Wow! What a day! Stockton had his mission farewell today. He did fantastic! I'm sure going to miss that kid. I love him so much. He gave his farewell talk at 10:30. My cousins Jordyn and Heather came. Heather even brought all four of her kids. I was excited about that. My cousins Rozie and Debie also came all the way from Idaho. That was sooooo nice! My dad was there. Bubs and Matt and their families were there. Scoop and Cori were there. Steve and his family were there. Sherry was there. Gavin Wixom and his entire family came. Connor, Noelle and Gage all came. Sydney and Anna came. Hailey and Madison came. Stockton's friend Matt drove all the way down from Utah State to come. His roommate Nathaniel did as well, except he couldn't make it to the farewell so he just came to see Stockton; and to bring Stockton his razor he left up there. Stockton's good friend John is in the MTC so he couldn't come obviously, but he sent his mom and his sister Raychel. More might have come specifically to see Stockton, but I can't remember them at the moment. Plenty were there to make Stockton feel loved. I was so happy about that.
I recorded Stockton's talk. Haha. I love this boy so much. I'm going to miss him. Two years is a long time.
I normally make some dumb joke about being nervous to speak, but my mom had to help me get all dressed up, so I think this is the least of my problems. I had a dream a couple of months ago that I was actually up here giving my farewell, and I think there were about ten people in that dream. My parents didn't even show up. Hi. Glad you came. There's more than ten here, so that's awesome.
I've been asked to talk about how I got to this point. It's a long journey, it really is. Normally I'm the kind of person who just rolls with the punches. Five seconds before anything happens I'll just tell myself I'll figure it out so you wouldn't really think I would be the kind of person that would be nervous about my mission all my life, but that's who I am. I've been so scared ever sense I was a little kid. I remember being eight years old at a scout camp, having a missionary in the stake come up. They brought him up and said, "Why don't you tell us how old you were when you started preparing." He said, "Eight" and I'm like, oh heck no! Yeah, this has been a long journey to get here. I've been asked to tell you the different things I've been thinking and the different things that I came to realize that really helped me to get to this point where I am now.
I'm Stockton Smith, if you didn't catch that. Ready to serve in Arkansas. If you didn't get that joke, I'm really sorry. {note: Stockton was at college when he received his mission call. Jorja was asked to announce where he was going to the ward. She announced he would be going to Tucson, Arkansas.} I think I'll tell you a little bit about how I came to get to this point. It was really hard. I told myself I wanted a semester at college first. So I went up to Utah State, just got back. I've been home for a month and it was really just a great experience; and I didn't know which way it was going to go, it could have been really bad, honestly. But I learned so much, I learned so much there. I met so many good people I was able to feel the spirit so much more with the experiences I had. I was able to use my priesthood in ways I didn't think I was going to be able to. One thing that really helped me in college was just the people that I met. It was really interesting all of a sudden going from high school and being at college and half the dudes that I'm with are return missionaries. It's always fun, you get the two return missionaries talking and you know what happens. "I saw this guy drunk and on the street one time..." they tell me all their crazy stories, then they always look at me, "Oh, well you're going to have fun, don't worry about it." So many of those missionaries were able to help me feel so better about where I am. They taught me so much. I had so many great roommates that were able to help me feel the spirit, and I want to just let you know, that was really hard for me to come to understand feeling the spirit. I mean, I don't think that was one of my gifts at all. Ever since I was a little kid. That was really tough. I never felt like I had the promptings that so many other people seem to get. I'd be similar to where you guys are, during some testimony meeting, somebody comes up telling their great experience and I'm just sitting there like, I'm broken. I'm broken. I never really knew why I didn't feel the spirit. I don't know if my life was just too boring the spirit never needed to be there. After awhile I realized that isn't the problem. When you don't feel the spirit sometimes maybe you are doing something wrong, but other times I really came to realize that God just wants us to learn a very certain set of things and it's different for everybody. I came to learn that sometimes when times get really hard, he'll be right there holding your hand; but sometimes he's going to go. Sometimes that is going to be really hard, but every single time he lets you go it's for your good. He wants you to grow. He wants you to learn things. Learn how to be your own person. Learn how to make decisions on your own. That's what we're here for. That was really hard for me. I feel like he's kind of let me walk on my own for quite a long time, but at the same time it's been such a great blessing to me because every time I do feel the spirit I know exactly what it is. It's only been a handful of times, but every single time it's there, I know it's there.
