Wow! I can't believe the time since my parents opened their mission call flew by so fast! And now they are officially full-time missionaries and have been in Mongolia one week. We've gotten to Skype with them a couple times since they arrived and they are doing great. They've met a lot of the members in Mongolia and already love the people and the simple life-style they lead.
Here's a whirlwind overview of this past Missionary Month!
This is shortly after my parents spoke in Church the day before they entered the MTC.
Dinner and pictures in the backyard following Church.
Sisters: Karie, Lynette, Sharlene, & Heather
Brothers-in-law: Ryan, Mikey, & Andy
My cute dad!
Entering the MTC! Dropping off a couple at the MTC is very different from dropping of a younger elder or sister. We got to help my parents take their luggage into their room and see where they would be staying for the next 11 days.
There was even a sign in their room for them to hang on their door when they left the MTC saying, "We have left for our Mission!" Cute!
Dropping my parents off at the MTC was actually a very fun, uplifting experience and not as sad as I expected. We knew we would see them again at the airport in a couple weeks, so it was more like dropping my parents off at EFY or their freshman year of college. My dad was just wondering when he'd get to go to the first football game. :)
My parents loved their experience in the MTC!
Another perk of my parents being on a couple mission is that they have a lot more freedom than the younger elders and sisters. In fact during their MTC stay Mikey and I got to see them 3 times! My dad had a problem with his computer, so we drove him and my mom to Best Buy one night. Then the next day they needed to go to the Social Security Office, so we let them borrow our car, and of course got to see them when we picked it up. When my parents were leaving the MTC for one of these errands one of the elders asked, "Hey, why don't we get to go?" My dad quickly replied, "We've paid our dues!" :)
Then the night before my mom & dad flew to Mongolia we had a family gathering in a park near the MTC! Wow! I felt so spoiled to get to see them so often!
Sister Lasson, Emmie, & Elder Lasson
Sister Lasson & Davis
Sister Lasson, Davis, Wayne, & Elder Lasson
...and now for the final good-byes at the airport!
This is my cute sister Lynette & her three kids Braden, Hailey, and Kahler. My parents' flight was so early in the morning that the kids got to stay in their pj's!
Grandma Verda
Russ & Mom
And they're on their way! This good-bye was a little harder on me. I cried. But just for a minute. :) It's hard to be too sad when you know they are going to be serving Heavenly Father and having such wonderful experiences. I am so proud of my parents. Knowing that they are sacrificing so much is motiviating for me to do my best here at home.
And now they are in MONGOLIA! This is a picture of my parents outside their apartment building.
Here is a quote from an email we just received explaining the photo below, "The next [picture is] of Luke's hair cutting ceremony that we were invited to on our second day in Mongolia. Mongolians don't cut a little boy's hair until he turns two. We were told it was was for 'gender protection.' It's quite a ceremony and we were thrilled to be invited."
Outside a "ger," which is the transportable home the nomads live in!
So that's the update on Missionary Month! My parents are doing very well. At Church on Sunday, the day after they arrived, they bore their testimonies in Mongolian! And then just the other day they were out with some elders doing missionary work and they bore their testimonies again to some investigators. My parents said that the Mongolians speak English about as well as my parents speak Mongolian! They've been trying to speak Mongolian as much as they can...to cab drivers, people in the markets, and members. They are doing great and are having wonderful experiences!
It's this cute picnic basket by The Optima Company & everything in it . . . the darling dishes, the embroidered napkins, the tiny salt & pepper shakers. And everything is top-notch quality. Ooo, it's beautiful. I cannot wait to go on a picnic with Mikey . . . as soon as it stops raining!
