Terry

My brother Terry came to live with our family 6 years ago, when he was 14. My mom was working for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, and Terry was one of her students. When she found out he was going to be given to the state, and put in the foster program, she told my dad that she wanted him to come live with us. So a couple of days later, he came to our house, with everything he owned in a little cardboard box. When he first came, we were really excited and nervous and didn't really know what to think. We also had a hard time communicating with him because he is deaf. My mom knew sign language, but no one else did. So for a while, we wrote everything down when we talked to him. I felt so bad for him because his mom had just given him up, he couldn't communicate with us, and I bet he was so confused with everything. Plus, he was a teenager, which is a hard enough age as it is. He was a little crazy, too. He would walk around the house clapping as loud as he could, with his hands right up to his ear, (because he could hear it). He would do the same things over and over again. He was so loud with everything he did (he can't hear himself and he didn't know what was "normal"), and quite honestly he drove us all crazy at some times. It was not easy, but the most amazing thing happened as the years went by. We all learned sign language, and we all grew close to him, and he really became part of the family. We all took our turns taking him under our wing and helping him learn.

When Terry came to live with us, we knew he had been baptized, but it was clear he had not gone to church and did not know many things about it. At first, he came with us to our church, and my mom interpreted for him. But that was really hard on my mom and Terry wasn't getting much out of it. So he started going to the deaf ward. This helped him so much. He still had a "whatever" attitude about the church, and was really only going for the social aspect of it (but really, what teenager doesn't?!) But overtime, he learned alot and gained a testimony of the gospel. When my brother Braden left on his mission, this really impacted Terry. He started thinking about going on a mission. It was funny because he used to say he didn't want to go on a mission because he couldn't go to the gym and work out and he was afraid he would get fat. He loved to go to the gym, and this was a big concern for him! :) But I know my brother helped him a lot and really encouraged him. And suddenly he started talking about going on a mission. At first I thought it was just talk. I thought he was just saying what he thought we wanted to hear. But he started studying the scriptures and reading Preach My Gospel, all on his own, and he really took the initiative to learn everything he could. It was amazing. He had to go through a lot of hoops to finally be able to put in his papers, and I just was amazed at his dedication and determination. He is such a good guy! So he finally got his call to New York, New York North Mission, speaking American Sign Language.

I can't even describe how great this kid is, and how much I love him. He is going to be a wonderful missionary, and I am so excited for him. By taking him in, my parents really changed his life. They were so good to him and helped him so much. It's beyond words what they did for him. When he first came to live with us, he would sneak food in his room, because he was worried he wouldn't get enough (something he had to do before he lived with us). He would eat SO much food at meals, and so fast, until my mom had to tell him to slow down, and reassured him he could eat as much as he wanted, and that there would be enough for him. He was amazed at all the things we had and would talk a lot about money. This world my parents gave him was so completely different from what he knew before. It still breaks my heart thinking about the life he had before he came to us. My parents are amazing, and I admire greatly what they did with this kid. They set the example for us kids to follow, by letting this stranger in our home and loving him as their own. It was definitely a family effort, and our family grew closer together. If someone would have told me 6 years ago that Terry would be going on a mission, I wouldn't have believed it. And now here we are, and he has left on his mission. It is amazing, and it makes me so happy.

My wonderful family!


Me and Terry- this was on the way over to the MTC. He was so nervous. He told me that he was so happy he came to live with us, and that he was proud of our family for helping him. It was so cute.




Hanging up the New York flag on our flag pole.


The night before he left, after he was set apart as a missionary.


Saying good bye at the MTC




Now we are saving our money, so in two years, we can go to New York and pick him up! :)


PS- Do you like my new do? HUGE step for me, I have never had short hair, but it has been a fun change!