Son just turned 18 and 7 days later got his call. He will finish high school on May 24th and enter the Provo mtc June 5th. He is headed to Chile Orsorno. I am not feeling overtly sad or glad right now. Proud of him for being able and wanting to go. He is pretty excited.
Wow, that seems so quick - but I went the fall after I graduated, way back when, and that worked out perfectly for me.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
And congrats!Originally Posted by arizonaute
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
That's great! I left for mine 6 months after HS. Sooner is better.
Desse jeito, não tem jeito.
Don't worry about the lad in Chile. It's a fabulous place full of good people.
I went into the MTC in June of 03, several weeks after graduation. If I could do it, I am sure your son will be fine.
My in-laws, who happen to be visiting us in Gilbert, were the mission President(s) in Osorno 2008-11. They are super cool and if he wants to chat to them, I'm sure they would be up for it.
Message me if interested. Also, we know 5-6 recently returned missionaries from that mission who live in Mesa-Gilbert if you guys have questions
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Last edited by stretchiute; 03-06-2013 at 10:02 PM.
I graduated HS in may and was in the MTC in Oct. I think it is great he is leaving soon. Get on with it and when he gets back can start right into summer school. For only the price on a small suv you too can have your son go on a life altering journey for two years : )
Our oldest son needs to get his wisdom teeth removed and he'll be ready to submit everything to Church HQ and wait to receive his call. He graduates high school June 6th.
He has a friend who is currently serving in the Orsorno Mission, but I can't remember his last name. I'll ask my son when he gets home a bit later this afternoon and post the name.
Last edited by GarthUte; 03-07-2013 at 01:47 PM.
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." - Red Smith
Cool. Very exciting, GU. Congrats!
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I have an August birthday and was 17 when I graduated from HS. So I had 15 months to kill before I was old enough to go on a mission. So I worked two summers and got a full year in at the U.
The upside was getting a taste of college and knowing what I was getting into when I got home. I don't know if it would be a shock to go from HS courses to no school for two years then diving into a university curriculum -- as well as staring down a full four years at 20 years old. I was glad not to be starting from scratch at the U when I got home.
The downside was that it that was a long time to wait. I was a straight-laced kid, not into the party scene, but 15 months to wait for a mission could be a long time for a kid with wilder streak. It was such a long wait. There were guys I graduated with who were halfway done with their missions before I even entered the MTC. Back then I thought the rule should be 19 or a year out of HS. Aside from the money I earned in my last summer, the time after my first year at the U was sort of just a waste and killing time. Also, by the time my mission finally came, I had had enough of a taste of college life that I was already excited for my post-mission life. I don't think that affected me much until I was in an area in my last six months where I got to serve on the campus of Yale. Walking among the students, particularly the females my age, I started setting my eyes on the notion of being back in college by the next fall.
With all of that said, even at 19, I was sort of immature. Not like in some punk way, but more like in the sense that I was a young innocent kid. Again, that was at 19. If I had gone at 18, I would have just been a baby. In my own case, I think that one more year of growing up helped me and the year of college opened me up to the world a *little* bit in a way that was helpful. I worry that these 18 year olds are SO sheltered that it's harmful. A year at the U surrounded by students and professors who did not share my beliefs was very different than my upbringing in suburban SLC where my high school was probably 80% LDS.
I have learned that sometimes you have to badger your son to send back his acceptance letter.
finally have the bishops signature on it and in the mail. : )
Papers sent to travel office. Will be sending him from Sky Harbor. Wife sent a list of dates and times for his talk, ordinations and temple appointment. Bishop wrote back "sounds good" ( dont tell me women dont run the church : ) )
My wife was talking to her close friend in Layton, Utah a few weeks ago. An 18 year old male in her ward had recieved his mission call and was scheduled to speak at his farewell the next Sunday, but instead his family was planning his funeral. He took his own life, apparently the pressure of going on a mission was too overwhelming. Tragic story!
I understand that most 18 year olds are probably ready to go, but there are a few that might need some extra time. I see a lot of pressure being put on some of these young men. Too much pressure in some cases. I think sometimes we should back off a little bit.
