EMAIL TO MOM: WEEK 1

I sent two emails to T this week.  We had no idea when his pday would be so we just had to wait and see when we heard from him. 

 

Email #1

 

Dear Mom,

 

Yeah I miss you a great deal too and that phone idea was a great idea by the way. It really is weird not waking up and seeing you every day. But that´s awesome about facebook and Afton Perry. If possible, please tell everyone how grateful I am for them doing that for me. It meant a lot to me and it was awesome. (Referring to the neighborhood send off.)

 

The MTC is very nice. Outside of the MTC, it is a totally different world! But the people here are so nice and caring and it´s nice to know that we are living in a good part of Mexico. My room is basically like the room of a cabin and my companion is a little different but we get along pretty well. I also have been trying to take a lot of pictures but the President only wants us to take pictures on P-day.

 

I am thinking of you as well and love you just as much!!!

 

Lots of love!

Taylor

 

Oh and please let everyone know that I can´t send any hand written mail so all my responses will be by email. Thank you

 

 

Email #2:

 

I am sorry that this email will be so short but I don´t have a lot of time to write right now but I will do better when I have time. Good luck with everything!

Things are great down here!! I like my roommates the most! We are all so easy to get along with and we have had some great laughs and what not. What I like the least is how poopy my Spanish is. The food is sooo goood! It´s real Mexican food and I love it! My P-day is on Tuesday and it is the only day that I can email unfortunately and I have very limited time. 

 

I love you more than anything! Thanks for all the prayers. There are some coming your way too.

 

Love you!!

Elder Davis

1st EMAIL HOME

Well, I made it to Mexico safe and sound :) I miss all of you already!!  Luckily, we were able to email home tonight.
 
The flights were great.  I had window seats on both flights.  On my flight to Mexico, I sat next to a Catholic man and we had an interesting talk about the gospel.

 

I have already made a few friends and have received my name tag and my "house". You wouldn`t believe how crazy the road is for driving down here!  If you think Utah drivers are bad, you should see them down here!  

 

Anyways, I just wanted to tell that I made it to my "home" for the next 6 weeks and I am enjoying it already.  We have just had dinner and put our bags in our rooms. 

    

It has been said that I am able to use this email to communicate with anyone that I want so spread the word and let everyone know my email. Especially Christine.

 

 I love and miss you guys and I am excited to be able to write you and start the work for Heavenly Father :)

 

-With Love, Elder Davis

TRAVEL TO THE MTC

When we left the airport I was broken.  I didn't know how I was ever going to survive the next two years without T.  Being the overprotective Mom that I am I had a brilliant idea a few days ago.  I purchased a cheap go-phone so T could call and let us know when he had arrived in Dallas and also when he arrived in Mexico.  Best idea EVER! 

When he called from Dallas he said he had a great flight, was hurrying to the next gate with several other missionaries, and was going to grab some lunch before he boarded his next flight to Mexico.  It was one of the best phone calls EVER!  He sounded so happy!  That was just what I needed to make this all ok.

My cousin, Logan had also hooked me up with a website which tracks flights so I was able to follow T's flight minute by minute and see where he was, when he arrived at the gate, when he deboarded.  I spent the afternoon glued to my computer.  Updating the fight tracking site every so often.  It brought me such great peace to know where T was. 

Shortly after deboarding in Mexico I received this text "I made it. I LOVE YOU!" I tried calling him, but never got an answer. I figured he had made it to the MTC and thrown the phone away and I was okay with that.

Later that evening I got this text, "Thanks momma. It is going great. Check your email and have pops check his gmail. Love you so much!" I text back and asked if he was now at the MTC and he responded he was. Then I got this text, "I actually should probably not use this anymore. Just emails for now on ok? I love you!" And that was it. My boy had arrived at the Mexico MTC!

OFF TO THE MTC

What a bittersweet morning! My son is off to serve the Lord 24/7 for the next 2 years. This is a day I have dreamed about, yet dreaded.  We have spent more time together in his short eighteen years than most parents and children probably do in their entire lifetimes.  We have shared one another's trials, sorrows, joys, tears, laughter and pain.  T is one of my very best friends and I am going to miss him.  HUGE!  Yet, I know he is doing what I want him to do, and most importantly what HE wants to do and what the Lord wants him to do. 

Yesterday he asked for his last homemade meal to be biscuits and gravy and I obliged.  He had a hearty helping of the leftovers this morning for breakfast...at 5 a.m.  Our young men president, Bro. Liffereth knocked on our door around 5:15.  He wanted to see T one last time.  He brought him a gift...two awesome ties.  One bright colored (which the momma had said T needed) and one with a U of U logo on it.  (Which besides coming to see this boy at 5 a.m., shows how much he loves T, because he is a die hard BYU fan.)

We were all tears from that point on.  Bro. Liffereth has gone above and beyond since he was called to be the Young Men's president.  He made it a point to be friend T and to be there for him.  It wasn't ever about his calling.  It was about his love for this young man.  He has made an impact on our family that will never be forgotten!

After kneeling in family prayer, we loaded Taylor's belongings into the car and began our journey to the Salt Lake airport. 

