Called To Serve...Sweet Precious

 

This past week was Spring Break for The "Aggie" Darlings.

 Oh...I was thrilled to have them come home and just be here with us.

 What a treat for the Mom;) They stopped off in Mesa, so PreShie could have another

surgery on her mouth...I think this is the third...possibly fourth. BUT, she can now see the

light at the end of the tunnel and all of her mouth "drama" should be over in the

next two months! Anyway...after spending a couple of days with the Grandparents S.

 they headed home. We ate way too much! We stayed up talking...we had family gatherings...

we had a wonderful time.

 

 

The Aggie cousin group planned to leave Saturday to return to Logan and

 Friday morning PreShies mission call showed up! We just figured her "lost" call would

 arrived next week in Logan. We never expected that it would actually arrive in Mexico,

while she was here...what are the odds! It was just meant to be;)

The moment the Bishop dropped off her call, we began contacting family to

let them know that she would be opening it that evening. Evening came...

the family gathered...The Grandparents S. joined us on Skype...

and then it was time...

 

 

With all eyes on her...she carefully opened the large white

envelope that was addressed to Sister Victoria Jones...

 

Called to Serve...

California Sacramento Mission

Reporting July 2

English Speaking

 

 

I am so grateful that she was home for this amazing moment...

and that it was shared with family and friends who love her so much.

 I am so grateful for our Precious! She has been a great blessing to me,

her mother and to her whole family. She loves life and has a deep sense of spirituality.

 She will be an amazing missionary! I love her sense of duty in following in the

footsteps of grandmothers who have gone before her. I love her sense of family.

She is an amazing young lady. Here's to our beautiful Precious!

The soon to be...Sister Jones!

I love you very much PreShie!!

 

Elder

Things are changing very fast around here.

Just a few weeks until graduation.....then a Summer filled with activities...

and then The Boy is off to England.  It sounds easy enough, but when you actually take a look a our calendar...that already is full....more activities keep popping up. It will be a busy time for us.

Sunday evening the family gathered again...this time to support The Boy in his new Priesthood assignment.

He was ordained an Elder.

Surrounded by his Grandfather, many of his Uncles...and a couple of dear friends who are like

brothers to him...The Farmer gave The Boy a beautiful blessing with promises,

words of encouragement and counsel.

The cousins were there to support The Boy...he is currently the Head Cousin...but that will

soon change and another will take his place;)

(We need a Head Cousin to help keep the Cousin Mob headed in the right direction)

The Boy was blessed to have both of his Grandmother's there with him.

Three dear friends....future missionaries...one will go to Equador...another to Mexico,

and The Boy to England.  They are sharing this experience together.

Although things are changing so fast, we are thrilled for the future and the experiences

that are ahead for The Boy!

Where In The World Is Elder Jones Going?????

April 1st was the day he pressed send.

The Boy's missionary papers have been done for quite a while....but April 1st was his day.

His Stake President....(a.k.a. The Farmer)....prepared the final details of the papers while

working from our home office....when done...he paused....looked at me and said...

"I guess it is time to lay Isaac on the altar....." and he pressed "send."

The Boy is ready......I am not so sure about his parents, although there is no where else we

would rather have him. It thrills me that he isn't resisting this experience in any way....

The Boy is ready for the next step in his life.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted what I asked of Him...."

This scripture hangs in my home....it speaks to me. It was not easy for us to have our

children....each one was a miracle....each one required many prayers...and not

a day passes that I remember that. My heart understands just a little of what Hannah may have

felt as she pleaded with the Lord for a child....and when he arrived...he took him to the

temple and left him to be taught and trained. Each year she visited him and took him a coat that she had made for him and expressed gratitude to the Lord for him. And so it is now

our turn to leave Our Boy at the "temple." He is our firstborn....he has lead us on this path

of parenthood, where very often we had no idea what our next step would be. We

have shed tears....we have laughed....we have loved......we have experienced most every emotion

known to man....with this Boy. We are so excited for him and grateful that he has

chosen to serve.

In the entry of our home is a large map that we have invited everyone in the community and

in our family to place a pin....to guess where The Boy will be called to serve. It has been

really fun to hear the comments. I don't really have any idea where he will go...and really

it doesn't matter....just that he will serve. But my prediction is the Samoan Islands....I don't

know why......The Farmer says Brazil....PreShie says Argentina....The Rooster first said

Lybia....and then changed his guess to somewhere in Africa. The Boy's best cousin...who is

serving in Argentina right now, wrote home and gave his prediction....and it went something

like this.....The Boy will serve in Argentina....and Cousin B. will be his trainer...and he said...

