The day has come...

I've dreaded this day since Grant opened his call four months ago.

October 17, 2017

We left our home at 5:30am, as we left McKay gave Grant one last hug and then handed him this coin.

He told Grant, "I kept this in my left pocket, every day of my mission, it's yours now."

Grant played with it while we waited for the flight.

Grant was scheduled to fly to Atlanta then off to Mexico all alone. We tried to have him fly out of SLC, so he would be with other missionaries, but church travel had already bought his ticket from Boston.

Last minute, a couple days ago, I asked if he would care if I flew to Atlanta with him. 

He didn't care either way, and said he would be fine alone, but also admitted it would make him more comfortable if I was there.

I told him I was going, and I was doing it more for ME than him!

And OH MY, I'm glad I did.

We left Boston and landed in Atlanta, AS HIS FLIGHT TO MEXICO WAS BOARDING.

So we quickly hopped on the train from terminal A all the way to E.

Ran to his gate as they were boarding the plane to Mexico City.

See that first flight on the list...this was the screen after he boarded the plane.

But this cute happy face made it!

He was brave and strong and ready to begin his journey.

As Grant walked onto the plane. I was, of course, teary as I waved goodbye one last time. 

*the pic is blurry because I was waving and saying goodbye while taking this pic*

I stood there for a minute wishing he might peek his head around and give me one of his funny face salutes, 

as I sat staring at the door, and a man walked up to me. 

He asked if that was my son. He said “I see you’re sad. Where is he going?” I explained he was off to Mexico then Chile for a couple years. He asked if I was of the Christian faith and then asked permission to pray with me, for Grant. He felt like that was something he could do to help. 

I wish I had a recording of his prayer, it was so beautiful and touching. 

The part that stood out to me is when he said, 

“I ask that the angels you have charged to protect him, that they will surround him. May they lift him and carry this young man." 

He prayed over and over for the Lord to be with Grant, and he prayed for him by name. It was so tender to my hurting heart. His faith and his kindness were so touching to me. His prayer was beautiful and the fact that he was willing to stop what he was doing at a crowded airport and say a prayer on my behalf, without fear of rejection, was so admirable. 

He wasn’t even on Grants flight. He just saw me in the airport and stopped on his way to catch his own flight. 

I was texting Mckay saying how hard it was to let Grant go. And how much I worried about him on that flight alone. Mckay said, “mom. He’s been set apart, he’s not alone.”

He’s not. He won’t be alone for the next two years. He will have mission parents. He will have companions and he will be surrounded by angels to protect, comfort and carry him. 

This I know, and this is how I have the courage to let him go. For sure, the hardest, most gut wrenching, heart achiest thing I have ever done. The first couple days of a mission are brutal, but I know it gets better.

And then I know he will bless others.

Because we have been given much, we too must give!

I'm so SO grateful for the sweet tender mercies of the day.

There were SO MANY!

In fact, this whole mission experience leading up to this day has been loaded with obvious blessings from a very loving Heavenly Father.

Grant is off to share this light and love with others!