Friday, May 26, 2017
Connor received his mission call in the mail on Thursday, May 25th, but he didn't want to open it until all of his friends were available to share in the moment with him. So, naturally we planned an impromptu gathering of all our favorite people who live nearby. We love seeing how many people we can fit into our modest living room at one time.
It's considered pretty normal for "missionary moms" to go over-board on events like this. Connor begged me not to be one of those moms. However, it's a little different for me. This is truly a monumental moment in the history of his lineage.
Connor is my only biological child from my first marriage. He is the only O'Hagan grandson. He is the first of his O'Hagan lineage to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Connor is the first in his paternal line to hold the Aaronic and the Melchizedek Priesthood. He is also the first to have received his Temple endowments. Everything he does, he does as "the first O'Hagan".
The story of how all of this lined up for Connor will be shared in another blog that is part of my life story. It is only relevant to this blog so that the magnitude of him choosing to serve the Lord for two years of his life can truly be appreciated. Suffice it to say that his childhood was far from typical and I believe that all of the challenges and ordeals he endured prepared him for an extraordinary mission and future.
We had a friendly poll of "Where Will Elder O'Hagan Serve" going for a few weeks prior to receiving his call. Guesses ranged from Boise, Idaho to New Zealand. Tiffany Christensen and I both guessed South Africa. We were partially correct.
So, he started over and read the letter all the way through. When he read, "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Uganda Kampala Mission, which also includes the countries of Ethiopia and Rwanda", I totally freaked out. Pretty sure I scared everyone in the room.
You see, I fell in love with Africa back in 2013 during a humanitarian trip I took with a group called, "Mothers Without Borders". We spent about a month in Lusaka, Zambia caring for AIDS orphans; working on their school property and farm. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Knowing that my beloved son would be just a few hours north of where I served in Africa made my heart burst with joy!
Many of our friends and family were not initially as excited as we were about his call to Uganda. Sure, it's half way across the world. Yes, he'll be nine hours ahead of us. His area does border countries that are currently struggling with political conflicts and wars.
He may or may not have; hot running water, dependable electricity, and internet connectivity so he can send his weekly emails. He will have to; most likely walk everywhere, filter his water, avoid poisonous mosquitoes and bugs, adjust to extreme weather conditions, learn various local dialects and eat food that is very different from what he is accustomed to. However, none of these things are going to discourage him, nor us, of how perfect this calling is for him. My husband and I have both experienced Africa. We are very aware of the circumstances, trials and challenges that exist there. We also know how incredibly genuine Africans are. They are passionate, loving, sincere and real. Connor is going to fit in perfectly.
We know without any doubt that Connors call to serve in Eastern Africa was inspired. He will be able to use every aspect of his personality and all of his capabilities to serve the people of Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
The blessings will be endless.
