Valentine's Package

We had so much fun yesterday! We have been collecting items for the last four or five days to fill a special box just for Naomi. Her first care package from us. We wanted to go along a Valentines theme even though she won't receive it for Valentines. So here's what we did.

First we used red wrapping paper to line the inside of the box and then we covered the bottom of the box with white glitter paper just to make it look pretty. The insides of the flaps were decorated with pink and red scrapbook paper that we wrote messages of love on and decorated. Charity and Breanna did most of the box decorating. While they were doing that Myles and I, worked in the kitchen baking a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies to send along. Hopefully they stay fresh enough that she can enjoy them by the time that they get to her. While we were doing that, dad was popping popcorn and filled a great big bowl for us. As soon as the cookies were done baking we mixed up a light caramel sauce and then made caramel popcorn. By that time the box was all decorated. We filled it full of things that we hope will delight Naomi. We put in red sticky notes, red chocolate bars like Kit Kat and Crispy  Crunch, we put in some brand-new pens, and an address book so she has a place for the addresses of the special people she wants to remember. Charity made a little heart pillow, and we made half a dozen candy roses out of Hershey kisses, creating a small bouquet of flowers to go on top of everything. Last week I also crocheted a headband for her to help her keep her ears warm out there in the cold. The box also had two dozen cookies. It was well packed. Once all the items were in we put a great big layer of cellophane on top and then we dumped in as much caramel popcorn as we needed to fill all the spaces. We left a small hollow in the top to hold the bouquet of flowers. And then we folded in the flaps and added a few little springing hearts and a card for her to find as she begins to open her box. And then Dad helped us tape it all up nice and solid. We used so much tape, that we were tempted to blame the wrapping job on Brandon and Alisha… Ha ha.

Well we didn't stop there. After we had the box all taped up in the address put on, we wrote messages on the outside of the box with a marker. It was Ffamily Day, but to our surprise the post office was open so Charity, Breanna and I set out to mail our package. It weighed almost 7 pounds. We were told she will receive it next Tuesday, a week from today. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch her open that package. If she has as much fun opening it as we had packing it will have to do this often. What a great family project! It gets everyone involved!

I forgot to take pictures as we made the package so I can't even include pictures but, maybe she'll take some pictures of her opening it up - that would be cool. There is much joy in the thoughtful things that we are able to do for each other.

Serve With Honor

Serve with honor – those are the words we used to send our sweet daughter, Naomi, off into the mission field where she will share her knowledge and belief of God and his restored gospel here upon this earth with all who will listen to her. What a great challenge and what an honor for her to be entrusted by the Lord to take His message of joy and happiness to a corner of the world where it is needed. Naomi will spend two weeks in Provo, Utah in the Missionary Training Center where she will be taught a crash course in how to teach by the spirit. The material she will be teaching is nothing new to her, as she is already well acquainted with the gospel of Jesus Christ. From Utah, Naomi will travel to Halifax, Canada where she will serve for a period of up to two months. This is her visa waiting portion of her mission. From Halifax, Naomi will then travel to the Nampa, Idaho mission where she'll spend the remaining months of her mission time there.

Here is Naomi with her group in the MTC. Sister Mata, her companion, is standing to her right.

I have to admit, that as her mother I have felt a little bit of anxiety at times as we have gone through the process of letting her go. She is never far from my thoughts, but I am so excited for her and the experiences she is having. There are times when I am almost envious. When she flew from Utah to Halifax there was one connection where she only had 30 minutes to catch her next flight. I was a little bit concerned about that one. I remember looking at the clock at five minutes before her flight was to leave and offering a silent prayer that she would make it to her gate on time. As we spoke later that evening she told me that she had actually sat in the wrong gate. Moments before her plane was to leave she got up and asked someone who knew. I am certain that the Lord heard and answered my prayer and as a result she was impressed to ask for assistance, because she had just enough time to get to where she needed to be to catch her plane. What a delightful blessing it is to have the Lord watching over my missionary. I love the spirit that has come more abundantly into our home as we ponder on missionary work and as we send letter and packages to her.

Naomi has barely been gone two weeks but already we feel the blessings flowing into our lives. The Lord is so aware of us. He is so mindful of our needs. He is so generous in blessing us daily. I am so thankful for the opportunities we have to ponder His hand in our lives as well as to see His hand guiding and training Naomi in His work - that of building up His kingdom here on the earth.