July 5, 2021

We spent the 4th of July weekend up to the cabin in Oakley so we could attend the Oakley Rodeo. The rodeo is a ton of fun and it draws a big crowd. It is a PRCA rodeo as well so the riders are really good and you don't feel like you are watching some high school kids doing their thing or living out their wildest dreams. :) We also had the chance to spend tonight (Monday) over to Annie's for an ice cream social and meet up with the neighbors/friends Annie has in her life. Total blast!

4th of July weekend 2021 in Oakley

 
Elder Garcia did the home MTC up here on Thursday and then again today and it seemed to work out really good. I think the change of place/scenery would be a good thing. Especially when you are normally at home in your bedroom most days instead. Anwyays, on Saturday we all got up and hung out. Tyler made us breakfast and we were able to enjoy being in the sunshine and hearing the river (even if it is really low) run by. It is just so peaceful up here.

I had to have a hard talk with Elder Garcia and my mind is still swirling as I type this post up. As we were at the rodeo on Saturday he was busy texting someone. Red flag went up for me since I know from having one missionary already that there shouldn't be hardly any, if at all, texting going on. I asked who he was texting and he immediately said "my district". I found it odd especially since it was after 8pm and it was P-Day but I chose not to say anything. I glanced over again as he was typing and I saw that it was Alaina Denning and immediately I was angry. He is not abiding by the rules of a missionary and I knew I needed to have a discussion with him.

I addressed it with him and let him know that although it is not my mission and I am not the one that will have to answer to the Lord about behaviors while being a full time, set apart missionary, I still have some responsibility to do my part to help him live by the mission rules. And that means, no more girls. No more messaging on any other day than P-Day via the Facebook app. I let him know how sad I was that he had allowed Satan to come into his life and that he had made the choice to follow. 

I asked Elder Garcia point blank tonight if he was serving a mission for himself or for the accolades or expectations of others. I also reminded him that if he chose not to serve a mission I don't love him any less and that if a mission is something he moves forward with, I don't love him any more. I let him know that this was his choice and his choice alone. I let him know that I never not once expected him to serve and that I was always fully aware that if he did go, it was 100% his choice. I also asked him to pray about where he is in life and the choice that he has made to be a missionary. I asked him to really dig deep and decide if he is doing this for the right reason. 

Elder Garcia handed over his phone to me and will get his Apple watch to me when we get home. And I know that doesn't remove the temptations that are coming in because he has a computer and access to Facebook messenger that he can still message and not follow rules, but if I can remove some of that then I feel like that is what needs to happen. I realize that a mission at home must be difficult but a mission outside of the home is going to be a gazillion times harder. It breaks my heart to have had a conversation like this tonight but I just know the potential that lies within  him and I want him to be able to have every ounce of who he is committed to the Lord and the work he has been asked to go and do in Africa. Being a Mom is hard but being a missionary Mom is way harder! I can't be right by his side like a companion can and will be and so I can't keep him in check all the time but I can try to encourage and remind him that he has committed to a mission, he is the one who accepted the call, and he is the one that the Lord is counting on to do what it is he is being asked to do.

Hoping things go up from here,

Mom