Well, Matthew, Sarah and I made the whirlwind trip to take Zac, excuse me, ELDER FARR (woah) to the MTC Wednesday. Grandma and Lincoln put us up Monday night and we had a really nice dinner with them (Gary, Dona and Simon, too) and a lovely visit. Tuesday we partook of a breakfast feast beyond compare thanks to Grandma, then drove the rest of the way to Provo. After checking in to our hotel, we ran a few errands: we ate at Brick Oven,
After we checked out of our hotel Wednesday morning, we had a bit of time to kill, as Elder Farr wasn't to report to the MTC until 12:45pm. The pollen in Utah was killing Matthew (or at least his nose), so we picked up some allergy meds and then decided the mall was as good a place as any to spend our remaining time indoors (that being Matt's caveat).
Since Zac was set apart for his mission Sunday afternoon by our stake president, he was already on his mission, with me acting as his companion. That meant he has been dressing as a missionary and following the same rules (no tv, no music that doesn't lead one to Christ, Church books reading only, never being out of talking distance from his companion, etc) all missionaries follow since Sunday evening. We found it entertaining and heartwarming how many times in Utah people asked him when he was reporting to the MTC just from seeing how he was dressed.
One grandparent-aged couple stopped us at the mall to give Zac a scripture prayer coin (something in Ephesians that I can't remember right now) and told him how wonderful they think it is that he's serving. They encouraged him to look up and study the scripture, saying he'd "have a 7 minute talk ready to go!" They also said the coin is to remind him there are people out here who love him... even if they don't know him. They told us they are one of the escort couples who take MTC missionaries to "world" appointments (doctors visits and such) and how much they love it.
We decided to eat some lunch at the mall food court. As we were almost done, a young woman in church dress and her mom came over and asked if Zac was going on a mission. When he said yes, she introduced herself as Sister Dilley from Twin Falls, who would be serving in Michigan. Zac introduced himself as Elder Farr ("That still sounds a bit weird," he said) from San Diego who'd be serving in Australia. We visited a few more minutes. Before we left the mall, we saw at least two more young people with their families who were obviously also waiting to go to the MTC. We all were leaving the mall at the same time, too.
Gary and Dona had said the traffic they encountered when dropping Mariel off was pretty bad, so we weren't sure how early to be. They have so many young people coming in, missionaries are assigned a 15 minute window for arriving, and Zac did NOT want to be late. As it was, we arrived about 15 minutes early and were directed where to park curbside, with the further instruction we'd have 3 1/2 minutes to say good-bye. We had stopped for hugs before, but since two years is a long time to go between hugs, we all got out and gave Elder Farr another hug and told him how much we love him and how proud we are of him. The 2 escort missionaries who were there to greet him and take him into the MTC grabbed his luggage and away he went.
I'd tried not to cry in front of Zac, as he has teased me a number of times about how much of a bawl-baby I was when we took him to school last spring (April 2012). I hadn't felt I'd been crying that much then, but apparently it felt like a lot to him, so I was trying to restrain myself in his presence. [The sunglasses helped disguise my tear-filled eyes.] But after he walked away and I was driving away, I let the tears fall freely. I am so proud of Zachary, his conviction, and his willingness to sacrifice for what he believes to be true. I know he will work hard, struggle greatly, learn and grow immensely, and be a blessing in the lives of all those he will meet in the next 2 years. And I will miss him every day.
I titled this post "A missionary mom is born..." but I know this to be true of all mothers: we spend our time, talents and energy investing all we have to give in individuals that come to mean everything to us. But if we are aware, we realize we are also raising them to walk away. No, it's usually not a permanent separation, anymore than this mission is for me and Zac. Yes, kids will usually text, call and even visit, just like Zac will (hopefully) write, call at Christmas and Mother's Days, and will return in 2 years. But even then, his return will only be temporary... just a few short months while he makes a bit of money before returning to BYU in the fall of 2015. And so it is with Drew and will be with Matthew; they all leave and make their own lives. And this is as it should be. I believe great parents give their children a confidence that allows them to step out into the world and follow their dreams, always knowing their parents' love is waiting to act as a safety net if they need it. I'm grateful my children give me this growing opportunity and for all the joy it brings me to see them spread their wings.
