Top Ten (or so) Reasons Why Serving In the Tuscon Arizona Spanish Speaking Mission kicks butts over serving in the Chihuahua Mexico Mission

10. There is actually a 7-11 there, so as to be able consume Tiger Blood Slurpee's on Hot Hot Arizona Days.

9.45 Having the Kalipoki symbol tatooed on your arm for fertility to help find chicks when he returns home from his mission.

9.35 Actually getting the opportunity of mailing an actual letter with an actual stamp, inside an actual envelope - or sending both new shoes at the same time - and having him actually receiving the items before they are stolen.

9.25 Understanding the person at the drive through at McDonalds because you have been trained in Spanish.

9. The closest people we know are our multimillionaire cousins (Knight Trucking) that love the missionaries like no other - and Sonya (Sonji) Dahl - who makes a mean sandwich.

8.5 Having a million people tell you that the Tuscon Arizona Mission will change your Missionaries life forever because the people there are second to none.

8.25 Not having that matter because you KNOW it is an amazing place with wonderful members.

8.0 New temple going up in Mission area - completion and dedication during his mission - being able to wave the Hankie once again...

7.25 Christmas in 2010 might be spent flying everyone there to then turn around and fly home with him - without passports or visas, if Jet Blue is still in business.

7. Not wasting the years it took to teach our Macaws to say "Holah" when you walk into the room and not be the next meal.

6.5 100% chance of killer farmer tan, 50% chance of being eaten alive by scorpions.

6.25 Not wasting your first stamp on your passport in Mexico - let's hit France eh?

6. Not having the Missionary plaque printed in our ward yet for a reason - now it won't have to be changed... just made.

5. Being able to pass out my 3 X 5 cards with "BITE ME" on them to anyone that says, "Oh what a bummer to have to get a mission reassignment stateside - because we live in a pathetic shallow world of 'foreign mission freaky moms'. (hum, just this side of 4 weeks ago he was fighting to save his lung...... lets keep in perspective as to why this was necessary) (BTW - someone had to accept THEIR call to the SLC Mission or Elder Hillary's dad would have never joined the church!!) (bite me mom's that think that way)

5.5 Freaking being able to leave the blasted MTC. (Dear Elder.com is over-rated, and Same Day Delivery is too) You could have learned 7 different languages since you arrive there! (Well maybe not Finnish AND Mandarin Chinese)

4. Having the illegal aliens running towards you instead of running away from you.

4.25 Having an actual President in the current country serving in vs the MOB or Drug Cartel in charge. (Even the Don's couldn't protect him - they're held up in Mexico City!)

4.35 For Mike's sake - we have bigger guns on our side... Ashley would add, cuter outfits...

4.50 A new Mission President named Westley Walker - because our family loves to say the word 'Westley' with our self induced lisps.

3. Having horse power instead of burro power. Or pedal power - because no one will steal your bike along with your mail.

3.5 Actually being able to drink the water, and eat the food - road kill special delight.

2. Realizing that we don't have to send the weapon or weapon permit, including bullet proof vest and armor for his head and neck. Because in Chihuahua, heads are rollin'.

1.75 If I get really homesick for him, Thelma and Louise (Elaine and I) can pack up our dill pickle sunflower seeds and head south to the border now that his reassignment is 5 miles closer to home than it was before the reassignment. (location, location, location)(jump da boarder baby)

1.50 Because in a matter of weeks or even days, all of his Chihuahua Zone will be relocated into the states because of the violence in the mission anyway - why not get a head start.

1.25 They actually have Medical Doctors (to fix the other lung when it decides to go) instead of VooDoo Butchers with E-Xacto knives.

and the Number One Reason?

God doesn't make mistakes.

Elder Hillary will fly out on Tuesday Morning and actually get to put his antsy foot on the home turf of his mission (actually his 3rd mission area). Thanks to so many people that made sure that he could still serve with his current medical complications. For the doctors that stood up for him in front of 'people that are not doctors' who said no. For President Dean, for having the courage to fight the system for him. For those that shook the snot out of the one particular idiot that thought he was larger than his calling. And for Elaine - who picked up my heart and dusted it off. I see warm weather and sunny skies for the forecast - and a few tacos, chips and salsa - to go please, and, could I get a large coke with that? Ryan you are our hero - you fought the battle - and you won. Go getter done son. Dream Big.

Top 10, or so, may, no wait, probably will, change over time - so keep posted. Chill out right Eric?!! (yer mom) Any more reasons to rejoice?

EDITS: The great ideas have been coming in on my e-mail.... I guess I'll have to start numbering them going up now:

1. When playing scrabble - you'll get more points from Chihuahua, but in writing the address on a letter it will take less time to write Tuscon, and the possibilities of spelling it correctly will be greater...

2. The temperature is still about 115 but in Chihuahua the wind makes the tumbleweeds hit you at a greater speed.

3. You can actually take your family to visit your mission field 10 years from now and it won't be a new country with a new name.