Parker's first day in the actual mission field.

So, before I go and get myself all graduated on this blog, I need to post about Parker's first day in the actual mission field.

Because that day came first.

On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, Parker left the MTC and flew to California and his mission.

He got to call me when he was waiting in Salt Lake City to board his plane, and it was so fun to talk to him! I asked him how he was doing and he said he was tired.

Shocking.

Our boy is always tired!

I suggested he could sleep on the plane, and he said he had one more thing that his mission president had asked him to memorize that he hadn't yet memorized and he was going to do that on the plane.

He also said he was ready to get out of the MTC and get into the mission field.

I took that as a good sign.

The next day his mission president's wife--Sister Smart--called me to let me know he'd arrived safely and they were excited to have him. John found the mission blog a few weeks before, and I knew Sister Smart posts pictures and info from the mission, so I asked her if I could use her pictures on my blog.

She said, "Of course!"

That made me very happy, because that's the only way I'll get some of the pictures I'd like from Parker's mission. 

So, all of these pictures are courtesy of Sister Smart.

She labeled this first picture "Behold a Royal Army."

That absolutely gave me chills, and I felt some tears brimming too.  Look at all those Elders and Sisters who have chosen to dedicate two years of their young lives to serving the Lord.

Chills and brimming tears, I tell you.

Tears are brimming, again, as I write this.

 

Look at all that luggage!

When new missionaries arrive in the mission, the mission president and his wife host a big luncheon for the new missionaries and their companions.

Parker and his first companion, Elder Albright.  Doesn't Parker look happy?! :o)

Right now he's serving in Hemet, and he says it's hot. He bought an extra bike lock for his bike first thing, and I guess it's a mission tradition to wrap their bikes in saran wrap and duct tape so they won't get stolen as easily.

That's interesting...

I hope it works, because he has a really nice bike!

We've received a few emails from him (he emails on his P-Days--Preparation Days--which are on Mondays). He emails at the church and plays basketball there also, which is the perfect setup for him. Last Monday we emailed back and forth a bit because he had some questions. It was almost like talking to him on the phone. He'd email, play basketball, check his email, play more basketball, and so forth.

I must say that I love having a missionary in the field again. Yes, I miss him, but he's where he needs to be.