The Non-farewell Farewell

Soooo... we were minding our own business, just sitting reverently waiting for church to begin and in slips Bro. Lunt into the bench just in front of us. (Don't make eye contact.  Don't look up. Keep reading.  Just one more week and they can't get us.  First Sunday, General Conference; second Sunday, Fast Sunday; third Sunday, Stake Conference; and, fourth Sunday, we're wheels up. No talking in Church.)

"Ahem, Brother and Sister Griffin, how are you?  When are you leaving?"  (It's church and I shouldn't lie.)  "End of April Brother Lunt", says me.  "What day exactly are you leaving?", says he. (Dang, he's getting specific.) "The 26th", mumbles me.  "Wow! That only gives us next week to have you speak.  How would you feel about speaking next week?", responds he.  "No hablo engles!", says Hermana Griffin.  (Crap, do I translate for her or fall over and fake a stroke?)  "We'll do whatever you ask Brother Lunt." (Who said that?! I think it was me...  Maybe I did have a stroke.)  "Great! See you next week", says Brother Lunt. "Oh, and would you use Elder Hamula's talk on the 'Sacrament and the Atonement'?" I am having a bilateral stroke.  Nothing to pick up your day like trying to cover a gospel scholar's take on the atonement.  A little light reading and research for the next 6 days... besides, what else do we have going on?

Wait, we need to let family and friends know that have been peppering us with questions about when we are speaking in church.  And isn't it traditional to have a luncheon for everyone. Let's see, that should be a small affair, probably under a thousand people.  How tough can that be? And Grandma's house seems to be the house that we can never get to the bottom of. The "stuff" just seems to be multiplying. This project has to get done this week.

So, a full day of cleaning Monday with Skype study time thrown in for good measure, don't forget that, it has to be done. A mad dash to Tucson on Wednesday for groceries.  Back to cleaning on Wednesday.  We gotta write talks sometime!  The days need another 4 hours or so. House needs cleaning, the yards done here and at G'ma's.  Then another 2 hours of Spanish Tutor and Spanish coach time via Skype on Friday for Dalene with one hour for me.

And the days come and go.  Sunday, 9 a.m. is here, ready or not.  The whole back row is full of my officers and families.  Pa (Jason Knight) and his son, the Dolan brothers, Bill Wren, Glen Orr, Sherri O'Neil, Luke Arbizo, Tyler Cluff, and others.  Friends, Mark & Lynette Tregaskes, Kim Larkey, Gordon and Lisa Thatcher, the Graham Family and others.  The Griffin family shows up in droves, including Jen and boys, Justin, Katie, and Jill with us in spirit. (We had a call from Trelva Palmer's son Dennis, that she was ill.  Dalene's brother Russsell calls in with well wishes, but is in bed with the flu.) Lots of Ward friends, etc.  This is not good for someone who cries at weddings and funerals. It starts to feel like both.

Brother Lunt starts the meeting.  And we're off.  I was doing okay until we start singing the sacrament hymn "I Stand All Amazed".  We had been studying this deeply all week and both had well prepared talks on this very topic. Sitting next to my future missionary companion, who knows me better than anyone, and I can't sing.  I can't see the pages for the tears. (Dang! This isn't going like I thought it would.) Dalene leans over to me and says, "You're in Jerusalem aren't you?" (How does she know these things?)  I nod yes.

A youth speaker, our home teacher, Spencer Norton, and Dalene is up.  She is composed, beautiful, and full of grace and depth.  She covers the topic beautifully and says, "amen".  No worries now, no matter what I say, we have done what we were asked to do.  Ward Choir sings and it's my turn. I take the hymn book with me.  I have a few minutes and the talk and the iPad stay on the podium.  Just say what's in your heart, say thanks, bear your testimony, cry a little, and sit down. "Amen"!  And we're done.

Lots of people to talk to, hugs to give, people to meet, and get to Sunday School class to not miss Doug Holt's lesson.  Oh, and breathe...  Check, one more item off the list and 29 days to go. Frightening and thrilling all at the same moment.

OOOOOO, SCARY....

Sister Griffin

México Area

You report in 30 days.

OH MY GOODNESS it is getting so much closer AAHH!! My life almost feels like one of those scary stories we would tell around a campfire in our youth.  The story in telling would have a few variations but would always build in anticipation with "then the phone rang, I picked it up and answered.  The voice on the other end of the line says in a deep and ominous sound..."  (My current variation sounds something like this...)

"30 days away and then I'm gonna getcha..."

Companeros de Estudio

We Have Lists, checking them daily

Seems we check 10 items off our lists and 20 more items magically appear.  With each day that passes it feels like it is 2 days closer to leaving.

Sister Griffin

México Area

   You report in 50 days.

I have to remember panic attacks are NOT productive and that time passes even if you are passed out.  So keep breathing, not hyperventilating, and it is okay to represent the saying, "Yo siento abrumado".

We did get one of the major items done Friday.  The magical people at Church Travel had Fedexed our passports to us on Wednesday.  The passports came back with instructions to go to the Mexican Consulate in Phoenix to get our Visas, preferably in March.  After checking our schedules and lists for the upcoming week, we just decided to hop in the car Thursday afternoon (so spontaneous and unlike us) and appear at the consulate on Friday morning.  The only room available to stay at Thursday night was che Sherald's, John's brother and wife who live in Tempe had a room we could spend the night in. (Spring training in Phoenix and the great weather literally means, there are no rooms to get reservations for).  The instructions from the travel department stated that the hours for the consulate were 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays, expect to spend the morning and no, they are not done by appointment.  We developed a strategy to get up early, navigate the rush hour traffic to downtown Phoenix and get them done.  We arrived around 7:30, plenty of parking at the consulate, noted people already going in and went in ourselves.  They were already working!  We got our numbers for the Visa line #2 and #3. AWESOME!  Only one American in front of us that had lost his, they couldn't help him...... John went next, then me.  They were very efficient.  I call the people at Church Travel magical because they had everything in such great order we just handed them our documents and waited about 45 minutes and PRESTO! We had our Visas.  We were out of there headed back to Tempe before the morning rush hour had cleared up.  Having a few extra hours we were able to check off another list item.... get luggage to travel with.  Yes we had some luggage but neither of us had the luggage needed to live outside the U.S. not just travel outside the U.S.  Two big items CHECK and CHECK. But it still feels like we are still not any closer to being ready.  Maybe it is just a state of being  like Estar vs Ser in the spanish lanugage.  It will be a permanent state of feeling unready.