In the FIELD!

Much has happened in the last couple weeks! Hayden was placed in the field on Monday, September 8th. We thought we may have to wait another week to hear anything, but we were happily wrong. We received an email from his Mission President, President Barreiros, the next day. Here are a few highlights from it.

"Dear Brother and Sister Clegg,

Sister Barreiros and I were pleased to welcome your son, Elder Clegg, to one of the finest missions in the world, the Chile Santiago West Mission. He is well and happy, and we are impressed with his enthusiasm for the work. After greeting him at the MTC and a brief tour of the beautiful city of Santiago, we arrived at our Mission Office. I interviewed your son. My assistants and office missionaries then gave him a brief orientation to the mission. We had a delicious lunch together, he met his new companion, and that afternoon he left the mission home and departed for his first area of labor.

Elder Clegg has been assigned to work with Elder Fisher, who will serve as his training companion. Trainers are chosen for their competence, patience and dedication, and are selected after prayerful consideration. With this letter we are including a photograph taken of your son and his new companion with Sister Barreiros and myself.

Please accept our deep appreciation for raising such a fine son. We feel a genuine fellowship with you in supporting and providing him this opportunity to grow spiritually as he labors to bring souls unto Christ. It is my prayer that the Lord will inspire us all to sustain him in this challenging assignment. Please write him frequently, weekly if possible. Express your love, support, and confidence in him. You will witness miraculous changes in his life as he engages fully in the service of others."

Yes. I cried. I am humbled to think that our son is 6,000 miles away, speaking a foreign language and meeting new people, all in the name of bringing them to know their Savior, Jesus Christ. Included in the email from President Barreiros was an attachment of a hand written letter from Hayden. I will share that in the next post. Grab your tissues...or maybe that is just for me...I should probably buy stock in Kleenex.

Elder Fisher forgot to wear green! I'm positive it was coincidence, but it is still pretty ironic!!