Farewell...

Sunday, March 24th 2013

Today was Sam's final Sunday at Newcastle Ward for 2 whole years! Family and friends travelled from all over to come and listen to his talk and to say their goodbyes. Sam's school friends came to support him and they filled the whole front row, there was so many people they had to open the curtains at the back! In fact, there was 112 people in total. (This also included special guests Jimmy, Merrill and Jay Osmond!!!)

Scott Walker was the first speaker and while he was speaking Sam nipped out of the room, people were wondering where he was gone but he was so nervous he went outside to be sick! Sam eventually came back in the room before Scott finished his talk and started with 'Thank Yous', he said it was hard to cram 20 years of Thank You's into a 10 minute talk. He started off by thanking his parents, he said he wanted to do this first as he didn't want to get too emotional at the end and also they deserve to be mentioned first. Just as he was about to talk about his Mam he got emotional and couldn't really get his words out but he controlled himself and gave a quote about mothers "God couldn't be everywhere so he created mothers." He didnt want to leave his Dad out so he gave a quote from President Thomas S Monson.

He then went on to thank his nursery teacher Jackie Houghton but he said how he couldn't remember much about those times. Even though Jackie couldn't visit today he said she had supported him leading up to his mission and even bought him his shoes for his mission. Next was Norma Johnson, his primary teacher, he told funny stories about how he was quite naughty with his friend Mark Fraser, they would purposely sing the wrong words, put their chairs facing the wrong way, throw their books up in the air when they were finished and how it hit Norma on the head, also one time when Mark wanted the swirly chair he pulled it away from the piano to sit on it and Norma was just about to sit on it so she fell on the floor!

Next he thanked his Young Men leaders and how his testimony really grew when studying the Doctrine & Covenants in Seminary with Susan Kelly. He also remembered the time he went home teaching for the first time with his Dad, he couldn't remember much about it but he got that confirming feeling that what he was doing what the right thing.

Sam then went on with his talk about missionary work and told the story about the missionary which was sent to England but was feeling really discouraged and wanted to come home so he wrote back home to his Dad, he then replied back to his son saying "Forget yourself and go to work". This missionary then later became Prophet of the church, President Gordon B Hinckley. Sam wants to use this as his motto for his mission!

After sacrament meeting we had a special Munch & Mingle with an amazing spread! Patrick Hoben said it was like a wedding! 

While everyone was eating his sister went around and asked people to draw a picture of themselves and write a message for him which was on a pillowcase that he would take with him.

Sam had a lovely chocolate Costco cake which he cut into while everyone give him 3 cheers!

Sam had his final catch up with his school friends and photos were taken and obviously uploaded to Facebook straight away! 

Then last of all family photos...

Once everyone had gone we remembered he needed to be set apart as an elder but Stake President wasn't there! We organised to go to Gateshead Chapel for 8pm that night, when we arrived Joe Kinghorn was just coming out of the office as he was sending his papers off to become a missionary too! Stake President spoke with just Sam for about 10 minutes then he had a lovely blessing and was officially a missionary!