Well everyone...although it seems unbelievable...I AM HOME! One of the very first things that my parents told me that I must do once I get home and settled in is that I must post on the blog, because there are a few people that want to know how it all went. So here we go! I am going to talk about my return home and what has been going on this first week of being home.
I will start with what happened the evening before I left my Chile; we do something very special for the missionaries going home in my mission; we have the opportunity to invite our Chilean family, all those that we have met and come into contact with during our time serving, and they all come to the chapel where the mission office is and we have a little testimony meeting and we have just the whole evening to visit with one another, to share memories and experiences and to really bask in all of the love that comes with serving a mission. Truly Wonderful.
The next day, we had the changes conference with the whole mission where we shared our testimonies and were able to say good bye to all the missionaries. That afternoon at 5:30, we were at the airport checking in our bags.
Now I will be honest...during the good byes, with my Chilean family and my other missionary friends, I didn't cry. And I thought to myself..."Goodness, what's wrong with me? Shouldn't I be crying? Shouldn't I be a little emotional, at least a little?" I have never been much of a crier... but I was expecting at least something. I mean, I just gave 18 months of my life to this beautiful country, to these amazing people, all to serve the Lord and help others feel loved and know that God has a plan... how is it that I am not crying? I dunno, it honestly made me feel a little BAD. Like, I SHOULD be crying right now! What's my problem?!
And then we started taking pictures with our mission president and his wife, Presidente and Hermana Barreros. And when Hna. B hugged me...that is when I lost it. Even through saying good bye, my final testimonies, through all that, the thing that got me was her hug in the airport. That was when it all came crashing down that it was ENDING. The final hug from my mission president's wife. She just hugged me, told me that they were proud of me (just like a mom would say), and that is when the tears came. Here I am at the airport, at the end of my mission, and I will never step foot in Chile again as a missionary. It was heavy on my shoulders.
The flights were pretty calm; I started getting less sad and more bubbly when I saw my Utah mountains- I AM HOME! My heart started pumping pumping pumping, and it just got crazier as the plane landed, we took down our carry ons, wove our way through the airport maze, and suddenly...there is the escalator. I was with the other two sister missionaries that were returning to Utah from my mission, and we could see banners and balloons and LOTS of people waiting at the bottom. We did rock paper scissors to see who would go down first, and as we started to descend...oh, how the crowd went wild!
Hugged my mom...and we cried. She is my best friend.
Hugged my dad...and we cried. It is thanks to him that I served a mission.
Hugged my brother...he picked me up, swung me around and cried as well. with how our missions overlapped and his service in the National Guard, we haven't seen each other in about 3 years. He is a hero.
High fived my Grandma. She is a convert and one of the coolest Grandmas ever.
Shook my boyfriend's hand. He got home a month earlier from Texas.
More hugs. More tears. More happiness. I am completely convinced that there are few feelings more joyful than returning from your mission and embracing your family and your loved ones and knowing that YOU DID IT! D and C 130:2.
And you know what, this first week was great. Today marks one week, 7 days of being home. And it has been wonderful. Let us be frank...there are many that say that returning home from the mission is hard. I heard all sorts of crazy stuff...that I wouldn't want to leave my room for two weeks. That I would be awkward and unable to communicate. That I would fall into a depression. That all that I would want to do is go back and leave my house to go out and teach and that I would just cry a lot...I feel that I had heard it all. And it made me a little nervous.
I want to set it all straight...returned missionaries, we can be happy coming home from our missions! It does not have to be miserable! Do not let it all get to your head! I just KNOW that finishing the mission is tough, but it can also be joyful. You can spend it being all bummed out, and I know that we all handle things differently...but don't let the expectation of sadness get to your head. I miss my Chile. I miss my Chilean family. But I am joyful to be home. And I am joyful to continue on with this next part of my life.
And remember...be bold, stay rad, do what you do...and let your light so shine :)
Ashlynne Rose Harkins
You are simply incredible!
ReplyDeleteYou are simply incredible!
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