16 Days (but who's counting?)

That, my friends, is one BOSS pan of paella!

Believe it or not, after today's installment from TMFKATB from behind the Zion Curtain, there will only be two more updates. He has a mere 16 days left before his two year service comes to an end and he returns home.

16 days - but who's counting?

From this week's letter, I think TMFKATB may be counting, but more about the things he has yet to do and the people he has yet to see.  He was pretty excited about the progress they are seeing in a person they've been working with for quite some time. He's had a chance to see the goodness in people as the hand of fellowship has once again been extended from multiple people to this family from Venezuela that they've been working with too and he was grateful for those kindnesses.

People are recognizing that he'll be leaving in a couple of weeks and in Latin tradition, that means fiestas. I mean check out that ridiculous pan of paella. That was done for one the missionary's birthdays! That thing is fan-freaking-tastic! He knows he won't see this kind of celebration for awhile. He'll face a lot of "lasts" over the course of the next few days. As he closed his email today, he said to us:

It's getting real! I am going to miss this.

He wasn't talking about the paella (although how can you not miss that?) of course. He'll miss the people. He'll miss the work. He'll miss the service. He'll miss so much. But it's time to get ready for the next phase of life. So much awaits him. But he'll be ready for it, even though he may not know it yet. He's got sixteen more days of an experience that he'll never have again. He doesn't need to worry about what's next. Like I told him today, just enjoy what you've got now.

In the meantime, the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML and I will keep the countdown clock going. 16 days. It'll be here in no time! In proof, though, that A) he is truly aware that he's coming home and B) that he is my son, he wanted to know what I was doing about getting him upgraded on his Delta flights home. Clearly, he hasn't heard about the changes to the Skymiles program in the last two years. He'll enjoy is seat in Coach.

He's busy

Missionary planting seeds, literally. The Crocs?
They aren't his. I repeat, they aren't his!

As TMFKATB's time in the mission field grows shorter and shorter (don't get me wrong, it's not like he will be home tomorrow; he's' still got nearly five months to go), he seems to be busier and busier. His letters are a mirror image of that shortness and today's update was no exception.

It was a few highlights of his impressions of the Church's General Conference that occurred this past weekend. He was able to attend one session in person with the rest of his zone, which he really enjoyed. He did point out that he wished he'd paid more attention to Conference sessions when he was younger and that he appreciated how the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML and I had tried to get him to do so (score one for the parents!). I couldn't help but smile as I read that.

The rest of his week was good, based on his brief commentary. He got to "deal" with a couple of missionaries that, in his words, "wanted to kill each other." That's bound to happen when you put a couple of 18, 19 or 20 year old guys together from disparate backgrounds for 24 hours a day and put them into challenging situations. It's not a lock that everything's going to be sunshine and roses. It's experiences like these that he won't be have in a classroom that will serve him well for the rest of his life. There's something to be said for this.

He did share his new favorite food:

Arepas, Venezuelan style.

Me, I like Colombian arepas better. I see a cookoff/smackdown in the offing upon his return. I'm looking forward to it!

Shaking my head

Yes, it's a rat in his elbow. Why? I know not.

Since we had just gotten his update late last week, it really has only been a few days since we heard from TMFKATB. So today's update was, in his words, "quick."

He really didn't have much more to report, other then being a bit bummed that his zone (think work group or team) didn't hit the goals they'd set. I think it's frustrating him, so he's getting some good experience in being a young leader. He and his companion will have to work on different ways to motivate a diverse group of missionaries. These are situations that will benefit him as he continues to mature. It's not a bad thing to be tested.

He's testing us too with the rat picture he sent us. I cannot imagine what he's doing letting a rat crawl over him. It's not like he has an affinity for them. I mean, who does? I'm really shaking my head over this one.

Learning so much

In spite of apparently hosting 'Alien' in his gut, he's still eating well

This week's letter from TMFKATB was a bit of a breathtaker for the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML and me. He got online much later than has been his pattern, which was a bit of a clue for us. While on our respective devices, we read the letter together and we both drew in a couple of deep breaths as we got into the meat of his weekly missive.

In short, his new companion who had only been in the mission field less than two weeks, opted, quite abruptly, to go home. It was a bit of a punch in the gut as TMFKATB felt like things were going quite well. Suffice to say, it made for a crazy week and our boy is now in the mission office for a few days, awaiting a new assignment. Not only was there this challenging situation, apparently 'Alien' which is uncomfortably ensconced somewhere in his gut, is making life unpleasant. All this served to take our breath away.

The part that is simply incredible is the wisdom he is showing as a nineteen year old. It is far beyond his years. He is looking at these up-and-down moments as learning experiences. He said, "I have seen so many trials with companions, health and a whole bunch of stuff but it has made me grow so much. All is well. I'm learning so much." He talked openly about placing his trust in God and how, in spite of it all, happy he is. That happy came through and gave us a great deal of comfort as we read his letter time and again.

