The time came..

So Jade is officially in Guatemala.   The wound to my heart is still open and sore but I am happy that he chose to serve, just not excited about him being gone.  Here is our first e-mail:

hey i made it and am in the MTC in guatamala. sorry i didnt call the ariport wanted $20 :P how are things? i probably wont be able to write again till wednesday but all is good. the days are long but its chill. tell everyone hi and i miss them! love ya elder martin

Ok I did shed some tears.. Here is our crazy week before he left! 
Jadens 2nd Mom and Dad and our very dear friends made him his "last dinner and invited our family and his friends that are still around, to dinner.  It was the BEST dinner ever!  Ribs to die for and all the yummy fixins, not to mention a chocolate dessert that ended my no sugar attempt now for over a week!

Norm and Jeff Baltazar

"The Guys"

 The Farewell on the 31st and dinner after.  Having a farewell on Easter is just a little bit tricky.  How do you celebrate the most important Holiday of the year and the farewell of a Missionary??  How about with sheep!  This is Jadens scripture for his mission and how we tied in Sheep with the Holiday. 
Arise and gird up your loins, take up your ^across, follow me, and ^bfeed my sheep.  D&C 112:14

Jadens great friends

Mikelle, Dakotah, Dax, Zak and his cute girl

Oaklee, Doug, Mom, Dad, Chance and Ridge

Dylan, Elder, Mike, Gram

The Smith Family and the Lowder Family

Cute Girls!

Hobbs Family

More Cute Girls!

Me and the parents

Jaden was set apart as a missionary the next day.  April 1st.  It was a great night.  I shared a family night on Missionary work and the atonement.  And we talked on how we were going to each go forth and feed His sheep. Jadens blessing was beautiful.  Pres. Mead set him apart and Jeff was able to be there from the Bishopbric,

Pres. Mead

The picture for "the wall"

Then came the day.  The day I prayed for all of my life.  That Jaden would choose to serve and be worthy to do so.  Oh the things we pray for... No regrets, just didn't think that day would come when he would be old enough to do so.  But it did come and now he is in a foreign land doing what he was meant to be doing .  Not only out to convert but to be converted.  Not only to teach but to learn.  To bring people to the highest degree of happiness.  Not just any people but a people he was told he would be familiar with.  What more could a mother want for her son??

This picture hurts

I am so blessed!

No I am not crying!

Best of Friends

Brotherly love

He's off...