Josh's Missionary Farewell!

Today was Josh's missionary farewell! 

I had a lot on my mind today -- Josh's farewell, Jared and Hallie's upcoming wedding, and Janelle and Bryton's engagement! Jared and Hallie had brought a couple hundred wedding invitations for me to label and send out tomorrow. I was disappointed that the address labels that I ordered from Amazon didn't come in time, but then Rick said he had a bunch at the Seminary building and so he saved us! Then we worked on the last minute food preparations and clean up for the luncheon. 

Josh did well on his talk. It was a little short -- just over six minutes, instead of the requested nine minutes, but that's okay! He received a lot of compliments on it. Hattie Allred did the musical number on the violin and did well too. Steve Larsen was the other speaker and did awesome too. He went to the same mission as Josh you can tell that his mission deeply impacted him.

I was really touched by his closing story. He said that in Korea, like in many missions, they teach English classes a couple of times a week. As part of their English classes they would teach a gospel-centered message in Korean in the middle of their class. He had been out in the field several months when they asked him to give this spiritual lesson in Korean. He was nervous, but he was also excited. He thought about it all day and really tried to prepare. However, when it came time to share in front of a room filled with people who only spoke Korean, he couldn't think of a single thing to say. He said, "My mind was blank, my tongue was tied." He had so much he wanted to share and felt the fire from within, but didn't know how to express it in Korean. 

He said that he basically said the same thing over and over in order to fill the time because he didn't know how else to say it. He said that he felt so awful and was just so embarrassed. He said he went to the bathroom and he just felt so pathetic. Then fast forward seven years. He was teaching in the MTC and a Korean sister came up to him and said that she was in the room that day when he had shared his humble testimony. She said that she was so touched by the spirit with his words and it was that experience that led her to investigate the church and eventually be baptized. He learned then that God truly works through small and simple ways! I was totally crying through this story! 

After the meeting Brother Awerkamp gave a very beautiful and touching prayer and then we came home for lunch. So many young adults came to watch Josh speak and also to the house after -- much more than I was expecting! I was grateful that we had enough food! After the block the Phillips came over and the Larsens. Summer and Logan came over too. So we were finally able to have a little adult company after the hoards of teenagers left, ha ha! 

A couple of hours a down pour hit and so of course Jenna had to go run around in it with mascara running down her face! Thankfully it cleared up well before Josh's setting apart that night!