The Waiting Game is Over!!!

March 31st was my granddaughter's birthday and when I called her that morning to sing her our traditional birthday greeting, I told her our mission call would arrive that day and what a red letter day it would be-her 17th and our destiny for the next two years. Everyone in Omaha assured me that 'the calls ALWAYS arrive in Omaha on Thursdays' so I rescheduled my entire day to wait...I even had Vicky and her kids across the street hawking for me. Imagine my disappointment when he came, delivered and our box did not contain the traditional large white envelope.

Friday arrived and it was April Fool's Day...what a cruel joke if he came empty-handed again so I was determined to not miss the moment the white truck pulled around the corner. I took my journal, sat up the camping chair on the driveway and enjoyed the first warm day after a horrendous winter...I watched and I watched, I wrote my feelings about this important day in my journal and FINALLY.................

I heard the truck...tentatively [trying to act calm] I got out of my chair and walked across the street to the mailbox cluster located closest to us-we actually walk to the other end of the block for OUR mail but if I talk nice, he might give me my mail early...

Impatient future missionary: Hi~how are you???
Mailman: [looking a little puzzled] Fine...
Me: Could I pick up 5808's mail please?
Mailman: Sure..hang on a minute..[finishes placing mail SLOWLY in pigeon holes]
Me: A beautiful day, isn't it? We sure deserve this after our record-setting winter..

Now he is probably wondering what contest he won to have me in his armpit!!

Mailman: [handing me my bundle of mail, all normal sized envelopes and plunder (my grandfather's name for trash mail)] Here you go..
Me: Is that all? [crushed face most likely]
Mailman: Oh wait...I think I have a pkg for you.

Now, I thought my 'call' would arrive in an envelope, not a package but who was I to question?

THEN I SPOTTED IT!!!!!!!!!!! [cue the music] THE AWAITED ENVELOPE!!!

I lovingly cradled it in my arms like a newborn baby and walked quite briskly across the street, all the time thinking, 'this is it!' 'it is finally here!' 'I can't wait' 'I must call Randy'..

and to my dismay..........HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What to do? Should I just open it and pretend when I finally contacted him that I was finding out along with him? He wouldn't mind...he would never know...GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN!!!!!

I will try again and he answered!

Now a small bit of background-we had wanted to go serve in the Cauayan City Mission but had received information in the two weeks previous that we probably would be going elsewhere-Russia, South Africa, Finland, Taiwan...

Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found out we WERE going to Cauayan!! I think I screamed, I know I cried and afterwards, I prayed my eternal thanks to a Father in Heaven who heard my plea's and once again, answered my prayers...

This begins our adventure and I hope you will enjoy following our comings and goings as we serve our loving Heavenly Father until July of 2013 in the greatest mission in the world!!!


P.S...my replacement passport also arrived that same day but really took a backseat...so much so that I forgot to sign it before mailing it to the Mission Training Center. They had to return it for a signature for it to be legal..haha!