More from Momma Beach

Okay, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, that a wise Mom of 3 missionaries told me... 

Shhhh! 

TELL ALL YOUR MISSIONARY MOM FRIENDS---send your Missionary a phone so they can call you from the airport and during their travels.  Now here's why... we have so MANY missionaries right now! Can you imagine them all trying to use the few pay phones still left in the airports?  

Problems with airport payphones:  1. Finding a pay phone, 2. Finding money to call, 3. feeling guilty they are taking up all the time because there are 10 other missionaries waiting to use the phone too, 4. Can't talk, walk and find my connecting gate all at the same time, and 5. what if they pay phone doesn't work well. (this happened to a friend of mine, her missionary could not hear his family on the other end, the call ended with the Mom in tears because her boy couldn't hear through the crappy pay phone)

So, problem solved.  Go to Wal-Mart and purchase a Tracfone. Ours was $14.88.  There are cheaper ones and more expensive ones.  If you have a missionary going foreign, see if they have a disposable phone for international calls.

and don't forget the minutes... 

with the phone I purchased, it automatically doubled the minutes, so the 120 turned into 240!  I didn't mind having that many minutes on the phone because I wanted other missionaries to be able to borrow the phone and talk to their Momma's too.  The word must have gotten out, because Parker's companion's family sent him a phone too!

Now.  With that leaked...

Elder Beach's travels began at 3:30 am, Monday morning, so we are quite glad we didn't make telephone connections until around 6:00 am.

He sounds SO good! I think it lifted all of our spirits to hear Parker so excited for his mission!!! He said, "Mom!! I'm going to North Carolina?!  I said, Yes, I know, that's why I've been crying since October. Elder Beach said, "No.  I'm REALLY going!"  ha! ha!  He said he was traveling with 25 missionaries... Wow! even more WOWZA! when Elder Beach says they are ALL going to North Carolina!!!  That number was just uncomprehendable to John since that was a whole Zone back in John's missionary days!

Once Elder Beach arrived in Detroit he called again, with just a one hour layover, he was chatting as they were walking to their next gate, I hear him say: They have a POPEYE'S!!!

I told him, he's gonna see a lot more of those where he's going! 

 Here a pretty pic from the Detroit airport:

By the time Parker and his Dad were able to connect, Parker was already on the plane, so it was off to Raleigh, North Carolina!

Elder Beach called around 1:30pm (MST)... "MOM?? I'M IN NORTH CAROLINA!!! I'M REALLY HERE AND I CAN'T WIPE THE SMILE OFF MY FACE!!!

I loved hearing that!!  Love you Elder Beach!!  We hope you have a P-Day soon so we can hear ALL about everything else!!!

Where in the World is Parker Gonna Serve?

FROM  MY MOM'S POINT OF VIEW

On October 5, 2012, Parker said: "Only 2 more years until the BEST 2 years of my life!"  Little did we know that 12 hours later President Thomas S. Monson would make the epic announcement about the missionary age change, and that Parker would be gone, serving a mission in only 10 months!

John and I were watching the October General Conference live when President Monson made the announcement.  My wide eyes filled with tears, John paused the program and said, "I think we better wake up the boys."

I went into Parker's room and said President Monson is making a huge announcement about missionaries that affects you and you need to watch this.  Parker jumped up (not normal for a 17 year old, on a Saturday, excited for GC - weird!?)  Parker curled up in the comfy chair, facing the TV, across from me.  I was facing him, watching his reaction.  

He turned his head toward me, mouth open and said Really?  Trying not to let the tears fall down my face, 

I replied Yes.  He said, I am TOTALLY going!

Parker turned in his mission papers March 22, 2013 and his envelope arrived, April 2, but Parker was in St. George enjoying Spring Break with friends.  We knew the call would arrive while he was gone and I thought this would drive me NUTS, but I had a "calm" about the whole thing.  Weird for Mom... many of my friends couldn't believe that I wouldn't take a peek or pull a prank on Parker.  I had a "peace" that came over me and I knew everything would be okay and that Parker would be called to serve EXACTLY where he was suppose to be.

North Carolina Raleigh Mission

Provo MTC - August 14, 2013

Parker's Dad served his mission in North Carolina-Charlotte in 1985-86, so this was a huge announcement and we are all so excited!!