This past week has been filled with excitement and anticipation. The announcement came through the missionary department from the First Presidency that our missionaries weekly communication can now include WEEKLY phone calls. This information was very well received. I looked forward to previous phone calls coming in at Christmas and Mothers Day. This change is amazing. Even if Matthew only has 71 days left, I welcome this change.
I wrote Matthew on Sunday evening as I normally do. I didn't know what he had planned for his p-day plans. I couldn't sleep Sunday night and was awake until 2 a.m. THEN, I couldn't sleep and woke up at 7 a.m., This is very unusual for me. Last week, Matthew's email came through at 3:30 a.m., as he was up early getting through his plans for the day. I didn't want to miss his response so I could know what his plans were for today's communication. I had been waiting for one hour when I received an email from him. He informed me that they were able to use 'google hangout' now and that I needed a g-mail email address. I had one and sent this to him and then proceeded to sign up for 'hangout". We were able to connect with our emails. Then he told me that they were going to lunch and he would contact me when they got back. They were also moving from the lan house where they were to the Church house. Long story shortened, once he finally got back from lunch ( 90 minutes later) it took him about two more hours to get the microphone to work on the computers. He couldn't get video abilities but he did get audio. It was very poor audio and we had to listen very careful to hear him.
BUT, it was WONDERFUL to hear his voice again. In the past, I have said that if I could talk with him once a month, that I would be happy. I never thought this change would come.
We did decide, together, that he will not be calling every week. He doesn't have that much time left of his mission. We also decided together, that we would limit our phone calls to 15 minutes. At Christmas, we had 60 minutes. We both agreed that he had work to do and if he needed more frequent calls, then so it be.
I also wanted to post that Matthew and his companion sang Happy Birthday to Adam. His birthday is this coming Saturday and he will turn 19. Matthew's birthday is next week, March 2nd.
When we were finished, my body was exhausted. The anticipation of hearing his voice and my lack of sleep took a toll on me. I just crashed. I had to lay back down and I fell asleep almost instantly. I think that I needed to pinch myself that I was not dreaming and that I really did talk with him.
I did tell him that I still wanted his email/group letters and pictures, as I have put together binders with them all in them. I am on binder #3 right now. I wanted to finish out this for his mission. This has been a great project for me to do while he has been gone. I hope future missionaries make and keep a record of their missions that can be read and passed down to future generations. I hope that this tradition won't stop if phone calls take over emails. I hope a balance can be found between the two.
Matthew sent me pictures without any description. I told him he was going to have a lot of work to do when he gets home to write out the descriptions and names of those in the pictures.....
Enjoy these...….
I have to add this last picture. (For future laughs!!) On FB, we moms were discussing rather we now get up, shower, clean up, put our make up on, etc BEFORE our missionary calls. The polls went back and forth with many, many, funny posts. ( like, 'Oh, I'm asking for a friend'. LOL) I decided that I wasn't going to do much because he wasn't going to have video. During the call, however, I found out that HE could see ME, but I just could NOT see him. I hope he and his companion had a good laugh of his old mom still in her bathrobe.
