On February 15th, 2013, my brother Challis received his mission call! He opened it that evening at home in the presence of family, close friends, and his Young Men's group (they were on their way up to a YM winter camp out so they were able to stop by on the way!)!!!
Challis has been called to serve in the
SCOTLAND/IRELAND MISSION!!!
He flies out on June 12th and enters the MTC in England on June 13th, just a few weeks after his HS graduation! crazy.
First of all, I am extremely excited for him and think this will be an 'experience of a lifetime'!!! However, a part of me is just a bit jealous because I've always thought it would be fun to go there (it's on my bucket list of things to do...even ask Richard...I may have mentioned it to him a time or two...or twelve)!!
And then another part of me is having a really hard time with him leaving. Him and I are pretty close and always have been. But I think the hardest thing will be watching him leave Kinzie. I don't know what he's done to win her heart, but she absolutely adores him! They have this special little bond/relationship, and she totally idolizes him. There's times when we go to my parent's, and Kinzie wants nothing to do with grandma or grandpa....only Uncle Challis. She gets so excited when she sees him or when we mention his name! Whenever I think about him leaving and Kinzie not being able to see her favorite person for 2 whole years, I get emotional (although pregnancy hormones may have something to do with that too). She can hardly go a week without seeing him, so I wonder how long it will take her to adjust when she won't see him for weeks. She definitely has him wrapped around her finger, but he's a good sport and entertains/plays with her, even when he has a bunch of homework, or is tired, or just plain exhausted.
Kinzie will be 4 when he returns, and although we promise to send pics, letters, drawings, etc, I really hope she doesn't totally forget Uncle Challis and how much she loves him. I imagine he'll be a bit of a stranger to her when he returns.
Thanks Challis for being such a great friend and uncle to her. She sure will miss you.
However, I am very grateful for Challis and for making this decision to serve the Lord. Those Irish folk are sure lucky and should feel very blessed to have Challis Stewart coming to their area to teach, serve, and bless them! I know he'll do great and be an amazing missionary!!
