Korea Daejeon!

Wow! That's about all I can say about the last several days. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster, and I'm sure how I have felt doesn't hold a candle to Nathaniel's experiences. Wednesday is the typical day for mission calls to arrive, and we collectively held our breath, thinking, "Oh well, if it isn't this week, maybe next." Wednesday was a crazy day, anyway. Nathaniel and Caitie and Emilie all danced a standing ovation performance, swing dancing a routine that Caitlin had choreographed. I'd like to try to figure out how to load their recording onto this blog. So Wednesday came and went. Then Thursday. Nothing. Friday night Stan and I were at home when the phone rang. It was Nathaniel, strangely out of breath. "Mom! Dad! It came!" We were puzzled at first, then put two and two together. He had just gotten off work, headed back to the apartment, and there it was. As we talked on the phone, his roommates were threatening that the call was opening itself in the background.

We all took a deep breath and decided that EVERYONE had to be in on the call. I'm proud that Nathaniel had the gumption and the self control to wait until the next night. By then I had arranged for a conference call number (thanks Leslie!). Even Steve called in from China.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans...our connection was pretty muddy. We took a poll to find out where everyone thought he'd be going. Here are the results:
Steve: Korea or a Chinese speaking mission
Lori: Samoa
David: Alabama
Cristie: Latvia
Josh: Central America
Melodie: Guatemala
Joel: Germany
Heather: Canada
Emilie: Utah Provo
Caitie: France
Matthew: Soviet Union
Nathaniel: Stateside or Africa

Adding that to the background noise to Nathaniel's shaking, tear-filled voice, we couldn't figure out at first where he had been called.

But as it turned out, Steve was the winner. He'd nailed it on the first guess! Korea Daejeon. I guess it used to be called Taejon or something like that. It's still pronounced with a T sound to begin the word. When we read it, all we could think was "mustard." The Korean Dejon Mustard Mission. Pretty cool name! But we're all pretty pumped, especially Nathaniel. He reports on May 7. That's only 5 1/2 weeks to get ready. Yikes!

Oh--and one pretty funny side comment: When Nathaniel was 15, he went to China to spend a few months with Steve. When he came back, he told me, "You know, the only language I really have no interest in learning is Korean. They sound so whiny!" I think Someone Upstairs overheard that remark and is having a pleasant little chuckle right now. Because, you know, you learn to love wherever you go--and you learn to love the people, and the language. Nathaniel already does! Have a great mission, beloved son!