Week 1-- Home MTC Begins

 Alysha gave her Mission Farewell talk yesterday, Oct. 10th.  She did a fantastic job!  That evening she was officially set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was an amazing experience to witness her setting apart, the spirit was so strong it was overwhelming.  Even though there was only 7 of us in that room it felt like it was filled to capacity with people from the other side of the veil who were anxious to witness that event too.  Our family is filled with mixed emotions as we are so happy and excited for Alysha as she starts this missionary journey, but, we are also sad and anxious as this means many changes in our family.  

I have to admit I'm grateful that her mission begins here at home with Home MTC so we can all kind of ease into the changes, but, also because we get the opportunity to feel the MTC spirit in our home and experience this first little bit of her mission first hand with her.  She has an online companion from Idaho that in the mornings she gets to do companion study with, then in the afternoon and evenings she will have online MTC classes.  

I am so grateful for the last 3 months that I have had to help Alysha get ready for her mission, and for all the recent temple trips that we have been able to do together, it is memories I will cherish forever!  I am grateful Heavenly Father sent this sweet spirit to our home and that we have had the opportunity to raise her and have her in our home for the past almost 21 years.  I hand her over now to the capable hands of  Heavenly Father and his servants in the Indianapolis Mission.