Sophie's Send-off (2.10.24 and 2.11.24)

Sophie began her mission to Richmond, Virginia, the week of February 12, 2024.  Her final preparations included attending an "endowment ceremony" at an LDS temple, giving a "farewell talk" at her home chapel, and then being "set apart" by the president of her "stake", or combination of wards in the Holladay, Utah, area.  She was then given her badge that identified her as an LDS missionary.  Sophie spent the week of February 12, 2024 at home doing missionary training online before traveling to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, to complete her training and then travel to Richmond, Virginia.
 

Sophie chose the Draper Temple, high on a mountain overlooking Salt Lake City, as the temple for her endowment ceremony.  It was also the temple where Sophie's sister, Emilie, and brother, Jono, had been married.  There are now nearly 200 LDS temples in operation around the world, and LDS members have their favorites!  Sophie's parents and sisters, Annie and Emilie, accompanied Sophie to the temple on February 10, 2024, as did both sets of grandparents.  

The next day, Sunday, February 11, 2024, Sophie gave a beautiful talk to the congregation at her home ward.  She described her faith journey, starting when she first loved the candles in Catholic cathedrals, as a child traveling through Europe with her mother.   As Sophie grew up, she developed a strong testimony of the existence of Jesus Christ and his love, and of the truth of the LDS gospel.  After Church, Camille hosted a reception at her home.  Dave and I brought a fruit tray, and other relatives brought salads and desserts, to add to Camille's pulled pork sandwiches.  Groups of Sophia's friends stopped by to wish her well, as did Steve and Camille's close friends and members of their ward who had heard Sophie speak.

The final event of the day was Sophie's family and grandparents gathering in the stake president's office to see Sophie "set apart" as a missionary.  Before the prayer designating Sophie as a missionary, each of Sophie's family had a chance to tell Sophie how much they loved her and to say why they thought she'd be a talented and devoted missionary.  Sophie then received her missionary badge, to wear for the next eighteen months of her mission.