Wednesday, June 23, 2021: The day you became an ELDER

Family picture with 2 Missionaries!!!

the 'Tag Photo'

Elder and Sister Garcia

What a fun surprise to have technology and the approval for Sister Garcia to join us as Elder Garcia was set apart as a full time missionary at home tonight. President Johnson was here and I think he was just as happy to see Sister Garcia as we all were. It was fun to have him in our home and to listen as he shared his experience as a missionary as well as in his job now in the service. He shared his love of the Gospel and his testimony of missionary's and the work they do. He acknowledged that Elder Garcia is in for a long 2 years of hard hard work but he also promised that as long as he commits to the Lord and to being on His errand, they will be the best 2 years of his life. 

Prior to the setting apart and blessing, President Johnson asked Christian if he had anything he would like to say. He took a minute to thank each of us in the room. Thanked Sister Garcia for her love, friendship, example, and always being his best friend while they were growing up including up to today. He told Brooklyn how much he would miss her and how much he would miss riding in the golf cart endlessly with her. Brooklyn had some tears well up in her eyes and it was touching for me to witness. Especially since the two of them most days are at each other.  He thanked me for always loving and supporting him and for making sure that the Gospel was centered in our home growing up. He said he gained his first love of the Gospel through me and that made me smile. When he came to Tyler he started to choke up and words coming out of his mouth were hard. He allowed tears to fall as he thanked Tyler for his love, even when he didn't have to. He recognizes that he isn't his Dad but he is grateful for the love and support and care that he has given to Christian over these years. He told him he loved him and I allowed some tears to fall out of my eyes at that point as well. Never not once has Tyler tried to take the place of or replace the kids' Dad and tonight, he got to hear straight from Elder Garcia that he never felt that way either but  more that he love and respected the Dad role he has played and how grateful he is for that.

What a touching moment. What a night of blessings playing out in front of our eyes. What a night of overwhelming 'wow' as I look at the images of my small family in these photos. 2 of my children serving full time. One teenager left at home and she is feeling the effects of this choice. Life is sure funny how it all lines up and I will admit I never in a gazillion years thought I would be in the shoes I am tonight, however, there is literally no other place in the world that I would want these two to be and no other choice I would want to make for them than for that of missionary. 

6 weeks of home MTC, round #2, coming at ya! 

Mom