Luke's Home MTC and Goodbye
Luke was set apart on Tuesday night — just 22 hours after we arrived home from our big trip to Croatia and Slovenia. We were blessed to have the jetlag work in our favor as we were ready for bed at 10:00 and seemed to naturally wake up early. Luke, Matt, Chris and I headed to the Stake President’s office at 7:30.
The Sunday previous (just a short two days earlier) our Stake was divided, President Searle was released and both new Stakes received new Stake Presidencies. We had watched Sunday evening online from our apartment in Croatia as each member, departing and arriving, bore their testimony and it was a great meeting.
President Houghton met us and we introduced ourselves and sat in a circle in the high council room. He invited Matt, Chris and I to tell him our favorite qualities of Luke. We shared that he knew who he was, he was determined, he wanted things done the right way, he was obedient… I was emotional and Dad shared his gratitude of the blessings our family would receive because of his service. President Houghton invited Chris to be part of the circle and then President Houghton set apart Luke to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and then blessed him with health as he served and to know that he is supposed to be serving where he serves — and that even if things change or his mission changes it will be where he is supposed to serve and that only he can touch the lives of some people within his mission (or something like that). Luke was excited to tell President Houghton that an exact phrase he used in the blessing was also in his Patriarchal blessing worded exactly the same. After walking around to the back of the building we ran into President Searl who came up and gave Luke a hug. A tender mercy to be able to see him tonight.
After Luke got his call, I put up this little ‘Mission Wall’ with some things to be focused on as well as a picture of his mission map and a list of things that we needed to do before he left. It was a fun way to be focused and celebrate what was coming next.
Luke started Home MTC on Wednesday and had classes for several hours in the morning and in the afternoon, making Dad’s office his own. He also had an hour of personal study each day — which he ended up loving — and an hour of companionship study as well.
Thursday was his P-Day so he and Chris and I went to the Red Cliffs Temple to do Sealings together.
Friday and Saturday he resumed his typical schedule with classes. Every time he had a little break he’d walk in to the kitchen to get some food and I’d run in with a few packing questions. We laid out piles of clothes, ties and toiletries on the loft floor with his new luggage and slowly worked on organizing and packing. I loved doing that with him.
We played several games of Forest Shuffle and most nights we watched an episode of the Chosen. Luke wisely took off all the apps on his phone and just looked at it occasionally to text the family. It was really a great week watching him literally turn into a missionary.
I don’t have too many pictures of Luke during Home MTC, so I had to include these action shots. He laughed that I was taking a picture of him doing the dishes and so immediately added some poses and it made me smile. Love this kid.
Sunday was a great day. At 1:30 we headed over to the Johnson’s home for Matt’s Patriarchal Blessing, which was very special - so glad Luke was here for that event. After dinner Luke and I drove Dad to the airport and Luke said goodbye to an emotional Dad.
On Sunday evening, I joined Luke watching a Zoom Fireside put on by the MTC Mission President. 70% of the missionaries right now are Sisters! With the age changing from 19 to 18 for sisters, double the amount of sisters are entering the MTC this summer. Luke’s MTC district was made up of two sets of Elders and four sets of Sisters.
After the fireside Luke and I headed over to the St. George Temple so he could take pictures with a huge group of missionaries that had their calls. I watched from the side and then took some pics of Luke and his friends.
Luke, Matt and I drove up to Provo on Monday mid morning. Luke decided we should listen to the whole soundtrack of Joseph and the Amazing Techna Colored Dream Coat — to go along with the mini lesson we had before Matt got his Patriarchal Blessing - haha — and it was so fun.
Grandma Walton hosted a big Walton family dinner on Monday night and it was so fun to spent the evening talking with Mike, Carly and the girls, Scott, Elisha and the boys (right before Foster headed to the airport for HXP), Katie and Taylor, Megan, Annie, (Molly on FaceTime) Brian and my mom. It was a lovely evening. We sat outside and talked for a long time as well.
At the end of the evening Luke asked Taylor for a blessing and Mike stayed for that as well. It was such a neat moment. So grateful for my family and their support.
Megan slept over and took the morning off and we enjoyed just hanging out with Luke, Matt and Grandma. For lunch we met Katie and Taylor at Slackwater Pizza for great pizzas and a few last pictures before heading over to the MTC. We would have loved to have Granny J with us but she’s been so sick lately and wasn’t able to come - she had a tearful goodbye with Luke over the phone the night before.
Everyone hopped in my car and we had Dad, Emily, Ryan and Cassie on Facetime as we headed down into the garage. Love this picture.
Everyone hopped in my car and we had Dad, Emily, Ryan and Cassie on Facetime as we headed down into the garage. We lost service down underneath but Megan videoed the whole thing and they stayed on the phone to hear all the details after.
It was a quick goodbye. He hugged everyone, we took a group picture and off he went. We watched to see if he would turn and wave but he didn’t. He’s just ready to go!
Marilee volunteers at the MTC and asked to be placed right at the front where she could see every missionary as they approached. She told her supervisor… “I will be giving him a hug because he’s like a son to me.” haha Fun to get these pictures of him heading in!
