I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Such an emotionally exciting day for our family. Ben is headed to CALI which means we get to talk to him! I had been told by so many Moms to send him a phone because finding one at the airport was next to impossible. I was not taking ANY chances! I sent Ben a cheap burner phone (one he could throw away if he wanted to) with unlimited talk and text. I figured if any of the boys needed to use his phone, they could as well. The Elders were leaving the MTC at 3:50 am and his flight was not leaving until 8:00 so we had about 3 hours that we could talk. I COULD NOT WAIT! I set my alarm for 4am just to make sure I was awake and alert. 5:00 am rolls around and no phone call. 5:30 comes and still nothing. The baby starts crying so I lay with him and the phone on my chest, waiting. 6:30 my phone dings and it's a text from Ben that says he'll call at 7:00 am. Our phone rings and I am again, like before, a squealing crying mess. I am so happy to hear his voice. We kept the kids home from school so they could hear their brothers voice and inspirational words. 
We are talking back and forth about anything and everything we can when we hear some panic in his voice. We ask him what is wrong and he tells us that his companion Elder Crowther cannot find a phone. They sound like they are running through the airport frantically trying to find something to call home on. We continue talking for a few more minutes but both my husband and I KNOW he needs to give his phone to his companion. We tell him, "Ben, you need to let your comp use your phone and call home." He asks, "Are you sure?" Not because he didn't want to, but because my sweet Ben knows this Mom wants/needs all the time she can get with him. We told him, "Ben there is a Mom waiting to hear from her son and you are boarding soon and she wont be able to hear his voice. He has to call her." Ben sounded so relieved and grateful that we were willing to cut our call short so his companion could make that anticipated phone call home. 
It was AMAZING to speak to our Ben and give him some reassuring words and to pass on some of our excitement for this adventure he was about to embark on. We know the field is going to be a lot different than the MTC and we wanted him to arrive in California knowing his family was rooting and cheering him on as he is on the Lord's errand.

Some pics of their last few days together as companions and a District. 

孫長老

Elder Nelson