Jake is Home!!!

Wahoo! Jacob is home from Japan! Elder Erickson, now officially set apart as Jacob, has just completed a 2 year mission in Tokyo Japan. It was so much fun to read his emails each week and to see how much he was changing. It is amazing to me the work that missionaries do. Each week Jacob would share with us the lessons he was teaching and the people he was reaching. His testimony was so evidently growing with each passing email and it is amazing for me, as a big sister, to see how much her little brother has grown. Jacob left as my little brother, the oldest of the "little kids" in our family, and has come home a changed man-and change for the better! Granted I have only been able to spend a little bit of time with him thus far, but I can just see the changes in his countenance, and for that reason alone, I wish every young man could have the experience of serving the Lord for two years.

As a token of admiration and love for Jacob, I'd just like to add my testimony to his two years of committment to the Lord and testify that I know Jesus is the Christ. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church and contains the fullness of the gospel. I know President Monson is a living prophet, and I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and truly bore his testimony through his work. I know the Book of Mormon is a true book, a compliment to the Bible, and a testament of Jesus Christ. And I know the people of Japan have truly benefitted from their asosciation with Jacob as he brought a similar testimony to them as a missionary of the Lord. I am so proud of my brother! It is wonderful to have him home and I am so excited to see what the future holds for him!

Here's a few pictures of the airport-we got there about an hour and a half early because we missed the phone call about Jacob's plane being delayed. However,the time went by very quickly: it was spent riding escalators, walking through the parking garage to see airplanes take off, and walking from one end of the terminal to its polar end. And of course, once all 10 cousins convened in the same terminal, the party was on :) It was great fun to see the Hammerquists stroll into the airport-kudos to Mark for surprising Suzie so well, I know she really wanted to be there! Also wonderful to see John and Linda, thanks for coming to support Jake!

JD didn't mind the wait at all-give him real airplanes any day!

Karianna and Makayla trying to grab first sight of Jake!

Everyone who came to greet Jacob (except the Hunts and the Parkers, aka photographers).

Jacob and our family-Jacob got to meet Jordan for the first time and a grown up JD, who was only 2 weeks old when Jake left!