One of the other things that I was really worried about was going on this mission and one of the thoughts I'd always have as a kid was I'm just going to make things worse so I'd ruin someone's perception of the gospel. Maybe I'd get a baptism or two here or there but I just don't want to be the reason I would ruin this for anybody and that messed with my head for a long time too. Something that I've really come to love so much, there's this chapter in the New Testiment, it's 1 Peter 4. That chapter's a gold mine. There's so much good stuff in there. But 1 Peter 4:14, it goes like this: If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. That's the end of the verse there, but I love that so much, because when I start thinking about it, I'm going to go on a mission representing Jesus Christ and who's a better example of all of those fears that I have than Christ himself? It's not like even he was able to have the power to convince everyone, to get everyone happy all of the time. Just going to college and meeting the new people that I met, and all the experiences that I've had, it's just made me realize that your best is enough. Give your best and nothing more. One of my roommates told me that when he was on his mission he realized that if the Lord expected me to serve a perfect mission he would have sent Angel Moroni or someone to serve a mission and not me. I love that so much. I'm so grateful for all the things I was able to experience to get to me to this point. I think I'd like to let you all in on a secret. I was at stake conference at my YSA ward. There was a speaker there, and he told us that he had been traveling and went to a ward somewhere and it happened to be a ward that Quintin L. Cook was stopping by at as well. I'll let you in on some of the things that I learned there because he spoke and he said there are three reasons why missionaries get called where they do. This is from Quintin L. Cook, so it's good. The first one is that missionary needs that mission. The second one is that mission needs that missionary. The third one is that missionary needs that mission president. I've come to realize that that's absolutely true, and I'm not sure exactly what it is for me. I don't know what it is for anybody else, but I do know that it is going to be one of those things, maybe a combination of all of them; but I know that it's real, and I know that I'm going where I'm meant to go. I know that the Spirit is real and if there is anytime that I can testify of that it's now. I want to leave that with you, sometimes it might be hard. The Spirit's there, you'll get through. See you in two years. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I loved his talk, although I have to admit my heart cracked just a bit when he said he thought he was broken. How did I not know that. How did I let him think that? Anyway, we had meatballs, brownies and ice-cream at our house after church. Stockton had many family and friends come over. It was a really good day.
Abby and Jennifer
Bubs' Abby and Heather's Jennifer ~ they play on the same volleyball team right now
Jorja with Hailey and Matt in the background
Madison, Hailey, Jorja
My cousins! Rozie, Jordyn, Heather, Debie
Cori talking to Hailey, Jorja and Madison about makeup
Stockton, Sydney, Anna
Grandpa & Stockton
Grandpa, Stockton, Papa
Stockton & Papa
Cori, Stockton, Papa
Mike, Stockton, Papa
Papa, Mike, Stockton, Grandpa
Stephanie, Stockton, my dad
Rozie, Jordyn, Heather, Debie, Stephanie
Gage, Stockton, Noelle
Stockton & Hailey
Stockton & Jacob
Ange was excited to see Ken Larsen. He delivered three of her four kids. All the girls. She loved him!
Dr./Bro. Larsen, Ella, Ange, Abby, Amelia
Darlene and Ken Larsen talking to Stockton
The only picture I have of the Wixoms. Nate is playing pingpong and Zoe is talking to him.
Ella, Preston, Lincoln & Eric are playing a Jackbox game. Abby is at the foosball table.
Jeff & Jennifer
Eric, Stockton, Connor, Jorja, Weston
Weston, Steve, Mike, Stockton
I loved Jordyn's abacus earrings!
Stockton & Nathanael (his roommate from Utah State)
Maysen & Stockton
Maysen, Jorja, Stockton, Preston
Stephanie, Maysen, Jorja, Stockton, Preston, Mike ~ last family picture for two years
Stockton & Preston
Jorja & Stockton
Stockton & Stephanie
I'm going to miss him
Stockton & Anne
Stockton, Anne, Greg, Matt
Stockton & Anne
Joe and Cathy gave us a Do Better Bear when we were at their house a few years ago. Actually, Mike earned it by losing at Pirates. Maysen found a Do Better Dragon.
Do Better Dragon
Do Better Bear
Mike got this picture from Stael today. Elder Soares is a good friend with the family she is staying with. I think they came for a baby blessing, but I'm not sure. Anyway, Elder Soares is from Brazil, so it was pretty cool that Stael got to meet up with him while she was here.
Stael, Rosana & Ulisses Soares
I can't believe Stockton just had his mission farewell. How did this happen? How is he old enough to leave us? Shouldn't he be eight years old? I am so proud of him. He has accomplished so much and is absolutely amazing. I'm sad to see him go, but this experience is going to be fantastic for him. He will be awesome. I'm going to miss him.
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