Off He Goes: Bittersweet Morning at the Airport

On July 2, 2025, we said goodbye to Tate at the airport as he began his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’s headed to the Spain Barcelona Mission, with six weeks of training first at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah. The first week of that training was done from home, what they call “home MTC,” with Zoom meetings, online lessons, and digital introductions to his companion, district, and teachers.

We’ve now sent seven missionaries out into the field, and while I’ve written this blog for years, I’ve never shared the story of one of these sendoffs. Not because they were ordinary or unworthy of writing, but maybe because I just never took the time. Today, I had a few minutes, and I found myself thinking about Tate. So I decided to write it down.

We were all excited for him to leave. Excited in that proud, slightly aching kind of way. He had spent the last two weeks packing up his bedroom, preparing spiritually, and, a bit unexpectedly, mastering an impressive range of card tricks. He practiced relentlessly, showing off new tricks to Annette, Addi, and me. Bottom deals, one-handed cuts and shuffles, misdirection with words and movement. I was always the first to volunteer to be tricked.

The Saturday before “home MTC” started, Tate, Annette, Addi, and I had one last outing. We went to Casa do Brasil (all-you-can-eat meat!) for lunch. Then we went to see Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning at the theater. One last mission adventure before he started the real thing.

In the quiet days that followed, we played Yahtzee and Scum, watched a few Jelle’s Marble Runs replays (his team is the O’Rangers, I cheer for the Raspberry Racers), and talked about football, logic puzzles, and probabilities.

Tate had even secretly ordered me a Father’s Day gift: a Raspberry Racers shirt from the Jelle’s merch store. He hid it in his closet. Unfortunately, during a final bedroom clean-out, Annette, thinking she was finishing the job, bagged up the remaining shelf items and asked me to toss them in the outside trash can. Tate came out of the shower, asking where his stuff went, and made a beeline for the garage. Good thing he did. That shirt was in the bag.

Tate with Annette, Addison, and me
at the airport just before check-in.

One last smile from Tate
before heading through security.

His flight from College Station was scheduled for 6:00 a.m., so we left home at 4:30. Just Annette, Addison, and me. Unlike when Jamie or Tanner left and the whole family was there, this goodbye felt quieter but no less real.

We had packed everything the day before. We got him checked in at the College Station airport without any issues. As he pushed his suitcases under the barrier toward the scanner, he scraped his thumb. Nothing serious, but he later texted Annette to say he got a little blood on his shirt.

We gave him hugs. I reminded him to honor the two names on his tag: Jasperson and Jesus Christ. He represents both. Then we watched him walk through security, wait at the gate, and finally disappear down the jetbridge.

Just like we’ve done with each of our missionaries, we walked downstairs to watch the plane taxi and take off.

My heartstrings tugged. They always do.

Walking Tate to the TSA checkpoint...
a final few steps before the mission begins.

As Tate flew from College Station to DFW and then to Salt Lake City, we started our own trip that same morning, heading to Austin to catch a flight to Las Vegas for our family vacation. Tate was not supposed to bring his phone with him to the MTC, but we sent it along so he could coordinate with Jason upon arrival.

As we drove and waited at our gate, Annette kept us updated using iPhone location-sharing.

“Tate’s at DFW.”
“Now he’s landed in Salt Lake.”
“Jason just arrived at the airport.”
“Wait, now he’s with Allyn too?”

We hadn’t known Jason and Allyn were planning to meet up. They had arranged it on their own because their work schedules changed. After Tate landed in Salt Lake, Jason picked him up at the airport and took him to meet Allyn. Jason then returned to work while Allyn and Tate went to lunch. Afterward, she dropped him off at the MTC. Just before going in, Tate handed her his iPhone to bring back to us for the family reunion. Allyn turned off the phone, and with that, his little icon disappeared from the tracking app. Annette called her right away to get the final details.

That was the moment it really sank in. He was officially out of reach until his next P-Day.

A surprise meet-up in Utah ...
Tate with Jason and Allyn before heading to the MTC.

Allyn sent pictures. They meant a lot.

Tate entering the MTC
with help from the missionary hosts.

Tate is competent, confident, and spiritually prepared. He decided to serve after a powerful experience at FSY about a year ago. We’ve always taught our kids about the importance and blessings of missionary service, but we also left the final decision to them. When Tate decided, it was personal and sure.

What do I hope for him? I hope he comes to know Jesus Christ more fully, not just as Savior and Redeemer, but as an older Brother. I hope he learns empathy and compassion. Tate can be intense sometimes, so I hope this softens him a little in the best of ways. I want him to experience life, grow in independence, and come to love the people of Spain and his mission.

And I hope he remembers what it means to work hard and forget about himself. He ran our family’s mowing business. He knows what it takes to do a job well. I hope he listens to others and learns from them, too.

If I could say one thing to him right now, it would be: Have fun, and do not come home with regrets for not giving your all.

I will miss you, Tate.