Well, the time finally came to take Steven to the Missionary Training Center to begin his mission. It is a day, that as parents, we have been looking forward to for a very long time. Most of our friends know that the MTC is where Greg and Isabel met for the very first time. It was while both were attending BYU and teaching Spanish to new missionaries and Steven's first visit to the MTC was when he was just a couple of days old. That is a story for another day, but it is safe to say that the MTC has a very dear place in both of our hearts.
Before leaving the home of Abuelo & Abuela Lindheimer, Greg was able to give Steven a father's blessing. It was a special moment and there were many beautiful feelings that were shared. It is really the only time that any of us cried during the goodbye process. We loaded up the cars and headed to Provo to get some lunch. We ended up eating at Rumbi's Hawaiian restaurant which is actually just around the block from the apartment where we lived when Steven was born!
After lunch we headed up the hill towards the Provo Temple. It used to be that the MTC had a nice orientation video & presentation for all incoming missionaries and their families. They would welcome everyone and show a quick video of what life as a missionary is all about. It was a very sweet but gut-wrenching experience and I remember many times walking by the room where they held that meeting and seeing families just bawling their eyes out, with families headed one way and the missionaries headed the other like a deer in the headlights. I'm kind of glad that we didn't have to do that.
We got there about 15 minutes before he was to report and took a few last minute pictures.Then Steven had to say goodbye to his Abuelos and Tia Guga since only immediate family members were supposed to go to the drop off. We loaded up and got in the long line of cars that were trying to get into the parking lot. They have it set up now where you pull into a marked station, pop the trunk and two missionaries with "Escort" tags rush up to your car and unload everything for you. There really isn't much time for pictures or long goodbyes. The two elders who attended our car asked where we were from. When we said Gilbert, AZ, they both got excited and said that they were also from Arizona (Chandler & Mesa) and were heading to Mexico on their missions. They were very pleasant and helpful.
As we were getting ready for one more hug and goodbye, an elder walked up to Steven and began shaking his hand. He didn't say anything, he just stood there shaking his hand until Isabel finally realized who it was. It was Elder Kaleb Baker, a young man who is from our old ward in Kansas City and someone who Isabel had taught in Cub Scouts with Steven all those many years ago. Instinctively, Isabel went towards him with outstretched arms to give him a big hug until she realized that he got stiff as a board and didn't know how to react. There was a senior sister missionary a few feet away tending a water cooler who was watching the whole scene. Luckily Isabel reacted in time to avoid giving him a hug and at the same time saved herself from getting tackled by the nice senior sister missionary who was about to pounce like a protective mama bear! Elder Baker asked the other missionaries if he could switch with them and be Steven's escort that day and they gladly accepted.
We gave Steven our final hugs and kisses for the next two years and watched him walk off with his former Cub Scout buddy, with a huge smile on his face and never looking back. What an amazing experience! Some might call it coincidence, but I think that there was more to it than that. The Lord knows Steven and he provided someone at the very moment that he needed it to be a support and strength to him as he said goodbye to his family. It was truly a tender mercy from the Lord.
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