I'm Gonna Miss Him, or In Other Words: Ben's Farewell

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have missionaries.  This really isn't all that different from other religions.  The biggest difference is simply that the LDS church does not pay their missionaries to preach the word.  The missionary and/or his parents usually pay for the cost of going on the mission.  Crazy, huh?  Well, the gospel of Jesus Christ makes us happy, so we want to share it with others in the hopes that it will make others happy, too.
My brother Ben, left for his mission today.  He entered the MTC (or Missionary Training Center) in Provo, UT.  He is being sent to Belem, Brazil.  There is an MTC in Brazil already, but he does not have his visa yet.  I warned him this would happen if he didn't get his application out as soon as possible.  This happened to another missionary in our ward.  That's how I knew.  I'm not psychic.  Most of the time.  Any way, his excuse: "I sent in the papers by the date they told me to!"  "They" being the people who sent him his mission location.  Once again, I am right about something.  (He he he)
Sunday, he spoke to the congregation about why he is going on a mission, and how he came to his decision.  He told me once he wasn't going to go on a mission.  He said he was probably just saying that to get me to leave him alone.  Rude.  That was then.  This is now, and he's changed his mind.  I really enjoyed his talk.  He talked about growing up, and all the influences of his Sunday School teachers and Youth leaders.  He also put in a plug for our dad.  Our dad is soft spoken, humble, amazing, wonderful.  We love him.  He spoke about Grandpa, and told a story that was told at his funeral.  One man got up early to shovel driveways for people in the neighborhood with our grandpa.  He commented that by the time the two of them were done, they had shoveled 17 driveways.  I remember that story too.  My grandpa also told the man the reason they get up so early and start with a particular woman's driveway is because if they didn't, she would already have it done by the time they got there.  Grandpa was so funny.  He also wrote a poem.  He's not going to read my blog for a long time, so I am going to post it here.  Because I think it is pretty good.

Who taught us to judge our brother?

To look with disgust, and hate another?

All will feel the love it smothers,

If we always show hate to others.

Hate will dull the sense of Sin.

It can vanish any grin.

Some might smile with an empty Heart,

Their selfishness, to tear you apart.

How can we dare to disgrace God’s Son

By laughing at, or making fun?

What is done unto one, is done unto Him,

So why bring one down, at every whim?

We don’t understand the pain we can cause,

If we don’t learn to love another man’s flaws.

So truly love your older Brother,

Go show love unto another.

After church was over, I went back to my mom's house.  Apparently, my family did not go to all of church.  Shocker considering she did for the rest of my brothers'.  I guess Ben, being the youngest gets special treatment.  But that means, that I did not get pictures of all the people who were there.  Just of the ones who were still there at two in the afternoon.  Melinda (his girlfriend), Caleb, and David.  I've never met them before in all my life - except maybe they were there when he opened the envelope telling him where he was going to go.  It's a big deal in LDS culture.  The family gathers around to watch the missionary open his/her letter from the first presidency of our church.  I think I remember seeing Caleb now that I think about it.  So these are the pictures I got.  Sorry, I went to Relief Society, Michele (Really, I'm not sorry. It was a good lesson and I got to sit by Kathy Potter.  She said seeing me makes her miss me more, and she asked how you were.)!  Melinda says she took lots, but I don't know when I will see them.  You should join facebook, and "friend" her.  Maybe she will post them there.

Melinda and Ben.  Who knows what they were talking about, but Ben looks amazed.

Cookies first.  Then dinner.

Rodney (my brother) talked about getting dreads in his hair.  Melinda, and I both said, "Ew!  That's gross."  Hopefully he was just saying that because he knew that was how we would react.

Caleb.  Those flowers sure are pretty!

Melinda, Ben, and David.

Yep.  Cookies first.  I love those green eyes!

My brother Jeremy.  AKA: Grizzly Adams.

My mom wanted Ben to take a picture for the plaque they will be putting on display in the foyer on the way into the chapel (all the missionaries have one), so he started posing.

This one is my favorite.  It belongs in GQ or some other men's magazine.

Joel took our family picture.  Michael and Michele, Brian, and her kids are missing.  The punks!  It's like they aren't part of our family any more! :''''(

Here is a shot where everyone is smiling, and Kaleb isn't making funny faces (See above photo)!

After the family photo shoot, we got serious, and here is a possible photo for Ben's plaque.

Personally, I like this one best, but Mom will probably use the one above because she said she needed to be able to cut it down to like 2 inches by 3 inches.  I told her she could get it printed any way she wanted it, but she looked at me like was weird, and said, "I'll just get a 4x6 and cut it down."

Then I tackled my children!

I was victorious!

Until they sneak attacked me!  Some one was choking me at one point.

They took me down, and tickled me!

Trampolines are fun.  Maybe Santa will bring us one for Christmas this year.  I'll have to talk my kids into asking him for one.  You know, for the kids! ;)