Marcus is a Missionary!

Marcus left us for two long years to serve the Lord in Brazil.  We are so proud of him and we I miss him like crazy.  He did two weeks of home MTC before flying to the MTC in Brazil.  This was both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because we got front row seats to the awesomeness of having a missionary in our home and watching Marcus transform into Elder Ball, but also a curse because we spent two weeks with him all day every day.  Just as we were getting used to having him around he left and it was painful for my mama heart.

We left for the airport at 2:45am and we took the whole family with us to say goodbye and we were a quiet, sleepy group.   But not Henry!  Henry was chipper as could be.  I guess since he always seems to wake up before he's actually ready that this time didn't feel any different.  It was sadly hilarious.  

We got to the airport and got Marcus checked in for his flight and then waited with him as he waited for security to open.  At 4am we finally said our tearful goodbyes and we all gave him big hugs.  I wasn't crying until we had to walk away and then it was all over for me.  Marcus made us promise to listen to the awesome 80's song Gloria, (it's basically our family theme song for many a dance party in the kitchen) as we drove home.  Imagine us driving home in the wee hours of the morning while Gloria blasted from the speakers.  We were all sniffing and crying but Landon was sobbing so hard Randy finally climbed back to comfort him.  Landon very dramatically and passionately yelled, "I told Marcus I HATED him! Do you understand?!  I actually told him I hated him!"  Poor kid.  Two days earlier Marcus was teasing him and Landon lost his temper and didn't feel bad about what he said until he realized he wouldn't see Marcus again for a long time.  We reminded the boys Marcus wasn't dead and they'd be able to talk to him the next day after he arrived in Brazil.  Once we arrived home everyone went right back to bed except for Henry who insisted on eating cereal and watching a show.  Eventually I convinced him to go back to bed.  We were zombies the next day.

Marcus was all by himself as he flew to Atlanta where he was able to meet up with the rest of his district before flying to Brazil. Unfortunately he was seated next to a minister from a non-denominational church who tried to convince Marcus that the Church was garbage.  There were a couple rude passengers as well but the flight attendant was LDS and gave Marcus some free snacks and another passenger paid for Marcus's breakfast so the good balanced out the bad.  Marcus texted me from a random number during their five-hour layover in Atlanta and then he called me the next evening for the first time to tell me all about his adventures so far.  He had a devotional shortly after he arrived at the MTC and he ended up playing a musical number for it.  His years of piano lessons paid off right away!  I was beyond thrilled to hear about it.  I can't wait to hear about Marcus's adventures for the next two years and am so proud of him for doing this hard thing.  He's going to rock!