Good Bye & Good Luck

Tonight we said good bye to Grandma and Grandpa Randall for another 18 months. They are leaving tomorrow morning for Nairobi, Kenya, their second mission. Their excitement is contagious and although we will miss them terribly, we are happy for them to have this opportunity. They will be working in the Employment Resource Center mainly with PEF students. They have told us more about the PEF program and they are so thrilled to be able to help the people in Kenya.
Last night we had a family dinner at Ford's with all the kids, grand kids, my grandparents and aunt and uncle. It was a tight fit, but I'm so glad we could all make it. We ate dinner and then Mom and Dad talked for a bit. They bore their testimonies and talked about their missionary experiences. After that, Dad gave all the children and Gavin Father's Blessings. It was so neat. My dad must have been very in tune that night because he said exactly what I needed to hear. I loved that Gavin also received a blessing. Grandma and Grandpa will be gone when Gavin gets the Priesthood and so he received a special blessing from Grandpa to help him prepare for his ordination.

I thought that saying good bye this time would be easier, but it wasn't. We all cried, hugged and said I love yous, but I couldn't bring myself to say the actual words: good bye. We will miss them, but we have done this before and know that the first couple months is the hardest and then is gradually gets easier. We are so thankful for their great examples of service and dedication to the Lord. We love you, Grandma & Grandpa!