Claymation is in the MTC (missionary training center) right now and will be for the next 9 weeks learning Russian before leaving to Moscow, Russia to be a stellar missionary. I am so proud. I seriously have big sister pride going on right now. There is no other place I would rather have him be.
It is interesting because I know what it is like on both sides. The missionary side and now the family side and let me tell you something, the family side sucks! Seriously. As a missionary you are so distracted and so beyond busy that you dont even really have time to think about home or what you are missing out on because you are constantly doing something and then when you do have free time, it is normally just before bed and all you can think about is how tired you are and how excited you are to finally go to sleep and that sleep is the best gift god ever gave us and then you crash only to do it again the next day. The family side is so much harder because you don't have something going on 24/7 and you have time to think about how you miss your loved one and you think about what they are doing and if they are okay and if people are going to be nice to them and its rough. I think, with me anyways (I can't speak for my other family members), I am having a little bit of an easier time because I know how it is as a missionary and I just keep thinking about how lucky he is at this time in his life because really, being a missionary is one of the best experiences someone can ever have in their entire lifetime. It is definitely going to be hard during the holidays to not have one of my siblings there, and that is something I haven't experienced because I was the one away, so that might be a little weird, but for right now I am totally cool with writing him two dearelder letters a day so that he can win his letter receiving competition and anxiously await Wednesdays where I get have a nice little email waiting for me from my brudder...its great!
I went home to Utah to spend time with my family before Clay left and to hear his farewell talk and to see him off into the MTC and I am so happy I was able to see him and the change of heart he had towards missionary service. His farewell talk was great. He talked about how he came to know for himself that serving a mission was something he needed to do and how he worked towards it and that just made me beyond happy. I wanted him to go because he had the confirmation, not because it was expected of him or because everyone else was doing it. So way to go Clayton, that is the way to do it my friend.
Being at the MTC just reminded me of how much I loved it and loved serving and made me miss being a missionary like no other. I can't wait to be able to serve again with my spouse in the future. It will be amazing.
Love you Elder Chudleigh. I miss you and can't wait to see you in two. MWAH!
LOVE the missionary sibs, but you're right - it's hard from the fam side. I like that you have both perspectives because it makes me feel better that the missionaries are busy and aren't having as hard a time as me. :)
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