The One Where Elder Taka is My Hero

This week I didn't milk a lot of info out of Elder Wadley because I was so taken back by his decision to finally cut his dang hair! Baby steps with this one.
Here is his e-mail, spoiler alert: it doesn't say anything.

This week has been pretty good yes i am still in a trio and i probably will be for awhile so yeah let see i guess i could tell you about my new area so my companions names are Elder Taka, and Elder Cruz, they are both super sick Elder Cruz goes home this transfer and Taka has been out the same amount of time as Eschler was. Greencastle is pretty cool so far im still getting adjusted to it but it should be easy the members here are super sick umm i dont know what else to say like always so...

And then the photos rolled in!
And along with the photos, a video clip of his companion who committed Elder Wadley to cutting his gross hair. (The video clip is on my Facebook and Instagram account!)
I am going to say this, and please know that I mean no offense to anyone- but occasionally when he was home Brendan would let his hair grow out sort-of shaggy, and in hopes of getting him to cut it, I used any tactic I could think of.
To be fair, when his hair grows out, it lays nice, it's thick, it feathers, and curls under.
Anyway, one day I told him that his longish bobbed hair made him look like "a really nice lesbian."
He cut it soon after.
So here he is looking like "a really nice lesbian" on his mission, and Elder Taka fixed that for me.
You can bet a package of gratitude is winging its way to Greencastle.

 Here is the after, (cropped out of his Thanksgiving dinner photo.)

Here is his Thanksgiving:

Bless this family who invited these Elders into their home to share this holiday! I didn't even ask Brendan the details of the day. Like I said, the hair was the main shocking event this week.
It looks nice, right?
Kinda like a missionary.

The One Where My Heart Melts

Elder Brendan is being transferred to a new area (Greencastle) early tomorrow morning where he will be paired up with a new companion as well. He has a lot of good-byes to give today, and his online time was short.
He had some more adventures on the farm.
He had a few appointments.
He and I had our usual good-natured banter this p-day.
But I am skipping over all of this.
Something this sweet from your 18 year old boy needs to stand alone- like a limited edition Lambo, or the Crown Jewels.

 So hey Mom you know i love you right? Im so grateful for all you do for me and i know i dont say it a lot but you're the best!!! :)

This boy of mine has been gone for five months now.

I miss him so bad sometimes my chest aches.
Despite his outward goofiness I can see him changing. I can see him doing the things that allow him the constant companionship of the spirit. This is the miracle of the missionary program. The change it brings in these young kids- totally worth missing them. The most important person they will ever convert is themselves.
When you desire to serve the Lord, it brings  a whole lot of  opportunities and blessings.
When you recognize the blessings, you cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
When you choose to be grateful, you see more blessings, and even in the midst of trials- you can see the Lord's hand in your life.
This peace and hope can get you through anything.

The One With CHICKENSLAUGHTER

Brendan's blog posts are truly a labor of love.
After I wrote him a lengthy, entertaining, possibly award-winning and heartfelt e-mail summarizing our week at home, this is what I got in response.

um this week has been pretty good out here im getting transferred i dont know where too but i know im leaving yeah i slit some chickens throats it was a good time haha i dont really know what to say haha so this will do i guess

Sigh.
So thus begins my efforts to pry literally anything else out of him.
Here is how that usually goes down.
I ask him a question, and he ignores it for three or four times of me asking and then he finally gives me a sentence or two about whatever it is that I asked.
So let's revisit his "e-mail" and highlight a possible subject of interest- you know, that HE COULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Keep in mind, each line is a separate e-mail. By the time his p-day is done, we have a chain of about 47 back and forth e-mails.

um this week has been pretty good out here im getting transferred i dont know where too but i know im leaving yeah i slit some chickens throats it was a good time haha i dont really know what to say haha so this will do i guess

Tell me more about your CHICKENSLAUGHTER Also did you take pics? Did you take one of you and your guitar?

nah

okay maybe in a second

What are your plans today?

play games i dont really know

Tell me about the dang chickens! I want a descriptive paragraph about the whole process.

we got a knife stung them up by there feet slit their throats and cut the heads off with scissors then skinned them

Aaaaand then he was gone.
I got a better e-mail from Klisse. She described what happened at the farm this week and she sends photos too!

I guess we can clearly see who my favorite Hoosier is this week.
From Klisse:

the next order of business was smiting chickens, 3 to be exact, as the others were too small to bother with. Inquiries to Eschler and Wadley showed that they could come out that morning and do it, so I would have time to cook them down for dinner on Saturday. They were able to “git-r-dun”, even though I discovered that while Wadley had gone hunting before, he had never dressed anything out (shame, shame!!) and Eschler hadn’t done any of that. Wadley was great with the smiting and Eschler was a little more cautious, but still did it.

