3 Months Out and I'm Just Starting This...

My name is Emma. I'm Mormon. I have a boyfriend serving a 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of the hardest things I've ever gone through (so far).

When Mormon boys turn 19 years old, they are asked to serve a 2 year mission to serve the Lord and spread the gospel to the rest of the world.

Elder Woodland is currently serving in the Arizona Tucson mission in the southwestern United States. He's been out since June 29, 2011 and all he can say about Tucson is that it's HOT.

Brandon...I mean Elder Woodland...and I have been dating for a little over 7 months. When he left, we'd been dating for a little under 4. He's so far my longest relationship and I only have a couple more months until I'm his longest (but I WILL beat it!).

We never met in person until our first date. We talked on Facebook and knew each other from church but didn't actually "know" each other. He told me he liked me after we'd been talking for a few months after finding out a common like in the band the Script and a lot of other music. It was really bad timing on his part because I just got dumped by the previous bf and I didn't think of him like that. But right around Valentines day, he came over to my house and made pizza with me, watched one of the old Batman movies, and had a pillow fight with me and my sisters. It was really really awkward, let me tell ya. He didn't say much of anything and left just as awkwardly as he came. We went on a few more dates after that and I realized that I really did like him back. He came to my house at about 11 pm after he got off work to see me. It was snowing and really cold outside but we stood outside on my porch in the dark for a bit and talked. February 26, 2011, Brandon asked me out and I said yes. We have been dating ever since.

Elder Woodland and I spent a lot of time together after that. The most amount of time we didn't see each other for was about a week when I went down to Utah for a band audition at Weber State. Of course, we fell in love very quickly after we starting dating. We've been through ups, downs, prom, laughs, cries, and everything else in between. I was really excited for him when he got his mission call but I was nervous at the same time. It hit both of us really hard a few weeks or so before he left. We both had meltdowns every little bit where we would cry for literally hours on end. The worst one was when both of us knew it was the last time we would ever see each other for the next 2 years.

We spent the day at his house with his family. When he dropped me off back at my house so he could go home and get ready for dinner before he was going to be set apart to become a missionary, we both realized what was happening. We couldn't do much of anything but hold each other and cry...a lot. 2 years is a long time and it just seemed like the end of the world. Brandon and I knew that we'd never be able to see one another again until roughly summer 2013. After we said our final goodbyes and he left, I went and cried on my mom's lap for about an hour. I was so sad that the time had finally come where he had to leave me. But, I knew it would all be worth it in the end.

Brandon's step dad called shortly after and asked me to come back over to their house when they got home from him getting set apart. I said I would go even though I knew I would probably be an emotional wreck like I already was. His parents wanted to talk to both of us and I knew that it would make it better to see Brandon one more time.

Larry said a lot of amazing things. I can't remember all of them but I'll just put out the things that stuck out in my mind the most. He, and Brandon's mom, told me how thankful they were for me and the support I am to Brandon. They were happy that he had found someone to support him and lead him down a path in which he could always choose the right. They said that they knew what our plans were and that they wanted to see them work out...they wanted to see US work out. Larry reminded us about a part in the movie "God's Army" where one of the sister missionaries tells about her previous engagement before coming on a mission. She waited for a missionary and they got engaged when he got home. She realized how strong he was in the gospel and knew that she was not as strong as he was. She wanted to find that for herself so she broke off the engagement to go on a mission of her own. He said that both Brandon and I have to grow towards the Lord so we can ultimately grow together. He doesn't want Brandon to come home, being incredibly strong in the gospel, and me being only so so because I haven't done my part or the other way around. This whole talk was super emotional for all of us. It hit all of us that were there pretty hard and Brandon and I knew how important this was for both of us. I had to give him my full support to let him know that I cared for him and want him to do well on his mission, to focus and be determined in the things that he should be doing. As well as Brandon, I need to be reading, praying, and choosing the right every day of my life. I know that there will be good things to come because of it.

So, to all you girls who have a missionary out there in the field and are diligently waiting for them...a few tips from what I've learned so far from my own missionary.
1. DO NOT tell him that you want them to come home because you miss him. That will only make him more homesick. Oh and...keep the mushy to a minimum.
2. When you get a letter from him, send one back! There is nothing that a missionary loves more than a letter from his girl back home.
3. Give him all the support you can muster up. That's ultimately all they need and it means a lot coming from YOU.
4. Pray for him all the time! Thank Heavenly Father for putting him into your life when he did.
5. Find things to do to pass the time. Being busy will only help those 2 years go by faster. Those first few weeks are the worst (emotionally break downs tend to become more frequent, I've noticed).
6. Read and pray. Send your missionary scriptures that you like, ask him to send ones that he finds while he's doing scripture study. Praying will help you to have more spiritual experiences that make you and your missionary grow closer together. I've already had a few...they are the coolest!
7. And just remember, a "Dear John" letter is never a good idea. If you're not fully committed for 2 years then don't make it worse on him.

I love Elder Woodland with all my heart and I support him through all of this, no matter how hard it is. We're just best friends going through the two hardest and the best two years of our lives so far.

-Em