The end of "Sister"

Sister Garcia and President Johnson

As a Mom I thought I was going to be STOKED that you were no longer a missionary. Seriously, I thought: BEST DAY EVER but then I watched as you sat on our couch and listened to President Johnson talk to you and share his thoughts with you on a mission and your service. I loved listening to you talk about experiences you had and share some of your favorite moments with him. 

It wasn't until President Johnson looked at you and told you 'it was time' for you to take your tag off as he officially released you as a full time missionary that it hit me that instead of this being the best day ever, this was all of a sudden the HARDEST part of the best day ever! I didn't anticipate these feelings and I sure didn't anticipate the hard and heavy I would feel for you as you took that tag off. This became a staple for you day in and day out and now, this would become a memory that you could look back and reflect on. I watched as tears welled up in your eyes and then as they freely fell out of your eyes. This was a moment I could not help with. This was a moment I had to allow you to do and feel all the feels. I could only sit with a silent prayer in my heart as you took this final 'take off' of  your missionary tag.

President Johnson asked if you would share your testimony with us before he left and you of course said yes. You sat on the edge of the couch and with tears streaming, you bore the most tender testimony in Portuguese. I have NO idea what you said but the overwhelming feeling of the Spirit that was inside of our home because of you is something I want to never forget. You have made such a difference for so many! I think of the countless interactions you have had over these 18 months and I think of our home here and the influence you have been and count my blessings of being to be a part of this with you leading the way. 

No longer are you  Sister Garcia but instead you are now Kaitlyn. You will forever be my favorite Sister Missionary and you will forever be the reason my testimony has grown for the love and appreciation of missionaries and the sacrifices they make to go and serve. This moment will not be forgotten and the tender love of our Heavenly Father that I was able to feel as you bore your testimony will be imprinted on my heart into the eternities. 

Kaitlyn, welcome home. Thank you for your selfless service and love to go and serve your Heavenly Father. Thank you for your example and for showing not just me but so many others that this Gospel is world reaching and available on everyones 'own time'. Thank you for teaching me patience and love. Thank you for teaching me that I can do hard things and for showing me that sometimes days just need to be one foot in front of the other. Thank you for allowing me to be along on this journey of yours and for trusting me with the deepest of deep feelings, the realest of real moments, the highs, the lows, the good, the bad, and for allowing me to be right there next to you in all you did. I thought it was the biggest blessing to get to be your Mom but in the end, as you get older and as I have had the privilege to watch as you have turned into this really amazing young adult, my biggest blessing is to have you trust me to not just be your Mom but to be your friend along the way too. 

I love you to the moon and back. Forever and for always, no matter what!

Mom