The Phone Call

I woke up bright and early so that I could be ready for the day before Taylor made it to the airport... just in case he called. I stayed at home the entire day... just in case he called. Sarah and I made lunch and then did all of the noisy chores at home... we knew he was on the airplane to Texas and wouldn't call. Around 3:00, he did call, and it was heavenly to hear his voice! I cannot even describe what it was like to hear my son's voice again after 10 weeks of not talking with him at all. Sarah and I were the only ones home at the time; Larry and Ethan were still at school, and Miranda was at her doctor's appointment (thank goodness for a Grandma who lives nearby that could take her). We started the digital voice recorder so that everyone would be able to hear the conversation at a later time.

The first thing Taylor said to me was, "Mom, it is so good to hear your voice!" Funny how I was thinking the same thing about him. It was then that I noticed that Taylor already has an accent! I suppose ten weeks of Spanish immersion will do that to a person. The conversation was easy, as it always has been between mother and son, and the more I talked with him, the more excited I became for his mission to Argentina. He has grown up so much and is ready to serve the people of Argentina. He will be working in areas in the city, the pampas, the jungle, and even the mountains. He will be where it is hot and sometimes cooler, but never like the temperatures here at home. It is summertime in Argentina now, so he won't need that overcoat again for some time.

The rest of the family slowly arrived home, and each of them had a chance to talk with Taylor. Ethan had not even said hello when his eyes filled with tears. He misses his brother so much! He knows that Taylor is where he should be, doing the Lord's work, but it is still very difficult for him.

Miranda made it through most of her conversation without tears, laughing with Taylor and speaking to him in Spanish. It became apparent that she was becoming very emotional as she told her brother how proud she is of him and what he is doing. He asked Miranda to talk to her Spanish teacher (who was also his Spanish

teacher) and to thank her for all that she taught him. He said that he was so prepared with the language when he entered the MTC that the only thing he really needed to learn was the gospel language. So cool!

Sarah's conversation was short and to the point, but she has not stopped talking about it since it happened. She had waited alongside me for the call to come and was ecstatic when it did.

Larry had a wonderful talk with his son and said things that only a father could say. He gave Taylor reassurances and told him of experiences he had had on his own mission to Guatemala. Larry beamed the entire time he was talking with Taylor.

The conversation ended with me. Taylor wanted to talk with his mom before he hung up. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that it would be several months before we could talk again

(4 months to be exact). The time has flown by, and I know that it will continue to do so. One thought that did come to my mind after I had talked with Tay was that when he arrives home, he will be a grown man with his entire life ahead of him... college, marriage, a family, a career. I am so excited for him!

Taylor is on a bus right now, somewhere between Buenos Aires and Resistencia, Argentina. It is a 20 hour bus ride to his mission after a red-eye flight to Buenos Aires. There are 11 other missionaries going to Resistencia with him. I have no idea when we will hear from him again; I am sure it will be after he is settled and into his routine. I am an emotional mom right now, proud of my son and yearning for his success. I cannot wait to hear of his travel experiences. I will keep you posted!