That's horrible, Scorcho. My heart goes out to that family.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
we have a couple of 18-19 year olds in our ward that got caught right in the middle of the mission age change last fall. One just left to England a month ago. The other turns 19 in July. I feel bad for the kid, because I'm not positive he wants to go, or isn't quite ready right now. At church, he gets bombarded with people asking him if he's turned his papers in yet, where he wants to go, etc. I am just as quilty as I find myself doing the same thing when I'm speaking to him, and I overheard my wife telling him he will make a great missionary. Nothing wrong with encouraging them, but we should probably be as interested in other parts of their lives as well. I'm probably saying this for my own benefit more so than anyone else.
Too often we do a lousy job of preparing people to serve missions. I was very fortunate to spend the eight months between graduation and my mission in an excellent missionary prep program in my stake. Most don't have such an opportunity and arrive in the MTC unprepared, and many leave. A suicide is even more tragic. We seem to be in such a hurry all the time, and we pressure other people to be in a hurry; "Hurry up and get married", "Hurry up and have kids." That we are now saying "Hurry up and go on a mission" is disheartening. We should be helping those who wish to serve to prepare, we should prepare them to serve for the right reasons, and now we should help them determine when they are ready. Anyway, that's why I started this blog (link):
http://thewholemissionary.blogspot.com/
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
Our Ward just had a young female missionary go home to Utah after a month in the field. I hope my son goes on a mission but I hope it is because of his desire not mine. If he wants to wait I am ok with that.
We have a young man in our ward that did not go when everyone expected him to go. Fast forward three years he surprised everyone and is now going on a mission and is happy and omfortable with his choice.
Last edited by OceanBlue; 04-27-2013 at 11:12 AM.
A mission should not make someone feel like that.
Last edited by arizonaute; 04-28-2013 at 11:37 PM.
I agree with the premise that some shouldn't. There are a couple in my ward I am wondering about.
My son has been going to mission prep for a year and a half with really good instructors. I told him many times including right before he opened his call (with family in the other room), you open this there is not turning back. You need to make sure YOU want to be in the mission field before you see where you are going. He is a good kid and will adjust and do well I believe. He is not an office seeker and will just try and work. At least I think so.
Last edited by arizonaute; 04-28-2013 at 11:49 PM.
great blog
Thanks.
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
Temple and farewall talk in the books. Eight days and he flies to provo.
Friends farewell party is out of the way. Tommorow is neighbors can come by. Four days and he is on a jet plane.
Arizonaute, Good luck to your family. Exciting times.
Exciting and happily intense times, Arizonaute. Enjoy!
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Even though I'm (at best) considered an inactive Mormon, I have a son who just got back from a mission, and I think it's a great thing - the willingness to serve, the experience, the work, and just making the sacrifice for something that's bigger than yourself.
The MTC is pretty intense, heavy duty preparation, and there are some kids that have a tough time and may not be able to fulfill their mission. I've known a couple of kids who came down with anxiety in the MTC.
But I have some inside knowledge on Arizona Ute and his family, and I have no doubt his son will be just fine. (And if for whatever reason it's not the right thing for him, he'd be fine in that situation, too. I've been very impressed with the support these kids get. One of the kids I know who didn't get through the MTC is doing really well, in fact is at BYU. There can be a lot of pressure, it's nice to see kids land on their feet no matter what journey they've taken.)
Nice work down there in AZ, Arizona Ute!! You guys have every reason to be proud! He's a great kid, with his head screwed
on straight. Pretty darn good parenting.
You're son's already home, Ma'ake? Wow. Time flies.
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." - Red Smith
I have a co-worker (non-LDS) who has told me that he wishes he could send his boys on missions. He thinks the U.S. should require every able-bodied 19 year old to take a two-year mission of some sort - religious, peace corps, teach for America, military, etc. Not a bad idea.Even though I'm (at best) considered an inactive Mormon, I have a son who just got back from a mission, and I think it's a great thing - the willingness to serve, the experience, the work, and just making the sacrifice for something that's bigger than yourself.
The MTC is pretty intense, heavy duty preparation, and there are some kids that have a tough time and may not be able to fulfill their mission. I've known a couple of kids who came down with anxiety in the MTC.
But I have some inside knowledge on Arizona Ute and his family, and I have no doubt his son will be just fine. (And if for whatever reason it's not the right thing for him, he'd be fine in that situation, too. I've been very impressed with the support these kids get. One of the kids I know who didn't get through the MTC is doing really well, in fact is at BYU. There can be a lot of pressure, it's nice to see kids land on their feet no matter what journey they've taken.)
Nice work down there in AZ, Arizona Ute!! You guys have every reason to be proud! He's a great kid, with his head screwed
on straight. Pretty darn good parenting.
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