Phone Call Home: Monday, September 20, 2021

Today is our last P-day call with Sister Garcia located in the US. It is crazy to think that this time next week she will be in Brazil! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when she called or even how far to 'push' when it came to talking about this last week and what her plan was for her day but she led and we were able to have a really great conversation. 

Sister Garcia has been busy packing and getting herself ready to fly to Brazil this week. She has nothing but praise and happy to speak about Sister G and the lesson she learned in how to pack a suitcase from her! Seriously, I still cannot wait to learn how she does it. Her suitcases are pretty much ready and she has one full size still empty even. So proud of her. She has a couple of boxes she needs to ship home but other than that, I think she looks pretty ready to head out of the country.

They didn't do any p-day shopping at a grocery store today since she is leaving and since Sister Soares is heading to become a trio with another set of Sister Missionaries. That left a pretty open day so they headed to Target to get a few last minute things (travel shampoo/conditioner, some deodorant for her bag, toothbrush/toothpaste, etc) and Sister Soares wanted a couple of things as well. In all, it was a very low key day.

Sister Garcia and I had a chance to really talk today and she shared her feelings with me as she prepares to leave the MBM. This place was not where she wanted to go. In fact, she recalls being angry when she was reassigned. She questioned her worth and had the feelings that the Lord simply didn't trust her to be in Brazil to serve and that was why she was going to a reassignment instead. She said she reluctantly embraced this new call and decided it was up to her to make her mission what she wanted it to be. She has loved being back East and she has grown to love these people so very much. Her heart is aching to know that she is leaving them and she is really having a hard time leaving Sister Soares. It is her first trainee and she is so new that Sister Garcia is worried and concerned that Sister Soares may feel like she is being abandoned. It really is like a mother/daughter relationship. 

Sister Garcia and I had lots of tears. She was so emotional and it was so hard for me to not be next to her sharing her grief. She isn't at all scared to be going to Brazil. She isn't worried about the international travel, the language barrier (if there is going to even be one at all), and she isn't worried about seriously anything. She just feels so much sadness that she is leaving these friends she has made and worked with side by side for the last 8 1/2 months. I didn't have the right words I am certain and I wasn't there to wrap  my arms around her to just hold her as she cried. There is truly nothing more heartbreaking than that! I know that she is going to be fantastic in Brazil and I know that the Lord has truly worked with her these past months so that when she does arrive she is ready to go. But I also can only imagine just how hard it would be to say goodbye.

I promised I would say a special prayer on her behalf that night before I went to bed with hopes that peace would come to her heart. That this sadness she is feeling can be replaced with joy and happy that she is finally headed to where she was originally called on her mission. As a Mom it is hard enough to parent when your children are hurting, but as a missionary Mom who isn't even in the same city when your child is hurting...BRUTAL.

This is going to be a busy week of things that need to be done in order for Sister Garcia to get on a plane. She has to take a Covid test and get it shipped to Salt Lake to the lab, she has to get 100% packed so when transfers come in  on Wednesday she has all of her stuff to stay the night with the STL's, she needs to get a health declaration filled out and printed, and she needs to gather all of her documents to travel and in the meantime, not get distracted and be able to get some sleep in the next couple of days because adrenaline is going to kick in and I worry she won't be able to really sleep the way she needs to.

It is going to be hard to let Sister Garcia leave the US. I have so loved the access and ability to send little messages of encouragement and love through the Facebook messenger and having her see it and then have the ability to react to it. I have loved watching her activity on the Facebook. I just don't know what life will look like with Brazil and a new Mission President in the picture. For now, I am going to relish in the next couple of days knowing that my girl needs my help in a couple of things (not really because she would be able to handle it all but I appreciate that she says she needs me) and that I will be able to help 'see' her off in a sense.

Crazy that this time next week we will talk with her in BRAZIL! I love you oodles. And I am so dang proud of you. Never ever forget that!

Mom

Elder and Sister Garcia got some video time today!
Plenty of puffy eyes between us but I love that she still has a smile on her face.


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