Going to the MTC

It was a whirlwind of a morning. We had all slept in mom and dad's room together the night before so that we could be together as a family. Best sleepover ever! When we woke up, it was raining. It always rains on Rachelle's special days. It's almost like Heavenly Father is sending her comfort, for rain is one of the most comforting things in the world to her. It rained on the day she opened her mission call, it rained on the day she went through the temple for the first time, and it rained the morning she left for the MTC. What a beautiful little tender mercy on a morning that was full of both excitement and anxiety.

Ben and I had one last opportunity to walk up the hill with her, and this helped ease some of the butterflies. It also gave Rachelle an opportunity to be out in the rain.

After that, we came home to get ready for our drop-off time. At about 10:30, we all gathered in the family room, and Ben gave her her last father's blessing. It was such a beautiful blessing from a very adoring father. One last group hug, and a few family photos on the front porch in front of the Texas flag, and we were off.

Last family photo in front of the house. Texas flag in the background.

Because we were afraid that Rachelle wouldn't eat again for a while, we stopped at Cupbob on the way down, but nobody had much of an appetite. We all just sat there staring at our food and trying to swallow the lumps in our throats.

In front of the Provo Temple, at the park without a bathroom. :-)

Everybody told us to say our goodbyes across the street from the MTC at the park in front of the temple. So that's what we did. We took a million pictures, cried a lot, hugged a lot, and then five minutes before drop off time, mom decided that she needed to pee. I still can't believe that huge park doesn't have a public bathroom. So, Ben zoomed down the road, and we begged the BYU laundry facilities to let us borrow their bathroom, which they were very happy to do. And for good measure, we took a few last photos and gave a few more hugs in front of the BYU Laundry facility. Well. It's part of the story, and a testament for how things sometimes don't go perfectly as planned, but they can still be great.

In front of the BYU Laundry Facilities.

We then headed over to the MTC. As we entered, a sweet woman looked in the car and asked whether we had an elder or a sister. When she saw Rachelle, she smiled and put a pink post-it on our window and motioned us toward the underground parking.

As we drove down, the entire distance of the route was lined with happy smiling missionaries waving and welcoming the new vehicles. Immediately I felt so happy that my daughter would be able to be a part of this happy happy place. We drove slowly, and I noticed one sweet sister missionary who looked at Rachelle and started jumping up and down, waving frantically, and covering her mouth. Rachelle noticed her back and rolled down the window to stick her head out and wave hello. This sister was Sister Mary Muhlstein, a girl who was a year younger than her at WXHS, who had been with Rachelle in Mary Poppins and in The Wiz, and who was the VERY SAME GIRL who had been in Rachelle's first endowment session at the Bountiful Temple a month and a half ago. She ran down the route and passed the other cars and other sister missionaries so that she could be the sister who helped Rachelle out of the car and into the building.

Hermana Clarke with her host, Sister Mary Muhlstein

I couldn't believe the coincidence! Actually, I don't think it was a coincidence at all. It is hard for parents to let their children go, and moms--especially me--tend to worry and fret about their children's well-being. I truly believe that Heavenly Father placed Sister Muhlstein there for me. He was telling me that He knew Rachelle was coming at that exact time on that exact day, and He was going to take care of her. I was so grateful to hand my daughter over to this sweet girl who was so happy to be at the MTC as a missionary. I felt that I was handing her over to Heavenly Father's care. It was a sweet blessing.

Last family photo with Rachelle. Next one comes in 18 months.

She helped us snap one last family photo, let us give a few last hugs goodbye, and then led her off to lug those overweight bags up to her new dorm. And that was it. It was a beautiful and bittersweet day.

And look what we drove behind on the way home! It made us all smile so much.

This is what we drove behind on the way home from the MTC. Made us smile.