Time Flies.........

Time flies by and Ryan has now been gone for Seven Weeks.  A bit hard to believe I know but sometimes it feels like an eternity.  I can't believe that it has been 5 weeks since I last posted on my blog and I have been given a bit of prompting by someone about updating it so here goes.

The MTC was a wonderful experience and something that I know that Ryan will never forget.

Ryan & his MTC Companion (an Elder from Brazil)

Three Amigos

So there were three Aussie Missionaries in the MTC.  Two from the one ward.  Sister Pink is serving in the England London South Mission and Lucy is serving in the London Mission.  It is awesome that Ryan and Lucy got to be at the MTC in England at the same time.

Ryan & Co at the MTC

Friendships are made.

Boys will be Boys!!

MTC District

It was an exciting day when we got a letter from President Millar which included a picture of Ryan and his first companion (Trainer) and President & Sister Millar.

Photo taken at Stains Chapel on 29th May, 2013 the day Ryan
arrived in the London South Mission

I know this was an awesome day for him and that he was very happy to get out there and be doing the thing that he has wanted to do for so long.

Ryan has had some wonderful experiences so far and is loving missionary life.

What a blessing it was for him to be able to hear Elder M Russell Ballard speak.  Elder Ballard was due to travel to St Petersburg but due to a mix up with his Visa he had to remain in the UK for two extra days.  All the missionaries in the London and London South missions (not sure but I think it was just those two missions) got to go to the Hyde Park Chapel and hear him speak.  This was all so totally unexpected for everyone.

In his last email Ryan told us that while they were doing their weekly planning and they got a phone call saying that there was a girl at the chapel who wanted to ask some questions.  They tried to answer her question which was "how do I join".  The member said that they knew someone who could answer this question.  WOW!!
Ryan and his companion rushed over to the chapel and gave her a chapel tour and taught her the first lesson and she now has a baptism date set for 27th July.  Such an exciting experience for Ryan and his companion. Ryan says he knows that this experience was a gift from the Lord and that he has entrusted them with her salvation.  I guess there are many missionaries out there who have similar things happen and maybe some who never have an something quite like that.

So all in all there have been some great things and already we see the growth that Ryan is experiencing.

But just so you know that some things never change...........

and he hasn't lost his sense of humour...........

I guess that's the Ryan we all love and miss and wouldn't have him any other way!!

First Area - Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom

Photo via Wikipedia

This week saw Ryan going out from the MTC to his first area..........Maidstone.  We received an email from the Mission Office advising us that he had arrived into the Mission along with 33 other new missionaries.  Wow that is a lot of new missionaries.  I assume that some will be going home from there as well.  Not long after we got the email from the Mission Office, there was an email from Ryan telling us what his first area was.  His Trainer is Elder Eccleton from Missouri and, according to Ryan, he is great Missionary.

Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom - Map from Wikipedia

Maidstone is the county town of Kent, 32 miles (51km) south-east of London.  The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary.  Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, known as the Garden of England.  There is evidence of a settlement in the area dating back to beyond the Stone Age.

Archbishops Palace - Photo by Steven Nunney

The town is in the borough of Maidstone.  In 2011, the town had a population of 113,137, about 73 per cent of the population of the borough.

Maidstone's economy has changed over the years from being involved in heavy industry, to more light industry and service industries.  (Information courtesy of Wikipedia)

River Medway - Photo from Wikipedia

Maidstone looks like a really lovely part of the world.  Their flat/apartment looks like it is right along the river.  (this is not their apartment in the background)

You are welcome to email Ryan - his email address is:

ryan.travers@myldsmail.net

Ryan says that he will respond if he has time after emailing family but like I said previously please understand that you may not get a reply.  I know that he will appreciate hearing you.

Wearing His Badge With Pride.......

Sister Pink, Sister Gorniak & Elder Travers (3 Aussies)

You know your son is really a missionary when you see that badge that says:

Elder Travers

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

England London South Mission

Elder Travers & Sister Pink

On Wednesday we received our first email - well official Preparation Day email - from Ryan.

I am pleased to say that he is doing well and loving it there and excited to be going out into the field on Wednesday, next week.......29th May.

They are all so busy and his time on the computer was limited which I am guessing is due to the fact that there are lots of them trying to write home.

Consequently Ryan's email was short but at least we heard from him.

He has also sent some "Snail Mail" which I look forward to getting.

Last night we received a lovely letter from President & Sister Edwards from the MTC officially advising us that Ryan would be leaving there on Wednesday, 29th May.  It was also nice, as a parent, to hear the great things that they had to say about him.  We are really proud of the person that he is and is becoming.

I know that Ryan would love to get paper letters as it is difficult to read lots of emails with a limited time on the computer each week.  The address that you can send mail to is:

Elder Ryan Travers
England London South Mission
West Park Road
Newchapel, Surrey RH7 6NB
England
United Kingdom 

Like I said he will love getting letters but due to the time constraints of a missionary
please don't expect a reply.  I know that he will reply if there is time.

34 hours later.................

I can only imagine how tired/exhausted Ryan must have been when he finally arrived in Manchester approximately 34 hours after leaving Devonport.  I hope that he at least managed to get some sleep.  I know how I felt when I have flown overseas, especially to the USA.  It is a long flight and it stuffs your body clock right up.  It is definitely not the same trying to sleep on a plane as it is in your own bed - but then that is stating the obvious.