It's not an easy thing to find the happy, or the good, in challenging situations. My boy reminded me today how soothing the balm of goodness is when you find it. He has found it in dedicating himself to the service of others right now and is willing to look beyond some really tough things to find the good. It seems to me that the lesson is that there is always something good to be had, or learned, in even the most challenging of situations. He says he's learning so much. He's teaching too. I'm glad I learned something today too.

Drive By Communication

Yep, this pretty much sums it up

TMFKATB surprised us by checking in about an hour earlier than normal today. I got a quick head's up email first, saying things were crazy this week with people celebrating Semana Santa (Holy Week) and that he'd have more to tell in his big letter. He then quickly added that he was on his way to Tuxtla to see a gastroenterologist because his, and there is no delicate way to put this, runs are working his last nerve. Lovely.

So in spite of that, his weekly letter was upbeat. His attitude gives me hope. Anyway, he continues to see the value of hard work and the rewards it brings. He was amazed by all the shenanigans in the street related to Holy Week, including some cross dressing and folks dolled up as Satan. Now to me, that was, and is, pretty much any given day of the week on South Beach, but it was a little jarring in his Mexican town. It's all a part of his learning and experience. He then briefly detailed the gastrointestinal fiesta that's led him see a doctor in Tuxtla Gutierrez, but I'll spare you all of that. He wrapped it up saying he had time for questions before he caught his bus and that he had a slew of pictures to send. And we heard no more. Like that, he was gone.

No more responses. No more pics. Nada. It dawned on me that we had just gotten a drive by communication from him. So now we wait. Here's hoping we have a more robust exchange next week.

Six months out and not a dull moment yet

Fresh mango with salt and chili - his favorite snack

Tomorrow may be St. Patrick's Day but for us it will make for something a bit more significant. The 17th marks TMFKATB's six month as a missionary. This means that, unbelievably, a quarter of his two year service is now complete, but who's counting? You would think that time would be crawling for us, not having him around. It's been quite the opposite actually. I'm amazed it's already been six months. For us, each of his weekly updates during the past six months has been anything but dull. Today's letter was no different.

He first sent me a quick response to my weekly letter that had this cryptic comment: btw i'm companionless now. Wait...what? In life as a Mormon missionary, you are NEVER without a companion. Clearly, this demanded an explanation. His family letter clarified his cryptic comment. Without divulging a lot of details, the companion he was training has become seriously ill and is now getting appropriate care. This did send them back to the 'green room' clinica for a couple of days before it was clear this young man would need additional medical attention. Based on what TMFKATB shared with us, it's been quite an experience dealing with the situation and it's allowed him to learn some additional lessons about the challenges we are dealt in life. Suffice to say, the last several weeks have given him ample opportunity to learn.

In spite of it all, he was able to drive home just how good he has it food-wise. First, the picture. That's a fresh mango, seasoned with salt and chili. He says it's his favorite snack. And then to burnish the point, he shared the following:

so i didn't take a pic but i ate a delicious torta on the street this week. salchicha, chorizo, jamon and i have no idea what else. it was awesome. they put mayonaise on everything here and i'm starting to love it. the mayo is with lime so it is delicious. i think it's gonna take me lots of time to get used to food in the usa. i also ate caldo de pata. it was gross. its like a soup tradition here. its the hoof of a cow and you eat the soup and then suck all the tendons off the hoof and the skin. it was weird. the soup had good flavor but the hoof was gross.

Not the caldo he ate, but you get the idea

I'm going to take the fact that he has no qualms about eating street food whose ingredients are unknown and that the only thing he's called 'gross' in six months is the hoof of a cow. Truly he is his father's son. May the iron stomach chain never be broken!

Better

All smiles with his companion

After last week's letter and its opening salvo, "I'm dying," we were more than a little curious about the news we'd get from TMFKATB today. Happy to report that his letter, entitled 'i feel better,' was a most welcome read. Aside from the statement, "I feel so much better," he spoke no more of last week's dream date with chikungunya. Check here for a huge answer to prayers. HUGE.

The rest of the letter was pretty pedestrian, quite frankly, with the exception of a little run-in with some 'possessed' people. There is nothing like a mission experience when you find yourself constantly seeking to serve others that you see people in their best and worst moments. He had one of those pretty scary moments where he encountered someone who was convinced she was possessed. He didn't give a lot of detail but suffice to say, it's a heavy thing for a nineteen year old to experience. These are lessons that you wouldn't pick up in a college classroom. Based on what he said though, he's growing up in ways that are hard to describe. I'm amazed at the faith that he's demonstrating. Amazed.

One of the fun things that he and I have going is his weekly report of the best thing he ate. When he's feeling especially cheeky, he'll send a picture. He did it again this week, with some delicious looking tacos al pastor.

Clearly he was feeling more than well enough to feast on these. And I couldn't be happier for him.