Mission Call

We had a fantastic and exhausting weekend. We decided to make a rushed trip down to Rexburg to be there when Chris opened his mission call. We thought it would arrive on Thursday since he status was "Been Sent" and they always get them in Rexburg on a thursday....but we didn't want to go all the way and then not have it be there. So....we told Chris we would stop and Christmas shop in Spokane and wait for his call. Well, Scott and I really didn't want him to wait any longer than necessary so we went as far as Missoula and waited to hear from him. Mail didn't come when it usually does.....why does it always happen that way....so I was getting a bit anxious. Finally.....about 3pm I got a text that said "I have it" Well....we went straight to the van and headed on our way. Chris asked where we were and when I told him Missoula he was so happy that we were three hours closer to Rexburg. He was so anxious for us to arrive. I got a text from him about every 30 minutes asking where we were. Those five hours that it took us to get there after he received his call must have been the longest five hours of his life.

We arrived in Rexburg just before 8pm. Chris and Kelcey met us at the park. We went and picked up her roommate Natalie who is also one of Chris's friends. His roommate Tyler was in class until 9 and he told him not to wait.

So we went to a motel and the first thing Chris did was pull out a paper and started reading all of the guesses from friends and family as to where he was going to go. There were so many different guesses....I don't think anyone guessed the same place. Carolyn and Kevin and his good friend Blake were all on speaker phone waiting to hear the news.

Then he opened his call and began reading "Elder Jackson.....you have been called.....then his voice broke....and he got very emotional.....his eyes had jumped a line and he knew where he was going...but none of the rest of us did. We waited anxiously for him to continue.....to serve in the Mexico Hermosillo Mission. Then it came......a squeal......."I'm going to Mexico." He continued to read to see when he would report to the MTC....and then he leapt across the room. He was so excited. Kelcey and I were both crying. I'm sure they were a mixture of tears.....sadness at his leaving......worry for being in a foreign country.....and tears of joy for the happiness we saw on his face. Chris was just thrilled. I will never forget the moment when his eyes jumped ahead and his emotions took over.

Kelcey gave him a congratulations kiss on the cheek.

Chris giving two thumbs up surrounded by pretty girls. Kelcey and Natalie were so happy for him.

Chris is all smiles....mom is weary after traveling over snow filled mountain passes.

After all the cheers and tears Chris told us that Mexico is the place he has always wanted to serve a mission. He had never said that to any of us.....he didn't want to jinx it. When we went back to the cabin to get some of his stuff that evening he took Scott down to his room and showed him his science notes that he had taken earlier in the week before he got his call.....it had Mexico written all over it. He had also written Mexico all over his binder. I always said that kid should have been born a little hispanic boy...from the time he could walk he loved to eat hot salsa. I think he won't have a problem adjusting to the food. Mexican food is his favorite.

He stayed in the motel with us that night. Scott fell sound asleep from exhaustion and I stayed up wit

h Chris while he searched the intrenet until 2am learning all he could about Hermisillo and the surrounding areas that are in his mission. The pictures were beautiful. Finally at 2 I got him to shut off the computer....and just as I would be drifting off to sleep he would say "Mom....I'm going to Mexico!" About 10 minutes later "Mom....I have been called to the greatest mission in the whole world." This kept up until 4am and then I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. He was just so excited.

The next day we went and bought him some things he will need in the mission field and then took him to lunch and we headed home. Chris headed south to spend Thanksgiving with Kevin and Stacie and Brent and Carolyn and Grant. We stopped in Missoula for the night as the passes were icy and we didn't want to travel them in the dark. We went to Kobe's game in Spokane on Saturday afternoon on our way home. He plays AAU basketball. John Stockton of the Utah Jazz coaches his sons team. They had the game before us.....so I sat and stared....and had a moment.....one of the greatest NBA players of all times.....then he walked right by Scott and smiled and nodded and said hello. WOWSERS! What a weekend!