Devon's final email to me and my final thoughts about his mission

July 25th - His last missionary email to me

Hi Mom,
(I asked Devon to tell me what were his goals for the last week of his mission) We have the strong and firm goal to find more than 20 investigators this week. We also want to invite someone to be baptized right in the doorstep after knocking the door. We want to open our mouths with everyone.

(I asked Devon, "how are you feeling?")  No comment.

Well I am glad to hear that all is well back home, and that you had an amazing week.

It is hard for me to see the computer screen through my teary eyes....

I know that I need to go home, I am ready to do that step. I am ready to face the challenges after the mission. But I am so sad that I have to leave. I never have felt so happy in my life, and I have come to love the people of Argentina so much.

Throughout my whole mission, I never imagined the final week of the mission, I always thought that it would never come. I always imagined that the mission was forever, but oh well, good times always have to come to an end.

I am sorry that I am so sad to come home. I am very happy to be able to see you all again and spend time with you. But I love this place so much, and I love this calling so much, and it is so hard for me to imagine that I will never be able to carry this missionary name tag again, and it will be really hard for me to return to this country and land that I love so much.

I love you so much Mother, and I am so eternally grateful for the support and teachings that you have given me throughout my youth and my mission. I would not have been able to do it without you.

Alright, I need to go. I have one week to give everything I got left in me to the Lord.
I love you and I will see you next week. :)

Love
Elder Healey

The past two years haven't gone fast or slow for me.  I have missed him most the day he left, the first Christmas, and about two months ago.  Now I am excited to simply SEE him again, and talk to him each day.  But his final email made me appreciate more fully how hard it is for Devon to leave.  He truly has loved every day of mission!  On a very small scale I can understand how he feels having to leave a place he loves and people he loves.  I felt that way when moving back to Edmonton after six years in Utah - I remember how sad I was and how much I missed my friends and community and home.  But he has given his whole heart to the people of Argentina every hour of every day.  I hope I can help him adjust with patience and understanding.

And while the adjustment for him may be quick or slow, I don't mind.  I look forward to feeding my eternally hungry son, to hearing the basketball bouncing on the court in our backyard, to having an extra set of size 14 shoes laying around.  I look forward to the teasing he dishes out and his huge massive hand suddenly in my face (he used to do that a lot teasingly), to seeing him with Shelby (our dog), and to hearing him talk in his sleep (cause yes I can hear it from our bedroom!!)  I am anxious for the chance to talk about the gospel with him on a higher level, to see who he has become, and to hear him laugh again.

I haven't been counting down the days until now.  Three more sleeps  And then all my boys will be together again.