Saturday, April 10, 2010

A Random Island in the Pacific...



"I think the mailmen opened it up. They must have really wanted to know. That's why it took so long to get here." He says as his hands tremble. He's opening his mission call with his dad's pocket knife.


Four cell phones are on speaker phone. About 10 people from the ward are gathered in the common room of the dorm.

When we asked my sister to guess where he was going, Adriana said: "Some random island in the pacific."

He finally pulls out the letter. He laughs and puts his hand to his face in amazement.

"...you have hearby been called to labor in the Fiji Suva Mission..."

Everyone erupts in screams, gasps, and claps.

Only an hour before, a different audience was applauding. Paul sings in the University of Utah singers, and they performed Rachmaninoff's "All Night Vigil." But for two years, he's going to leave the life of performing and practicing. He's going to serve the people in Fiji.

I'm so proud of him. He has been my friend for a very long time. I will miss him so much, but I'd be being selfish if I kept him here. (As if I could). The people of Fiji need his goodness! To see how excited he was was such a joy. I know he is so ready to go.

As soon he could, Paul started looking up facts about Fiji. They have a temple there! He'll speak Fijian. He leaves June 23rd and after three months in the MTC, he'll head to the islands of endless summer, white beaches, palm trees, and clear blue water. (He won't be swimming in it though).




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