"This is just how it is going to be!" well....it won't work quite like that but it was

a sweet thought. We have the Postmaster in Columbus, NM. on alert....when The Boy's

call arrives....the Postmaster will call us and we will go and pick it up...2 1/2 hours away.

We will all gather as he opens his call and I am sure we will shed many tears.

I wouldn't want it any other way!

*****please post your predictions and I will post them on our map!*****

Wednesday....And...A Great Recipe!

My Wednesday began with bread.

Well, that was after breakfast was made....lunches were made and The Darlings put

on the bus. Then it was bread....rolls....6 dozen of them

Wednesay was "Miericoles Missional" at the JSA.

The first....or second this month...Wednesday of each month the Future Missionaries in the

Senior class are treated to a wonderful lunch at the Director's home. It is something new

that has been started this year and it is fantastic! After lunch, young men are treated to

encouraging words from a priesthood leader, and then more uplifting words from a

former mission president. Each month I can see in the eyes of the young men....more and more

resolve. They are "becoming" the colony missionaries that they are been raised to be.

My tears are too frequent these days....everything in our home is revolving around mission

papers at the moment. It is coming very fast!

Yesterday day The Farmer shared a tender experience from an conference talk given in April

of 2010....HERE.....

"The Divine Call of a Missionary" by Elder Rasband.

In this talk he explains step by step just how a missionary is assigned to the mission he is called. And I wept.

Actually when I read it the first time...I cried like a Mom who is sending her Boy off

for two years...to who knows where. I cried again as The Farmer carefully explained this sacred

process to these great young men. I try really hard not to cry in front of The Boy....I want to

lend him all the strength I have right now....this is a sacry time of life.

But he is actually the one hugs me tight and tells me everything will be okay.
The missionary meetings are inspired! As a Mom, I am so grateful for attentative

Priesthood leaders who carefully hold these young men under their protective wings...

preparing them...to fly.

Very Tasty...No Fail Rolls

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. warm milk

1 egg, silghtly beaten

1/3 c. butter, softened

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. salt

3 3/4 c. flour

2 1/2 t. yeast

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Activate yeast in water, milk and sugar mixture. When yeast is good and bubbly add butter, beaten egg, flour and salt and mix. I put everything into

my Kitchen Aid mixer and let it go. Let it mix until a soft dough forms.

Next, divide dough into two equal parts. Roll each part into a circle, spread more butter onto

circle, cut into wedges and roll from the outside in forming a cresent. Let raise, and then

bake for 10-12 minutes.



The rolls were a hit at the missionary luncheon....that made me happy!

Bro. Cluff and his wife Mona, the Director of the JSA, Pres. Romney and his wife Silvia,

The former Mission President speaker....Rick Jones and his wife Lynnette (not pictured)

The Farmer (a.k.a. the Stake President) also in attendance were the seminary teachers.


And here they are! The 2011 Colony Missionaries.

23 out of the 25 were present yesterday.

They looked so handsome in their white shirts and ties!


On our way home....another stop at "The Farm" to once again check the trees....

and this is what we found....

The blooming has started. In another week, this whole area will have a hue of pink

over it, and for about another week or so, it will be fantastically beautiful!

We sure can use a little color around here....it is a bit drab and brown.

THE Papers.....

The weekend started out looking like this.....

And very quickly turned out looking like this.....

The Boy's missionary "papers" are nearly complete.

We spent Friday morning getting x-rays, blood work, shots and

papers signed by the Dr. who says The Boy is physically ready for a mission.

One of The Boy's dear friends...since they were toddlers....Dane,

also joined us for Fridays mission prep events. I think the best part was the two young men

getting their shots up to date...and the extreem joy that was shown by the nurse who

administred the shot. She had way too much fun!

Just a couple of more steps and the papers will be on their way....that is if The Boy

can catch a moment with the Stake President;)

(a.k.a The Farmer)

Our lives are full of missionaries right now....

They are often in our home....the talk to The Boy daily and he is very often giving them

rides to where they need to go. I am grateful for them, for their presence in his life

right now, they are allowing him a glimpse into his near future. I am praying for

lots of strengh right now.....I don't want to cry too much...but it is hard. I was doing great until

I ready this article......HERE......about a family who just said good-bye to their son

for two years. The pictures are so tender...you can feel the emotions of the family.

The Boy has some great experiences headed his way....