Scripture Debacle

We left Will at the airport on Tuesday afternoon.  When we got home, I immediately left to run some errands and do some arranging of his banking situation.  He has the money saved to pay for this mission, but I didn't want it just sitting in his account.  

Well, Michael noticed the scriptures he saw Will studying that morning sitting on the kitchen counter, so he grabbed them and flew back to the airport.  

Fortunately, it only takes around 20 minutes to get from our house to the airport, but by the time he got there, the only thing he had time to do was tip a skycap to run them up to the plane.  What he didn't know is that Will had a different set of brand new "Mission Scriptures" packed in his backpack.  

 ***** 

I have been debating on whether or not to publish the contents of our first and only communication from Elder Beadle so far.  I don't want anyone to think he's not perfect, but it's just so funny to me.    Thursday morning I got a message from Will saying these 3 things:

1. "I was mad about the scriptures," (they are kinda heavy—have you seen the scriptures Mormons carry?)

 

 but I got over it."

2. "I didn't sleep on the flight   

and I pretty much hate everyone except the elders I traveled with."

 

(Don't they look like great guys?)
               
             and
3. "Don't take my money."

(Ha ha.  That sounds funny, but he knows times are tight.) 

I assured him that we will only use his money for his mission and told him to get some rest and take some vitamin C.  I sent him with a bunch of vitamins and Chinese Herbs. 

 The last thing he needs is to be getting sick.  

 ***** 

I got a message the next day from his MTC mom saying that he had arrived safely and was in a group of 26 Elders and 4 sisters 

from 8 different countries. She sent pictures, too, to prove it. 

 

I love technology.  And I love that he has a mom looking after him. 

 That makes me feel 100 times better.   

Johannesburg, here I come.

Well, he's officially gone.

 

Finally.

It has been a long 5 months since he received his call. 

And he was so sick of us.

 

 Mostly me fussing about what he needed and how it should be labeled/packed.

  

I think he wanted us to just drop him off at the airport curb, but I was glad that Michael insisted on going in with him. 

There were at least a dozen missionaries and their families were all there. 

He has been working and preparing for this moment all his life, but especially in the last few months. I noticed that he was spending a lot of time in the scriptures, but he was also reading the family history binder that his grandma put together for him and in the last 3 days, he got through all but 30 pages of his Grandpa Beadle's life story. 

The hardest part was saying goodbye to friends...

 

and little sisters...

 

and little brothers.

  

Ok, so some little brothers had a harder time than others.

  

On the way home, Landon said, I know why Wade is going to miss William.  Because now he doesn't have anyone to share his room with him.  Then Karlee piped up, "No, it's because he's going to miss getting butt-kicked by Will." I know it wasn't reverent (or even necessarily true) but it lightened the mood. 

 

I might go crazy without him but I'm also thrilled that he is having the adventure of a lifetime.