Leaving Home

Elder Bailey Stark left home today. He has a long day of travel with layovers in Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Miami. He is traveling to the MTC in the Dominican Republic. His flight left at 5:30 AM, which meant that the alarm clock went off at 3:30. Ouch! As a sweet parting gift, we woke up to the first snowfall of winter. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Bailey to be able to say he woke up to snow, and will fall asleep in the Caribbean. At the airport, we ran into another family sending their son to the Philippines.  It was nice to see Bailey make an instant connection. Luckily, they had the same flight to Minneapolis, and it was reassuring to watch them leave security together, both looking a little nervous. Bailey called on his first layover and said that a very nice man on their flight helped both Bailey and this other missionary find their next gates. Already, the Lord is sending angels to watch over him. We went to the temple yesterday, which was the best. Last night he was able to say many good-byes, and we had a few precious moments at the airport this morning. I miss him already, but this is exactly where Elder Bailey Stark is supposed to be.