The last leg of the flight was from Singapore to Manchester via Munich in Germany and after 34 hours of flying I can't believe that he arrived in Manchester on time - in fact according to the flight schedule we received before he left, the flight was actually early getting into Manchester.

It was interesting and exciting being able to watch the plane actually coming in to land at the airport.  Well not the actual plane that they were on but a little green plane that represented their plane.  So I knew exactly when the plane had landed..........4:28pm here in Tassie.

It was also exciting to know that my son had arrived safely in his new home for the next two years - Safe and Sound.

I didn't find the "Flight Aware" site until Ryan's plane had left Singapore so I could only track his flights part of the way.  Modern technology truly is an amazing thing.

It is strange to think that right now Ryan is so very far away from us yet I could watch his plane landing on a small computer screen back here in Australia.  I think that is so so amazing.

This is the part of England that Ryan will be serving in.

It was exciting to see Ryan's plane landing in the UK but it was even more exciting a few hours later when my first email arrived.  I was so excited and happy to know that he was there and when I read his words.........."I've only been here a few hours but already I love it", I felt a peace that all was well.

I know that Ryan will miss all his great friends and being at home with the family but I do know that he will love his mission and will be a better person for having sacrificed those things and served the Lord for 2 years.

Time to Say Goodbye-

The day started early.......around 4am.

It's a bit over 2 hours till Ryan leaves for 2 years in the England London South Mission and he is well and truly ready to go.  It's been about four months since he got his call and probably felt like an eternity until he was able to go.

 

Devonport airport was pretty quiet at 5:30am when we arrived there which meant no queueing up.  I guess that is one of the benefits of leaving from a small airport.  No huge long queues with heaps of people waiting to catch their flight.  No fighting with the crowds.

Unusual but the flight was going via Launceston of all places.  Never been on a flight from Devonport that did that before.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...........

and

Talking, Talking, Talking........

Last minute check of the boarding passes.

Last minute time spent with family.

Some last minute cuddle time with
his little buddy
(Oh and not to mention "Penglin")

One last cuddle for Uncle Ryan.  I know that Ryan will miss Eric heaps.  His little buddy.
It is hard to believe that when Ryan comes home Eric will be four.
That seems like a long time but I know that it will fly by.

And so the inevitable................

I know that is not a great shot (probably due to the fact that I was crying) but it is the last one of took of Ryan due to the fact that it was dark outside when he left.

Bye Uncle Ryan
Eric was calling out Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.

Ryan we will miss you heaps.  No doubt about it.  We will miss your sense of humour because there never is a dull moment when you are around.
Two years seems like an eternity but in the scheme of eternity it is but a second.
We wish you every happiness as you head off on this great adventure.
Have a wonderful time and I look forward to the day when I am standing back at the airport to see you come off the plane and hug you once again.
See you in 2

Final Preparations

I knew this day would come but didn't realise how fast it would happen.  The 24 hours leading up to Ryan leaving were a whirlwind of activity.  Finally, finally, finally, Ryan's passport with Visa inside arrived on Tuesday, 15th May, around lunchtime.  Talk about in the nick of time.  Tuesday was the last day that his passport could come if they were to send him so that he could arrive in the UK on 16th May.  It was an emotional time for both of us because he wanted to go when he was supposed to and I wanted that for him too.  I guess that I need to have more faith sometimes.

Once the Visa arrived there was emails going back and forth to Fiona Alexander from Missionary Services in Sydney so that she could organise flights for Ryan.  By around 4pm we had the flight details.  It would definitely be an early start with Ryan's flight leaving from Devonport at 6:30am.

At first Fiona said that it looked like he would be going at 10am which really is a more respectable time but it didn't work out that way.  In the end I am really glad that he was leaving at 6:30am because it meant that we didn't have to wait around all day and could get our goodbyes over - after all that is always the hardest part.

Before Ryan could leave on his mission the other thing that had to happen was that he needed to be set apart for his service by President Scott Prebble.  Our family travelled to Deloraine where we met with him.  Lucy Gorniak was also being set apart and her family were there too.  A really special time for both of our families. Both the blessings given were awesome.

I know that these two will be wonderful missionaries and bless the lives of many in England through their 2 years (Ryan) and 18 months (Lucy) of service.  I also know that it will be an awesome experience for both of them.

Stage 2..........Applying for a Visa for the United Kingdom.

Your UK sponsorship has now been approved.  YOU CAN PROCEED TO STAGE 2.

We were getting a bit worried but last Thursday Ryan's sponsorship documentation finally arrived.  Thank goodness.

Ryan flew to Melbourne today to the UK Border Agency to have his biometrics taken.  What on earth are "Biometrics" you ask.  That's what I asked myself  -  Fingerprints.  So after applying for the Visa online - one return airfare, a day in Melbourne, three minutes at the UK Border Agency and $310 for the Visa application, all documents are on their way to Sydney so they can issue the Visa.  Hopefully within the next 10 days or so we should have Ryan's Passport in hand with a UK Visa.

I guess this all makes it seem more real.

What makes it seem even more real is that on Monday Ryan and I went shopping for his clothes.

A new suit, trousers, white shirt, new shoes.

Yes it all seems so real now.

It hardly seems possible that in a month's time, today, Ryan will be in the UK.