things like his departure today. We went to bed at like 9 last night, which was good cause Wes was up at 3:30 to pack. He didn't pack last night, cause he said he didn't know what he would want to use in the morning, so he preferred to wake up early and pack. He woke me up when he came into ANK's room looking for tweezers (I was in there with K) and then around 4:30 he asked me if I could help him finish packing. So I got up and we got to work, finishing his laundry and fitting everything int his suitcases. They seem to still have room for any books that he'll get at the MTC. We woke up everyone at 5:30, and headed to the cars right around 6, good job team!

Corey and I drove, I had Wes in my car with NODPK. We listened to my Gospel - Get Pumped! playlist, which only has two songs, so first it was the Tabernacle Choir singing How Firm a Foundation, love it, and then it was Everfound "God of the Impossible" which is also one of my downhill biking songs. I came across the God of the Impossible song back in 2022 when I taught about David and Goliath during our Old Testament Adult Sunday School class. I found this David and Goliath youtube video (from a Brazil tv series called Rei Davi) and I loved the David in it! And his confident walk down to confront Goliath. In my head, they got the clip right through 1:48 when the sword fight starts... I've never thought of them having a sword/spear fight first, so I thought it was kinda funny. Esp 2:45 made me laugh! But I get it, you gotta increase the story line. Personally I think David just got him with the stones right away and from a safe distance. Anyway, I still like the video and I really like the song. :) As we listened to it, Wesley said "I just got chills..." I thought a lot of the lyrics were appropriate for the moment we were entering - "Just a boy... I'm ready to go! I'm ready to go!!!" and in a blessing Wesley received he was counseled, on his mission, to leave all personal affairs behind "I won't look back..."

Just a boy with a sling and a stone,
But the heart of a lion dared him to go.
To hear the sound of the cynical,
Die out with the sound of the giant's fall.

Ohhh, oh ohh!
I dare to believe in incredible things.
Ohhh, oh ohh!
I'm ready to go, I'm ready to gooo-oh!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't look back, cause I was made
To be a part, of the, imposs-ible!
You're God, of the, imposs-ible!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't back down, cause I believe
You are the God, of the, imposs-ible!
Here, I, am, send me!

Empty bones and a thirsty soul,
Dreamin' for more than the life I have known.
'Til I tasted a burning coal,
And my guilt was erased, and my sin was atoned!

Ohhh, oh ohh!
I dare to believe in incredible things.
Ohhh, oh ohh!
I'm ready to go, I'm ready to gooo-oh!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't look back, cause I was made
To be a part, of the, imposs-ible!
You're God, of the, imposs-ible!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't back down, cause I believe
You are the God, of the, imposs-ible!
Here, I, am, send me!

Ohhh, oh ohh!
I dare to believe in incredible things.
Ohhh, oh ohh!
Cause you're the God of the impossible.

Ohhh, oh ohh!
I dare to believe in incredible things.
Ohhh, oh ohh!
I'm ready to go, I'm ready to gooo-oh!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't look back, cause I was made
To be a part, of the, imposs-ible!
You're God, of the, imposs-ible!

Here I am! Lord send me!
I won't back down, cause I believe
You are the God, of the, imposs-ible!
Here, I, am, send me!

Send me!
(Send me!)
Send me!

Here he is! At the airport! We're sending him off, with trust in God that we will meet again at the end of his mission. Peter hurt his pinky toe the night before, and it hurt to walk, so Wes gave him a luggage ride. 

Getting closer. Wes is our first missionary that has had all his siblings come to the airport (not by choice of our previous missionaries, it was our choice and cause of covid)

Checking luggage.

Ok! Well, that's the last thing... he needs to go through security now, so this is where we all say goodbye. A nice airport person took the group photo for us, then Wes gave hugs all around. Corey got a video that I shall try to remember to upload to his youtube channel. 

I was ok until I saw Corey crying, and Corey started crying as Wes gave Peter a hug and squatted down to explain to him again what was going to happen. "I'm going to go on my mission now, but I'll be back in two years when you are 7! It will feel like a long time, but I need to go teach people about Jesus and I'll come back and I'm going to be so excited to see you!" As Wesley talked, Peter stood very straight, nodding his head with his eyes very open and not blinking, like he was trying to take in and remember the instructions. Then we waved and he backed up and walked away.

We stood around for a few minutes, trying to see if there was anywhere that we could see people after they passed through security, but it was all blocked off. And then I decided I'd take Peter and we'd walk toward the security line to see if we could see him. He was just coming up to the turn, so Peter was able to sneak in one last hug!

And he looked a little sad as we walked out, but Peter's always had those tear drop Precious Moment child eyes. 

And then we headed home. Corey took ALS to school, I took NODPK home for breakfast and then they made it to safety patrol and to the bus in plenty of time. And then Peter had some hardship ice cream. 

We'll take it a day at a time. I was going through a bin of Wesley's discarded clothes and I found his SBO sweater in the pile. I'm going to keep that one for him to keep. I put it on cause it's cold in the basement. And Corey worked late tonight. So I went on a slow walk outside while I had the chance. Cried a little bit as I looked at the stars. A lot of emotions, it is a bittersweet day. We're excited for Wes. This was our last day being with Wesley the teen. He's going to come back a 20 year old and with a life's worth of experience in a short 2 years. He's going to do great things for the Lord.