At the tail end of Home MTC for Claire, we had all the extended cousins over for “Pies & Ties.” This has become a tradition with all the cousins leaving on missions. A special way to send off your young adult.
What is Pies & Ties?
What in heaven’s name is Pies & Ties, you may ask?
Well, it’s an idea we stole years ago from another large extended family when they sent missionaries off. The whole family would come together, bring a tie for a gift (young men need to wear LOTS of ties as they serve for two years), and eat pie as they showered some extra love on that missionary.
I have loved our Pies & Ties gatherings over the years with all of Dave’s family. So many missionaries heading out into the world. Our family would sign the back of the tie we brought to these gatherings with some extra love. Hoping that missionary could feel our love every time he wore it.
Skirts & Desserts
Well, of course, those ties were all fine and dandy for young men missionaries. But what about when young women head out? Easy, we called the gathering “Skirts & Desserts” instead. But the “gift” part of the gathering dies out a tad bit with girls. Not because we don’t adore them, but choosing a skirt for someone is a little more difficult.
Still, the gathering stayed the same though: gather together as an extended family and shower love and encouragement and sometimes advice on that missionary-to-be. Oh how I love those nights, zoning in on that missionary, that gathering encapsulated in love.
What we did with Dave’s family to send Claire off
So a couple weeks ago it was Claire’s turn for her “Pies & Ties” gathering. That first name just kinda stuck.
I printed off a bunch of information about Claire’s mission to hang up around the kitchen. Love delving into details of where that missionary will be serving.
Here are some of the things about Sydney, Australia and the mission there if anyone is interested:
Dave gathered everyone into the game room. We started with a prayer. And Dave shared some things about Claire.
He brought her up and put her on the “hotseat” so people could ask her questions.
He also showed a bit of a video when Claire was on “The Voice” in China when we lived there. HA!
It was a pretty funny experience, all related to Mandarin Chinese which that girl is learning right now.
And it was pretty entertaining to share again during our family gathering.
It’s so weird that we’ve gone from SO many teenagers and big kids at these kinds of gatherings to just adults and like 12 little boys, including two great grandkids. All the “big kids” off at college and with their own budding families. Look at all these boys!
Dave asked for the adults to share some advice with Claire as well. Those who have served missions before as well as those who haven’t.
I wish I had written down some of the things they said, but I do remember that my sister-in-law reminded Claire to just take one step at a time. Missions can be overwhelming. But if we just remember one step can make a difference. And then another. They all build on each other to create the “glistening whole” where you learn and grow so much!
At the end Claire had the opportunity to share her testimony and some of the reasons why she has chosen to serve as a missionary.
Oh how I love all these people!
Of course, at the end is dessert.
Thank heavens not just pies. HA! (I’m not a pie fan.)
And there we have it: A special way to send off your young adult.
Oh that girl is already missed!!!
Other young adult send-offs:
Just a heads up that your info was wrong – Kiribati, Fiji, Solomon islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand are just a few of the countries/territories that celebrate New Year’s before Sydney. Sydney might have the biggest fireworks of the above listed, but they are not first.