I was niggling a little bit at Wadley when he came to smite chickens about his hair. After being questioned about requirements of hair, and even asked if "he would feel better if he was just obedient", he said the hair band kept the hair off his ears and there wasn't anything in the book about how long it was in back.

I made the guys some fresh bread when they came out for smiting, and your son allowed that "you were a keeper", as far as moms go. He seemed more at ease and seems about 100% certain he will be leaving and Eschler staying. So whatever happens, happens, but I always miss them all.

Isn't she great! She is the only reason I know anything that is going on in Indiana!
This week brought us another surprise.
We got a package in the mail from Indiana.

At first I thought that a package I had mailed Brendan was returned to us. It was the same computer printed labels that I use. Then I realized Brendan had cut them off of one of the packages he got from us, and just slapped them on a new box.
I collaged this box and the contents in the above for his mission book, you might want to click on it to see it larger. He sent us all a bunch of treasures. Most of it was items he had found on his p-day adventures. All of the items in the package had our names labeled on them with athletic tape, and the box was padded with Walmart bags and strips of what looked like torn sheets?
I am afraid to ask.
The package contained a letter, explaining who was supposed to get what and that this package was supposed to be our Christmas presents!
For me?
I got his daily planner from the first four months of his mission.
I had a good time going through it, and seeing what he did every day and what some of his goals were. I can say, that it appears that he is actually doing some missionary work!
His planner also had his mission cell phone number, that idiot.
I have been tempted to randomly text dirty pictures.

Screen shots from the video clip he sent us of him playing the guitar.

Terre Haute, Indiana

The One That Could Be Graphic To Sensitive Readers

Rather than do a whole lot of explaining about Elder Brendan's adventures this week, I am just going to copy and paste from the weekly e-mail that I get from Sister Klisse Foster. She is a very descriptive and colorful writer- she almost makes you want your own farm. Almost.

She has award winning show goats- the whole process is fascinating to me. It is the season for sperm collection. (I don't know why it makes me blush to type that.) They collect, process and freeze the sperm. From what I understand people line up to buy it from them to cross breed with their goats.

I swear, life is funny- I never knew any of this, and now I know probably more than I want to. Ha! Here are portions from Sister Foster's group e-mail:

Saturday was a beautiful day for collecting, not cold or hot or rainy. I offered the remaining 4 people to help with the strawing, which involves putting a couple of the empty straws down into the extended semen and using your mouth to suck the semen up into them, kind of like sucking a roach of marijuana or small cigarette (as seen on tv, of course!!!!) till you hear the semen pop against the cotton plugs in the end. NOTE: there is NO way of getting this in your mouth- it just sounds and looks very, very bad!!! Then you take the straws and put them on a bubbler comb to put an airspace so it doesn’t explode when frozen, dip the open end in sealant, then into the goblet, on the cane, and wrapped up in the fridge, to cool for the night. I have offered to let missionaries suck before, which they have always declined. This year, though, when I asked, Sister Peterson volunteered right away, thus gender shaming the elders! You go, Sister P!
She did a couple of straws, while the elders watched avidly.  They finally gave in when they saw that Sister Peterson didn’t drop over dead (or worse!).  They ended up each trying some- Eschler, Wadley and Wallace. I got pics of each one, too!

From a personal e-mail that Sister Foster sent to me:

Here are a few more pics from Saturday. I decided not to post the "sucking" ones to FB- just sent a few out with the email and holding the others for slow weeks/cookbook pics/potential blackmail.
   I asked him several times if I could cut his hair, and even told him that you wanted me to, and he politely declined with that phrase he said you taught him, saying you were going to love your words coming back to haunt you.;-)  I told him that I was a professional groomer- 200+ goats a year, plus my family- and would have no problem doing his hair while we were waiting for the centrifuge to finish. The sisters said he is trying to see how long he can get away with his hair.
    He liked my chicken sign, ("Don't Trust Chickens They Can Be Real Peckers") and when Sister F left the barn to search out Scooter (a baby goat), guess where I saw him?!? Over Wadley's shoulder while everyone was watching the fire get going.:-) I didn't have my phone out there- too afraid I will lose it when feeding hay or the goats will slam into me when milking and shatter the glass- but told him he should take a pic of them together.
   I don't think he would have done the strawing if everyone else there hadn't done it, too. He was the last one to go of the four in there. Sister Peterson said the elders have been giving them flack for being girls, so when she had the chance to show them up, she jumped on it. She didn't even hesitate when I asked. Wadley just kept repeating over and over, "This feels so wrong," and Eschler was doing nothing, so my friend Evy had him gather up all the straw ends that I was cutting off. He would pick some up, throw them away, and wash his hands (the semen made them a little wet!! Hahaha!), just to do another batch, so he was a little freaked out by it as well.
   I need to see when they want to smite chickens- since Bruce is out of town again, they will have to come with the car and use some of their miles. The rest of the little roosters (too little to be worth the trouble of butchering- google "Japanese bantams" and see- they are very pretty, too- the ones getting butchered are a full sized Buff Orpington guy and two Cochin bantams) will be going to the sale barn on Saturday morning. Will get pics of that, too.
    Anyhow, have a great week

