The Phone Call

So...I'm sitting at my desk working on a playlist for the blog (new feature here - you can turn it off if you prefer - over at the right side) in a quiet moment, and the phone rings. Caller ID says it's coming from an "801" area code. Sure enough, Elder Layton was calling.

He started speaking Spanish to me - and I have to say, it sounded pretty good. Actually, he sounded really good. There was one little spot I had to ask him to repeat, but for the most part, he was doing great...better than I did when I was at the MTC getting ready for Mexico. When I first got to Mexico and spoke Spanish, little kids laughed at my accent. And I once testified that the Father and Son have bodies of meat and eggs. Ouch! Fortunately my companion was a Native and corrected my false doctrinal teaching.

Mom, dad and the kids all got on the phone (aren't speakerphones great?) and had a chance to speak with him for about 5 minutes. These moments are a bit of a rush, with a little panic, a lot of joy and excitement, all mixed together. It's a wonderfully strange experience.

He is being temporarily assigned to the Phoenix, Arizona mission...which is an amazing coincidence since that is where ANDREA lives! Well, okay, she actually lives in Mesa, but close enough.

About two weeks ago Elder Layton was kidding around that he wouldn't mind being temporarily reassigned to the Mesa, Arizona mission. We all laughed... yeah, like that's going to happen.

Elder Layton expects to be in Phoenix for up to two weeks. Nearly as soon as his visa arrives, he will be shipped out to Peru. Elder Layton's companion, Elder Ridge is also headed South. He's going to Tucson, and I assume is dealing with the same situation. Elder Layton will be travelling to Phoenix with Elder Ellison.

He reaffirmed that he is definitely going to Peru. He is going to call again on Monday, we assume just before he leaves. I expect to have more posted then.