Called to Serve

My brother, Matt, has been waiting on a mission call.  It was an anxious time for all of us!  Last Thursday, the telltale white envelope appeared in the mailbox.  When I brought it inside, Matt was so excited that he literally jumped up and down!  It was absolute torture for him to wait 4 hours to open it!

After Adam came home, Matt's friends showed up, and we got the rest of the family connected via phone and google hangout, the moment of truth arrived.

"Dear Elder Kaiser:

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 Brazil Cuiaba Mission!!!"

Matt will report to the Brazil MTC on November 27, which is the day before Thanksgiving.  That was the only bummer--I think Matt was hoping to go a little sooner.  But Brazil may be the most difficult country in the world to get a visa to, so he will need the time to get that all done.
Matt is thrilled about his call, even more so because two of his best friends are also going to serve in Brazil, although all in different missions.  I know he is going to be an amazing missionary, but the reality of him leaving our family is a little tough for me.  He will be with us just a month shy of two years when he leaves, and he is completely and totally a part of our family.  It's definitely going to be hard on all of us when he goes.  But I couldn't be more proud of him and excited for him.  He is going to rock Brazil!