Klisse

I just love her! Elder Brendan has been in Terre Haute now for about 4.5 months, which is a long time for a missionary to be in one area. Transfers are coming up on the 22nd. I know he would like some change, and it would be good for him- but I also know he is going to miss this farm, and this sweet second mama to him.
Klisse has been such a blessing to him, and to me.

As far as e-mails from Elder Brendan- this one was short:

hey mom this week has been really interesting we went on a 2 and a half day exchange i was with elder Wallace hes a cool guy it went really well we taught a lot of people and had a good time other then that its been a typical week oh also i accidentally deleted all of elder darringtons pictures :/ anyways love you and stuff

Elder Wadley, Sister Peterson sucking straws.

You sent a photo of a goat. Is that before it gets um, injected?

nope thats the bait goat male goats come up to it and when they go in for the business brother foster puts their little goat erections into an artificial vagina and yeah 

(Nervous laugh)
Farm life, huh? 

Elder Darrington, Elder Wadley climbing some trees at the Foster's Farm

While mama is at home praying for him to be "watched over and protected"

[November]  Terre Haute, Indiana

The One With Advil

We've been praying extra for Elder Brendan this week.
I didn't exactly know *what* to pray for.
I have faith that the Lord is giving him what he needs, so I just prayed, and left it up to Him.
I think prayer is a lot like taking Advil when you hurt.
I don't understand medical science enough to explain how you can take a pill, and somehow that pill knows exactly where it needs to go to ease the pain.
Prayer works in the exact same way.
The Lord didn't take away the problem that Elder Wadley is having, but I think our prayers were answered in a different way.
He seems more upbeat, strengthened to endure, and his sense of humor is alive and well.

Elder Reese, Elder Wadley

Here is our e-mail conversation from this week:

Well this week has neither been better nor worse but this weeks was really interesting  the Brazil elders had a girl get baptized this week and during the baptism her boyfriend of three weeks proposed it was really awkward also i got the guitar

Yasssss!! How does it look? I want a photo of you with it. :) Hey- I did some poking around on Pinterest for Terre Haute. I would like you to take some pics of your apartment inside and outside. The building you are living in has a really cool history and I think you will want to show your kids one day.

So after this little request, there was radio silence for about 30 minutes, and then he sent me the photos I requested! Haha! I think he went right then and took them. (I think this boy is learning obedience.)
He is currently living in what used to be a hotel in Terre Haute, and quite a prominent hot spot in the 1920's.
Fun Fact: We had a hard time getting Elder Wadley's guitar delivered and had to speak to a UPS employee in Terre Haute at one point. How do you pronounce Terre Haute when you read this blog? (I say Terry Hawt in my head.) Well, this UPS guy said "Tara Hoot."
I am going to need clarification from someone who knows.
I guess it is like some of the weird towns in Utah. Tooele anyone? (too-ill-ah)

 
The Deming was renovated and converted into apartments in the early 80's. It was updated again in 2014. Here are the Elder Wadley pics:

Stained concrete floors, and a studio floor plan, galley kitchen, with a separate bedroom area.

(It looked kinda clean in these impromptu pictures too, so bonus!)
Back to our conversation:

Well. I want you to know that you have a lot of support. I was really overwhelmed by the people who are praying for you and concerned about your happiness.

I got a package this week from the Lemmon's it was super nice of them, can you please tell them thanks

I just wanted to throw out some very weepy, heartfelt gratitude for the prayers and letters from all of you who support Elder Brendan.
The Lemmons have a daughter, Kariane, serving in Brendan's exact mission. They haven't served in the same area yet, but my heart is very tender that they would think of my boy, when their own daughter is serving there too.
Speaking of Advil. I kinda cry a lot now.
We sure have been blessed with good people in our lives.

Autumn in Terre Haute, Indiana