RETURN WITH HONOR BRADEN!

We had some sweet experiences with Braden prior to his departure to the mission field.  The week before he left, we were able to go to the temple over in Mesa a couple of times.  Once with our neighbor Dana when she took out her own endowments, and the other when we went with our Assistants prior to transfers.  Being in the temple with our children is a highlight of our lives.  We love the understanding of the truths of the Gospel and the blessings that are available to us as we try to live the covenants that we make.   

 

 The next sweet experience was
having our Provo Stake President,
President Bell, come down to
Phoenix to set Braden apart as a
full-time missionary.  He flew in
Saturday the 10th and stayed with us
until after church on Sunday.
Braden was set apart Sunday
morning. It was a great time of
testimony and sharing.  We have
always loved President Bell and he has such a great and humble spirit about him.
He knows and loves Braden so this was an important relationship in his life.
Incidentally, Braden did a great job on his talk in our ward about obedience and how
it relates to the Doctrine of Christ.  He has had special witnesses from so many
missionaries in our mission, he knows how important and happy obedience truly is.

Another sweet experience was 

as we were taking departing 

missionaries to the airport the day 

that Braden left for New Zealand.

As I was going up to meet new 

missionaries, I literally ran into one 

of our former missionaries and his 

wife and baby as they were 

returning from a flight home.  I 

greeted them as they came into 

the terminal and told them that 

Braden was downstairs.  Elder 

Grady was key in helping Braden adjust to moving to Arizona when we first came 

here and Braden was so sad.  He always invited him to come to activities and to 

teach with him and just hugged and loved him!  Devin had been so sad when he 

found out that they would be gone when Braden spoke in sacrament meeting . . .

so the tender mercy was that their flight was delayed so many times that they 

took this new flight and "happened" to arrive right when I was at the gate to meet 

them and direct them to Braden.  It was a special event!

Back at home, Braden and Breanna got a little 

silly together as we prepared to leave the mission 

home and all 26 missionaries that were napping 

as we went to the airport again that afternoon.  

They have been best friends as they were rather 

forced to live together the past year...not forced 

in a bad way, just circumstances that made it 

work out that way.  We feel now that it was 

necessary for Braden to be prepared to leave 

home by having his own year rather on his own, 

and a great big sister to love him through it, even 

though it was really hard for both of them.  We 

have the "bestest" kids!

You see all sorts of smiles in all these pictures,
but if you know us well, you will see the teary
eyes behind them.  Believe us, we had our share
of tears at letting Braden leave.  Missions are
such a bittersweet experience.  We know how
good they are, the foundation of truth they build . . .
but oh how we miss those that we send out
to the world!

We are just glad we are serving almost a year
alongside Braden, because we know it will go
so fast...and then once we are home, we know
that last year is a snap in time.

We got Braden's luggage checked in and it
all weighed in within 1/2 pound of the limit...
good packing
!

 We always take photos of our incoming missionaries going down the escalator, so here is our departing missionary going up.
  

 Braden flew through Los Angeles.  He met up there with about 10 or so missionaries who were also going to New Zealand.  I will post about which missions that MTC serves later on.

 More silly faces before the serious ones.

  And yet more smiles after all the tears...well, almost all the tears.

  There were a few more as we watched this young man go through the initial security and then wave goodbye.










As we left the Mission Home, I glanced over to see Braden reaching inside the door to touch a plaque that hangs inside our door.
Some of our missionaries know to touch it when they leave our home as well.

Here is what it says.  This is our prayer as well.  This is the desire of our hearts for each of us to be able to do with our Father in Heaven.  May the Lord bless us to be able to return with honor.