So I have some intense and mixed feelings about my missionary today. Even when your son is called to Fiji you don't really expect to get an email --three days late, no less-- that says things like, "I got a call that I was being transfered to Rabi and I was leaving early the next morning." And then, "...we ran to Suvatown to buy a few last second things and packed only the bare necessities, like clothes and a toothbrush, and left all the rest of my stuff in Suva." And perhaps, "I'm trying my best to learn the Kiribiti language." Followed by, "We have no electricity...we have no washing machine, refrigerator, oven, bathroom, nothing." And the kicker, "This is 'Other Side of Heaven' status."
Say, WHAAAA??
I mean, it's a good movie and everything, but you don't really want your son to be the MAIN CHARACTER!!
My heart was pounding while I read this letter. He has to learn aNOTHER new language?! He'll only be there for a few weeks to a month, and then he goes back to Suva, (which will prob feel like the Ritz-Carlton by then), because they're closing that area. But then he adds that if/when they open it back up, he, Elder Farley, will go in as the sr. missionary to open the area. Well, how's he supposed to do that when he has only a few weeks' worth of the language?!! Andie's answer was, "Mom, he's a missionary! He'll be fine!"
Yeah, I know, but...
The other reason my heart was pounding is that he also said things like, "That was probably the coolest flight of my life," referring to the flight on the tiny plane to the new area. Also, "...everything is right next to the ocean, and we walk on the beach all the time, and we have to (get to) walk through the ocean sometimes." Then, "All the other missionaries are jealous of me." And, "Elder Taburuea is from Kiribati islands, so he's a native speaker of this language. He's the funniest missionary I've ever met. Elder Garner is from Kaysville and graduated from Davis High. They're both awesome and we get along very well." Something about, "I'll probably be able to send you some breathtaking pictures when I get back to Suva," and, "...this is an unreal experience, and I am so blessed." And the kicker, "I've never been happier."
It was probably the craziest letter I've ever gotten. One sentence I'd gasp in horror, and next, I'd be ooh-ing and aah-ing. The sentence after that I'd bust out laughing. Afraid one minute and thrilled for him the next. One good thing: I know he's still loving every minute of his mission, even more now than before. Something that might be nightmarish to me is paradisiacal to him. It's always kind of been that way, so not that surprising I guess.
Here is what I know for sure: he's in the best possible hands in the best possible place (for him) doing the best possible thing with the best possible opportunities to become the man he is meant to be.
Now how can I possibly be worried about that? I guess I can't. Sniff. Hiccup! Nosewipe. Dusttissuefluffoffface. Deepcleansingbreath!
Okay, all better now.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Happy April Fool's, Elders
So, Collin is pretty much our resident prankster. He loves a classic textbook saran-wrap-on-the-toilet kind of joke. April Fool's is pretty obvious, since he pranks year-round. We're already watching for it on April 1st.
The missionaries were coming over for dinner and a lesson with a friend that night, so we were trying to think of mish-friendly pranks. We were going to have the phone ring and tell one of the Elders it was his mom. We were going to have Christian do it, since I'm the only one who can tell when he's putting someone on. And that's only after years of training. He can be very convincing. But as it turned out we didn't have to do a thing.
Soon after they got here one of the Elders needed to use the bathroom. I thought nothing of it until Andie came running into the kitchen to tell me that Collin had rigged the toilet to spray huge volumes of water at whomever flushes it. I told to her run and tell Bob. I didn't want to embarrass him any more than necessary by having me tell him. It was a man's job. Bob got there just in time to say, "Elder?" and then hear FLUUUUSH!
Collin had pulled the fill tube and turned it so it was just peeking out from under the tank lid, but not far enough to notice. When the toilet is flushed ALL the water that should be filling up the bowl is shot straight out from under the tank lid and believe me it is a LOT of water! And it won't stop until you turn the water off, so it will flood the bathroom pretty quickly and if you're standing in front of the toilet, which, let's face it, most of us are when we push that handle, you get a large gush of water all over you!
Thank goodness he had a great sense of humor and thought it was a great prank. He said he and his family are huge pranksters and they've never thought of that one, so now he has a new one to try out on his own fam. He was high-fiveing a very shy and embarrassed Collin. Have you ever seen when Collin tries SO HARD not to smile? Yeah, he was doing that. So cute. (Don't tell him I said that).
The missionaries were coming over for dinner and a lesson with a friend that night, so we were trying to think of mish-friendly pranks. We were going to have the phone ring and tell one of the Elders it was his mom. We were going to have Christian do it, since I'm the only one who can tell when he's putting someone on. And that's only after years of training. He can be very convincing. But as it turned out we didn't have to do a thing.
Soon after they got here one of the Elders needed to use the bathroom. I thought nothing of it until Andie came running into the kitchen to tell me that Collin had rigged the toilet to spray huge volumes of water at whomever flushes it. I told to her run and tell Bob. I didn't want to embarrass him any more than necessary by having me tell him. It was a man's job. Bob got there just in time to say, "Elder?" and then hear FLUUUUSH!
Collin had pulled the fill tube and turned it so it was just peeking out from under the tank lid, but not far enough to notice. When the toilet is flushed ALL the water that should be filling up the bowl is shot straight out from under the tank lid and believe me it is a LOT of water! And it won't stop until you turn the water off, so it will flood the bathroom pretty quickly and if you're standing in front of the toilet, which, let's face it, most of us are when we push that handle, you get a large gush of water all over you!
Thank goodness he had a great sense of humor and thought it was a great prank. He said he and his family are huge pranksters and they've never thought of that one, so now he has a new one to try out on his own fam. He was high-fiveing a very shy and embarrassed Collin. Have you ever seen when Collin tries SO HARD not to smile? Yeah, he was doing that. So cute. (Don't tell him I said that).
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