We didn't get far before the tears flowed again.  Our wonderful little neighbor Courtney (age 12) had organized a farewell sendoff for T.  There were numerous ward members out on the corner holding a banner (which she, Jonah and McKenna) had made, waving goodbye and hollering "We love you" and "Good Luck Elder Davis" at 5:40 a.m.  T wanted to get out and hug them all, but his emotions got the best of him and he could only smile through his tears and wave goodbye.

Bittersweet. I sat in the back seat with T and we held hands the entire way to the airport.

T's brother Colton and his wife Shannon met us at the airport. Check in was all automated and pretty easy. Other than we were all so tired we couldn't find the right slot to scan T's passport. There were numerous other missionaries there, setting out on their journey's.

 

Once the bags were checked we were able to stand and visit and say our goodbye's. T was excited and a little bit nervous, which began to throw him into a Colitis flare up. We talked about how much he wanted this and how everything would be fine. He seemed to settle down a bit after that and was okay.

 We amused ourselves by translating some of our favorite sayings into Spanish.

 

 It wasn't so amusing when it was time to say goodbye!

 

It was so hard to say goodbye! Much harder than I ever expected. I know he is going to be so happy, but it is still hard. He made his way to the security area and we all had a laugh when he entered the elderly and handicapped line, then had to get out and go to the proper line! That's our T, gotta make us laugh while we cry. We watched him go through security and then gather his things and head for his gate. Once through security he never looked back.

That's my boy! Focused on his goal. Off to proclaim the gospel!

 

A SPECIAL NOTE

It is with permission from the sender of this card that I make this post.  Three days after T's mission farewell address, a sweet family in our ward lost their little 4 month old. He and his family hold a very special place in T's heart. Tonight as we were making our final preparations for T's departure in the morning, we found this heartfelt note tucked in our front door.  It brought us all to tears!  

PRE MTC ACTIVITIES

We spent as much time together as family today as we possibly could. One last trip to the store for a few last minute items. Which so happened to include about 5 lbs. of candy and a throw away phone!

 

 

T is all packed and ready to go.  Each of his suitcases are only about two-thirds of the way full and well under the weight limit.  Truly, what do you put in a carry on when you can't read, watch video or listen to music?  Answer for T...thousands of dollars of medication and your scriptures. 

T is going to have the best stocked first aid kit in the entire MTC!

 

Gotta mark your bags so they are easily recognizable. How do you do that? San Francisco 49ers ribbon of course. :)  

Sis. Cannon (kellycannonophotography.blogspot.com) had offered to take one last family portrait for us. It turned out tonight was the only night that worked. She did an AMAZING job and we will forever be grateful for this wonderful family memory!

After pictures we had dinner at Sizzler.  Taylor's choice for his last dinner before entering the MTC. 

 

T had lots and lots of friends stop by tonight to say goodbye. One of the hardest goodbye's was between he and his cousin, Christine.  They have been good buddies since they were tiny.

At about midnight its was just our family.  T gave me a blessing and his father gave him one and then we all headed off to bed.

HOW ABOUT A HANDSHAKE?

Obviously Taylor's mind is focused on serving a mission and not girls.  He was set apart this morning and didn't even stop to think that he wouldn't be able to hug girls anymore after this morning.  Namely one of his bestest friends, McKenna.  These two have been best buddies for the past nine years.  It's a good thing the handshake lightened the mood because this was a hard goodbye.  McKenna will leave on her mission in December 2014.  This means these two won't see each other for three years.  Sad!

ORDAINING JONAH

This evening T ordained his fourteen year old brother, Jonah, to the office of a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood at our home. He did an amazing job! T has been really blessed to be able to use his Melchizedek priesthood so much already.

FAREWELL MY FRIEND

Today we were able to attend T's long time friend, Cody Jorgensen's mission farewell. He and T leave the same day for their missions.  T and I are so lucky to be able to share this journey with Cody and his mom.

LETTERING IN SEMINARY

T was recognized in sacrament meeting today and received his pin for lettering in Seminary.  He has lettered in seminary all four years of High School - which is an amazing accomplishment. 

Here are the requirements for lettering.

 1.  Read the entire book being studied for the current seminary year.
 2.  Read 200 days for 10 minutes or more.
 3.  Memorize the 25 Mastery Scriptures word-for-word and pass them off to your teacher.
 4.  Memorize the current First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 in order and pass it off.
 5.  Complete Seminary with full credit.
 6.  Memorize the books of the Old Testament, New Testament and Book of Mormon, and pass them off.

OFFICIALLY "ELDER DAVIS"

This morning Taylor was officially set apart as "Elder Davis" in our stake president"s office. His father, brother (Jonah), grandparents, and members of our bishopric and I were in attendance. After a wonderful discussion on what Taylor's responsibilities and the sacredness of them would be, he was set apart by his father, Pres. Delis, Bishop Floyd, Bro. Perry and both of his grandfathers. It was a very sacred experience.

He was set apart to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and his Church.  As an Elder it will be his responsibility to  “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”

He will represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel and will be an official representative of the Church.  He is expected to devote all of his time and attention to serving the Lord.

He is beyond excited to do this!