My younger (not youngest) brother CJ just received his mission call to serve in the Ghana Cape Coast mission. It was quite the exciting event--nearly midnight Texas time when Stephen and I signed in on the teleconference call. I literally felt butterflies in my tummy as he read his letter--such a moment, and I was glad to be part of it. I think there must have been over 50 people listening in from three states and two countries. I'm including my dad's account of the event here in quotation marks! (He just said it so well :)
"Last Friday, Bishop Baldwin let us know that he had checked the missionary online web site, and it said that CJ’s mission call had been sent. So, we have been anxious to find out the details. Yesterday, I called CJ about noon to determine if his mission call had arrived (mail comes at 11 am). He said “no,” and so we both assumed that it would arrive today. Well, the packet did arrive yesterday, but the zip code was incorrect. The packet went to the Wilkinson Center on BYU campus, then to the Cannon Center. A girl in the Mail Room who knows CJ saw that packet, and called him. So about 9:30 pm (10:30 pm in Utah) last night as I was returning from an after baptism discussion, the cell phone starting ringing. CJ announced, “The call arrived and I am going to open it in ten minutes." I rushed home. As I entered the door the phone was ringing. Teresa LeSueur, our neighbor across the street called to tell me that CJ was going to open his call in 10 minutes (since I had not been found, the neighborhood had joined efforts to find me). About 15 seconds later the door bell rang. Randy Andrus and his family (neighbors to the east) were trying to find me. I said, “I’ve been found, come on in.” Then we heard a knock at the mud room door by the garage. The Bishop was there with Jill Baldwin making sure that I had been located. Not wanting to be left out, the LeSueur family joined us (with Jennie and Ed). We then used a teleconference line so that Doug & Annie and Lauren & Stephen could be part of the fun. With Mozambique 9 hours ahead, Annie called on her parents to allow LaCinda to be included. By 9:50 pm, with our Gilbert house filled with family & friends, and 35 friends jammed into CJ’s dorm (including Diana & Ben), it was time to find out . . . (and sorry that we could not find a way to include more family). With great excitement, CJ yelled, “I’m going to Ghana!” After the noise level reduced, CJ clarified that he has been called to the Ghana Cape Coast (English speaking) Mission. It is a new mission (see details below). He leaves the end of June." ~John Lewis
Ghana Cape Coast Mission
The Ghana Cape Coast Mission is being created from countries previously covered by the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission. The new mission will include Togo, Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the western half of Ghana. The Ghana Cape Coast Mission will include 13,590 members of the Cape Coast Ghana, Kumasi Ghana, and Takoradi Ghana Stakes and the districts of Assin Foso Ghana and Swedru Ghana. Lindsay Thomas Dil, originally called earlier this year to begin serving as the mission president of the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission on July 1, 2005, has been reassigned as the mission's new president.
Congratulations CJ! We are so excited and happy for you :)
PS- Don't you all think my brother is pretty cute!
15 comments:
so cool! And how cool that you guys got to be a part of it. I remember listening on the phone as my brothers read their mission calls....and now they are coming back in 2 weeks and ther other in a few months! CRAZY! (ps yeah your bro's hot :D)
The mission he is going in is one that I have always said I want to go...I wanted to go to south Africa...cape town to be exact. so..er...kinda close. He will do awesome there and we will pray for him, as we do with the other missionaries for safety...Congrats C.J.!
what a cool mission, and so exciting to be one of the first to go.
lauren- my cousin is serving there too! He just got to his first area. He Loves it. So exciting for him.
Congratulations to your bro! My aunt and uncle served in Cameroon and loved it.
Congratulations C.J.! That is so exciting! I love your dad's account, and I love that so many neighbors and friends were looking for him and ended up staying for the conference call :) Your family is so fun and I dream of having neighbors like that someday! :) That is so exciting for C.J. and he is so cute! He looks a lot like your brother Ben I think - I'm sad I don't have any family members to set up with him when he gets home, he's definitely a cutie! :)
PS - I think Jo's still moving to flower mound, as far as I know, and I'm so surprised she never called you. I wonder if she's just being shy... I'll have to get an update.
he is cute, you can tell you two are related!
Cory's brother just left for capetown on tuesday. Will CJ be going to the Afrian MTC?
So exciting!
Whoa, the ladies are gonna miss him. I am sure he will have a dozen at his homecoming. he is CUTE!! how exciting for you and your family.
How exciting, your brother is a doll. I wish I had a sister his age.
How awesome!
He totally looks like a model or celebrity! What an exciting mission to be a part of. So happy for your family!
What a neat post. I just love how many people rejoiced with him in such a special moment. Missions are awesome! I have never regretted serving one - what an adventure and learning experience. Your brother looks like such a sharp young man. Good luck to him in such a great next step!
How exciting! It's going to be fun to watch more and more areas of the world open up to missionaries over the next 20 years. And yes, your brother is very cute! :)
That is so exciting! I have friends from Ghana...They are such a wonderful family and I always call the mom "Gorgeous" it's just my nickname for her because she is so beautiful. Congrats to your brother and your girls are so cute...We all miss you in California...but it's so fun to keep updated on your blog.
Love,
Jen and Mya
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