His Last Week in the CCM

We got an email last week while the family was in Moab, missing him.
Some places/songs/random things are worse than others with the missing. Often I am blindsided by a wave of missing him.
Moab is definitely his playground- he has been going there since he was a baby. He loves Moab, and it made us all wish he could have somehow transported there for just one day to climb some hills in his Jeep.

Empty spot in the family photo.

Time and season. Moab isn't going anywhere, but Jayden is!
He arrived in his mission (Medellin) this morning- and they let him write a quick five minute email to let us know he arrived safely.

Today it truly begins.

The email last week was the first one that sounded a teeny bit homesick.

Hey how are you guys!! Oh my gosh i can not stop thinking about you guys! The latin comp has been kinda rough, but my spanish has increased so much! But everything is spanish now and it is really frustrating not being able to say what i want! I really wish i could go to moab!! Ugh i miss my jeep and moab soooo bad! I have missed you so bad this week i cant even contain it! My comp os cool though and super nice! I think if he had a hair curl he would look like the latin version of superman haha! His name is Elder Nieves haha which is snow in english so i call him Elder snow sometimes. I will attach a picture. I am so glad to here that Mikayla is doing alright. I am always thinking about her and hope she okay. How is Utah? How is everyone in school. It is so crazy i go into the field this next week and my spanish is so terrible! You guys would be so surprised at how much rice i have eating here! I am trying to think of anything cool that has happened here but the CCM is sooo boring. I am super pumped for general conference though! mostly beacause it will be in english and i dont have to speak spanish but i am so excited for it! I have to tell you that my testimony and knowledge of the gospel has grown so much since i got here! I sound like a nerdy mormon kid but it really has and it is the coolest thing! So when i go to my mission they are driving our luggage out a day before and we take a flight out, because it is like a 10 hour car ride away! Oh with the new transfer when i got my comp we got 8 new white kids, one of them knew JoJo from college he is super cool! I think that is it for now. sorry my emails absolutely blow i will have something cool for you next time. I love you much! Send me awesome Moab pics! I miss you mom!

P.S. Thank you for everything you did for me and my mission, i dont think this email can express how much i am truly thankful!

Here is the photo of his companion, Elder Nieves/Snow/ Latino Superman:

The email this week, although short, makes me wonder if last week he was just really done with the CCM, anxious for change, and ready to get out into the field.

Hey they are giving us 5 minutes to write you here in Medellin! I made here safely and I want you to know that it is so beautiful here! Way better than Bogota! Everyone i have met so far is really cool and so nice. They were even impressed with the Spanish i have learned from the CCM! My mission pres and his wife are the sweetest and nicest people ever! I hope you had fun in Moab and on Easter! Hey General Conference was amazing this time around yeah! I am sorry i havent read any of your emails. Oh and you can change my instagram to the address of the mission office now. Anyway i love you and miss you lots!!

Love Elder Wadley

General Conference as Jayden mentioned, was awesome. I am always grateful for "couch church" where we gather as a family (in our sweatpants) and listen to the prophet and the General Authorities. The messages they have are always so full of hope. It is easy to get discouraged, and even depressed when the world is so messed up, and there is not much we can do about it. (I don't even watch the news anymore.) The messages of Conference remind us to get back to the basics: prayer, scripture study, strengthening our families with quality time (unplugged from devices!) this will help us stay strong when we are met with even more opposition.

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" [Isaiah 5:20]

There are still good people in the world who are searching for peace, encouragement and the light of Christ. These are the people who will be drawn to my boy. These are the people we pray will find him- and the other missionaries around the world like him. This is the reason he is doing what he is doing. To bring them this message of hope. The world needs more hope.