Missionary Ties

Packing  pants and ties

Supplies for the next two years

Rebekah, Elder Anderson, and Jacob

Max, James, Rebekah, Elder Anderson, and Jacob right before heading to the airport

On the way 

Sam entered the MTC (Missionary Training Center) today, June 27, 2012. Getting there was no easy task. Packing took longer than we planned yesterday, so we got off to the airport much later than we had hoped. In fact, we left for the airport 25 minutes late--giving us only 20 minutes to make the 45 minute trip. He made it to the TSA security line about 25 minutes before take off. It was close but he made it onto the plane, where he promptly fell asleep.

He had a layover in Phoenix, where he waited to board the plane to Salt Lake City. While standing in line, he struck up a conversation with a fellow SLC passenger who clearly knew why he was heading there--a young man with a dark suit, white shirt and short hair is an easy ID. Then he turned around to see another young man in a dark suit, white shirt, and short hair. He was coming from San Antonio and heading to the MTC the next day as well. They exchanged information to find out they were both heading to the Nevada-Las Vegas Spanish speaking mission. They will certainly be in the same group (what they call districts) in the MTC. This means that they will study the language together, exercise together, and learn how to be missionaries together. They may even be assigned to be companions--but we won't know that until we get our first letter from him (which won't come soon enough for us!).

He woke up in his Wilcox grandparents home for his last half day as a civilian. After a few errands, his grandparents dropped him off at the MTC--about an hour early, making up, perhaps, for the late arrival at the airport.

Now we are waiting to hear from him about his first moments at the MTC. Stay tied to this rack for further updates.