Elder Hansen Leaves in 10 Days

In 10 days, my son Canyon Jakson will be leaving the life he's known for the last 19 years to serve the Lord and the people living in and around Omaha, Nebraska.

He's very excited.

I mean it too. I was worried that with a girlfriend he cares very much for, and an active extracurricular high school (and post-high school) life, he might find himself sad, or perhaps...dreading the idea of leaving for two years.

(Canyon and Carli Jo)

However, he's very excited and even anxious.

I'm pretty proud of him. I've always been. He's an exceptional young man with a powerful testimony. He has an ability to express his love for the Savior in ways that can marvel even the most knowledgeable member of the LDS Church. He always has. Even when he was a small child, he had a gift and nearly everyone who met him could see the Lord's light radiating from him.

Of course, I can't lie. It wasn't an easy ride for any of us. His teen years were difficult - as they always are. He struggled with making choices that would ultimately break his heart. Not mine. His. However, he had been taught from a young age that no mistake EVER could alter the indescribable love His Savior had for him. Because he KNEW this, he chose to overcome the temptations he struggled with and persevere through a most difficult time in his life.


I think more than anything, he's actually excited to be out on his own. While he understands that he's not on his own REALLY, he is excited at the thought of living in a place where his parents aren't breathing down his neck all the time. I believe that he understands that there will be intense, vital, mandatory structure and discipline he must learn quickly in the coming months, but he is up to the task. When choosing to pursue something important to him, he is a very dedicated, hard worker. I am so excited to see him succeed. More than that, I'm looking forward to seeing what he learns from his failures. There will be many, and his heart will be broken... this will break my heart as well. Luckily I have learned time and time again that the Lord delivers His greatest blessings through the trials He sends to us. Canyon's blessings will be marvelous indeed and my heart leaps with joy for what he will experience.

While he isn't able to communicate with anyone but immediate family for the next two years, I thought it might be fun to keep everyone posted, generally, through this blog. It will be fun for me to think about and ponder the moments, thoughts, and testimony he shares and be able to share it with those who love him.

So... here's to post #1. Ten days from now, he'll be in the Lord's hands completely.

Post #2 will probably be indecipherable... I won't be able to type through the tears! (I can be happy about it now...but c'mon! When I actually drop him off??? I might cry a bit!)