Goodies in the 'BAG' well suitcase ...

Elder Robertson has been in the MTC for 11 days.  I can't believe he leaves there on Wednesday.  It has gone really fast.  He'll be home before I know it!    ;-)  Now there's an optimistic mamma for you!

Tomorrow we will send his second suitcase by courier to the Mission Home in München (Munich) so it will be there waiting for his arrival on Wednesday.  It's a prime opportunity to add a few goodies in the little space that is left. =)

Friends of ours from the US have sent a parcel of some uplifting music and a card.  We are very grateful to them for their thoughtfulness from many miles away.

I've added some other things to let him know we are thinking of him and love and miss him.

Mountain ... get the link?

Liken the scriptures ....

because I know he already is ....

the worth of souls!! 

I know he's going to love it!!

I am wondering when and if we will hear from him this week with him flying back into Germany.  Hopefully he will get time to email and share some experiences with us!

First Email and Siswick Family package delivery!!

Yesterday I received my first email from Elder Robertson.  It was like water to the thirst quenched!! He is happy!! I knew he would be .... but always nice to hear/read it.

I've been ill, quite sick, REALLY sick.  I've been grateful that he's been in the MTC and being looked after physically and spiritually and I could just worry about me.  How selfish!! However, yesterday I started to feel better and to hear from him was just the icing on the cake! I checked my email after a long nap (did I tell you I'd been ill?) and there it was ... sent just minutes before.  It is only a short email, but I loved every bit of it.

He has two MTC companions.  One of them is definitely German and I believe we met him at the airport last week.  He says his companions are fantastic to work with.  He shares that the Spirit is helping him with so much more than he can comprehend.  I am so blessed!!

He tells Thomas to share the gum when he finds it ... a little follow up from my post yesterday. =)

He enjoyed the cookies sent from my friend Carol and wanted me to thank her.

Yesterday, later in the afternoon, I received a phone call from one of our dearest friends in the UK, David Siswick. He'd been on the same temple session as Jacob in the morning and had a lovely chat with him.  He said he was impressed by some things Jacob had shared with him.  He seemed just as proud of him as I am.  He also left him with some cards and treats that Tracy and the 'kids' had prepared for him earlier in the week.  Maddison even threw in a Christmas card! She cracks me up!! How wonderful!!

This week I am so grateful for friends and their service to my son.  Although they have served him they really are a huge blessing to me also.  I can feel in only a very small way how our Heavenly Father feels when we serve one another and become His hands. I am very grateful.

I love this Danish Proverb.

"Who takes a child by the hand, takes the mother by the heart!"

Mosiah 2:17 also jumps to mind.  I have felt the love of Heavenly Father as those friends have served Jacob and in turn me.  They were/are in the service of their God!

Thomas - Fun line to remember.

Thomas is such a character in our home.  We've gone through the different emotions with him and his oldest brother leaving to serve a mission.  The tears, the excitement ....

Dad, Bishop Harth, Jacob & Thomas

Here's the punchline ...

"It's good Jacob's gone, I need to find his chewing gum!" haha

Leaving for the MTC

My friend "J", who incidentally was the brains behind me starting a missionary blog for Jacob, asked me about the MTC yesterday - I then realised I hadn't blogged about dropping Jacob at the airport. Sorry, sorry, sorry!!

Well Jacob was set apart on Wednesday 17 April as a full-time missionary.  Our Stake President was out of the country so he delegated this responsibility to one of his councillors, President Horst Grünewälder.  What a lovely, gentle, humble Priesthood holder.  Jacob was well and truly blessed and his setting apart was really wonderful!  He was set apart in German.  Jacob understood everything, I, on the other hand, was grateful for his friend Lukas for translating! =)

After finishing packing his stuff, there was only time to sleep before the early wake up in the morning.  Jacob decided Thomas (6) was going to be his missionary companion for the evening and bunked in his room! Thomas felt very special.

The way to the airport seemed so long ... I kept looking back at him trying to soak in every last moment.

Trip to the airport.

Thomas asked ... "Jacob, can you eat Pringles on your mission?"  I love the innocent questions that boy thinks up!! That gave us a little chuckle.

Jacob was flying out to the Preston MTC from Frankfurt Airport and was being collected at Manchester Airport.  Jacob was very relaxed.

Smiling, happy and ready!!

He was calm and confident. I was very proud of him. Saying goodbye to him was extremely heart wrenching.  I didn't want that last hug to end.  As I looked into his eyes, mine flooded with tears and his glistening, two years seemed tooooooo long before I would see him again.  This is the bittersweet.  Working everything up to this moment and knowing you would have them be no-where else at this time in their lives, but having to let them go.  

I can only assume he has arrived OK - as it's been like a drought! No communication at all! The MTC used to send out photographs but that practice was talking up too much time ....

If you want to learn a little more about the MTC please click here.

Cookie Delivery Day

Today has been a 'Cookie Delivery Day' for Jacob.  A friend of ours from England (actually we met whilst she was serving as a full-time missionary ....), took a plate of chocolate cookies up to the MTC for Elder Robertson.  Here's a pic ... I know they will have been devoured by now ... in fact as soon as permission was granted to eat they would have disappeared!! =) Hopefully, I'm sure, he would have remembered to share at least one.

Don't  they look delicious!! After thanking her for being so kind to Jacob her reply was:-

"These kids are amazing, doing what they do.  They deserve every cookie they can get their hands on!"

She gave me a giggle amongst the tears, but how true is that?  How truly amazing are these young men and women who selflessly serve the Lord and others.  A simple gesture of a cookie to a boy is a warm loving hug to a mother!! Thank you once again Carol!

Open House

Invitation

We recently had an open house at our home to give people the opportunity to drop in and say their farewells! Thank you to everyone who took the time to come. It was wonderful to spend the evening with you all and Jacob was very grateful for your gifts. Here are some photo's taken of the evening.

WELCOME

DESSERTS

Farewell cake!

Missionary badge cookies! 

Please write to our Missionary! 

H providing the entertainment ... I think! =)

A very thoughtful 'farewell card!' 

He needed an extra hand!!
Mission area covers Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Northern Italy.

It's all about GOOD FRIENDS!

Hi, I'm Jacob's mum, Michelle ...

Hi I'm Jacob's mum Michelle, and I will be running this blog on his behalf in order to keep family & friends updated whilst he is serving as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here we are just 2 sleeps to go before Jacob ... (soon to be Elder Robertson) leaves Germany for the MTC in Preston in preparation to serve The Lord in the Alpine German-Speaking Mission. Jacob is very excited and ready for the adventure of 'his best two years!' We hope you enjoy his experiences and photographs as I share them with you. Michelle xx