The eve of the one-year mark late night ramblings.....

Okay, so it's not really late night. Granted 7:51MST. But for me, it's like freaking midnight. My plan to hit 3 classes at gym - foiled by the rearing of an ugly headache. Fighting it with left over Lortab, thus the ramblings......
Came home to find a package from our Elder.

Now, Monday he said when the package came that we had to wait until Christmas to open it. AS IF!!! Wait, my butt! Neither the Splenda Daddy nor myself have such control or restraint. I ripped the package open to find a DVD and voice tape. Manna from heaven for a missionary mom!!
Popped the DVD in to find all the pictures from his camera downloaded. SWEET!!! Many we had seen before and many were new. Most of the new ones were of the people that he has been teaching or spending time with. The Chilean's are a beautiful, and humble people. I cried when I saw his first "apartment". A tiny mattress on the floor. The picture of his pet spider Matador. The bathroom with a tub that MIGHT be 4 x 4 if that. And the water flooding all over the floor. To see the homes, the area and his living conditions made my heart ache. He is, well was before he left, a clean freak. My cleanest son! But down there, it's wet like 90% of the time, so mud just seems to be a part of his wardrobe now. Freaking me out just a tich....
But then to see pictures of him learning how to make empanadas, surrounded by his Mamita and her family, smiling, hugging, laughing and playing with the kids he just baptized kinda, sorta takes the sting away. If he weren't so darn happy, I'd be on a plane tomorrow to fetch him home.
I listened to his voice tape and his accent is so strong that I had to REALLY listen to understand him. He tells me the story of how they are walking down the street and get called over by a woman. He tells us, this woman is, "not gonna lie", very ugly and downright funny looking. He quickly discovers that "she" is really a "he" and is a transvestite prostitute! WHISKEY.TANGO.FOXTROT! Okay, that's it, I'm SO calling the mission office ASAP! I listen some more and to my utter amazement, he goes on to share how this particular experience with the "shim" as he referred to he/she from then on, was an amazing experience and one that he will remember the rest of his life. One of the most spiritual experiences he has had on him mission yet.
Okay, missionary mom has calmed down (or is the Lortab is kicking in?), breathing has slowed down and will refrain from calling the mission home after all. I realize, I have a LOT to learn from this 20 year old.
Pretty ironic that his package came on the night before his official one year mark. Yes, that's right, in about 12 hours to be exact.

In short, I am so happy for him. He is doing exactly what he wants to be doing right now. How can I fault or begrudge that?
Do I miss him terribly? Yep
Do I wish it was December 2009? Yep
Do I even sometimes cry, and just wish I could talk to him for a sec? Yep
Would I have it any other way? NOPE


That's the bottom line. I wouldn't have it any other way.
So, albeit a few hours early, let the year count down begin!!
365 days, 11.5 hours until Luke comes home.......
Until then Viva la Chile!!