Adapting to being home

9/1-7

Monday was Labor Day. I spent a good portion of the day with my parents and some family friends, Cary and Barbara Jenkins. We all drove up to Sundance Resort to go mountain biking. Before my missionary service I was very much one to seek out opportunities like this, but today I struggled with possibly being the biggest wimp I've ever met. The first ride down the mountain was rough, it didn't take long for the tears to emerge from my eyes.

Adjusting from the missionary schedule and routine is harder than I thought. It's hard to explain, but I'll do my best:

The emotional rollar coast is intense. When I left Korea I was sad to leave, but excited to come home. Being home I have been at a loss of what is okay and what is not (most everything goes btw). I have been scared and stressed for a variety of reasons- one of which being on a bike with loud breaks, flying down a mountain trail that I've never been on before, and following my father who is yards ahead of me. I did my best to keep up and managed only to fall twice. All of these emotions running though my body, coupled with adrenaline and fear cause my eyes to swell and tears to fall haha. Looking back, that was a good activity to just allow me to deal with and get rid of most of the self-inflicted emotions. After lunch we went for a second run and it was much better. I actually enjoyed myself. On our way home we stopped for dinner- a traditional American hamburger on this holiday weekend. It was awesome!

For the evening, I spent time going though some of the storage that I had left behind at my parents house. I picked up my dear friend, Sister Bagley- my sixth missionary companion. She has some health problems which caused her to come home early and hopefully temporarily. Now that I understand the value of getting out of the house to deal with emotions, I decided to invite her over. While it was probably boring for her to watch me sort my things, as we sat we were all in good company and entertained by my bickering family haha.

Tuesday was a full day! My mother wanted me checked from head to toe by every doctor available. It was productive but a long day spent in doctor's office waiting rooms. My mom and I enjoyed each other's company though and were able to catch up. It was nice. To end the evening, I was asked to dinner by an old friend, Lib Montoya. It was weird not having a girl or companion around but thankfully it didn't last too long.

Wednesday was another productive day of doctor appointments- including a much needed mani-pedi. By the evening time I drove to Provo to visit an old roommate, Sarah Reid- now Sarah Christiansen, and her husband Gunner Christensen. They made a gourmet meal of waffles and strawberries as we talked about out my mission and their lives. It was a lot of fun. Again, it was weird seeing and hearing all about how people's lives have changed, including mine.

Thursday was just a day at home. My mother had to run some errands and I was asked to look after my 3 year old nephew, Issac. He is THE smartest 3 year old I have ever met. He was getting pretty rowdy so I suggested we go for a bike ride. That kept him entertained for maybe 30 minutes. Next, he wanted to sit in his wagon while I pulled him. It was fun until his series of directions got us lost haha. Maybe 75 minutes later he exclaimed that he was hot and tired, yeah tell me about it haha. We found some shade near some horses and while we rested we fed them. It was fun. Once I regained my energy and he was itching to leave, I more or less ran home so he couldn't be distracted by anymore animals or plants on our way haha.

When we got home, I handed Isaac off to his dad, Scott Homer (my older sister's new husband). To end the evening, we ate a yummy dinner made by my momma. After, we helped clean the kitchen and the rest of the house since, we were leaving for the weekend tomorrow. Also, my little sister, Danielle, came home from work to give me a professional, hour massage. It was AWESOME! She just graduated from massage therapy school and is working some pretty sweet gigs- I am so proud of her, and grateful for the family benefits hehe.

Friday we all woke up early to get on the road to St. George in preparation for our big hike in Zion's National Park tomorrow. In our car we had my parents and nephew. Isaac is currently potty training so our four hour drive turned into more like five with all the emergency stops haha. It was hilarious because he would either tell us quietly, "I have to pee pee" or scream "Ouch!! I hate when my pee pee gets long! I have to pee now!!" Haha poor kid. When we finally arrived, we dropped Isaac off at his Grandma Sherie Homer's house (per Alise's request) and then checked into our hotel.

Once we were settled, my good friends Chelsea and Quentin Kantaris arrived so we left to eat dinner together. It was so fun to catch up with them and my parents. They have been my good friends since high school, while they are the same they are also pretty matured and adult-like nowadays. How do people's lives continue without me? Haha is that selfish? We ate Thai food and stopped to eat custard for dessert. It was all delicious. Little by little I am adjusting to American-styled food again. Before heading back to our hotels, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up snacks for our hike- even that was fun with Chels and Quen. I have missed them. As an excuse to spend more time together we hoped into our bathing suits and went to the hot tub. Slowly I am getting back to normal with normal human situations where people are in bathing suits haha. It was pretty awkward at first, but I think I'm alright now.

Saturday was the day of our hike. The cars were packed and everyone piled in (The Sloans- James, Derek, me, Danielle, The Homers- Scott Alise, The Kantaris- Quentin, Chelsea, and Kailey McBride, and Maddy Allen). It was a fun bunch. We did the 9.5ish mile hike called 'The Subway.' It was rough but awesome! There was mostly hiking but also some swimming through freezing-cold water, and repelling down some tall cliffs. It was quite the variety! As we ventured through the park, it gave ample time to hear all about people's lives and how they've change. I had a lot of fun! By the end we had been separated based on everyone’s different paces. The end of the trail was hard to identify so Chels, Quen, and I stayed back to make sure our whole group knew where to turn off. Once we informed Derek and Kailey, the three of us were off to finish the hike. Unfortunately, we thought we found a trail up the mountain, but it turned more into our own... It was super dangerous and unfortunately there was a group of young Boy Scouts that decided to follow us up as we just about scaled the mountain... Whoops haha. It all ended well as we finished the night with pizza, more hot tubbing, and nice hot showers. It was a great day!

Sunday was a nice morning because we were all able to sleep in. Just about everyone was sore and moving in slow motion as we all got ready for church. Luckily it was fast Sunday (because we didn't have time for breakfast anyway) and church started at 11AM. It was a great testimony meeting. There was one boy in particular that touched me. He is probably a senior in high school and he recounted an experience he had this passed weekend.. Him and his little brother went elk hunting and on their way out of the canyon they got lost. Immediately he felt the pull to get him and his brother to safety before the sun completely set. This young man left his brother with their packs as he quickly climbed a mountain to see where they were. On his way back down he heard he brother crying and praying to God for help. It was a learning experience for this young man to remember that he is nothing without God and His power. Obviously they made it safely home but it made him think about his priorities. Me too, it was a good reminder to remember to ask The Lord for help before relying on my own strength and abilities. Of course He gave us our brains and abilities for a reason but more often than not, His power will be shown as we invite and welcome His help.

Coming Home

8/25-31

Kim Mi Rahn

Monday was my last PDAY in the field. Nothing big was planned since I needed to pack and clean my desk and clothes rack for the next sister coming to replace me. Even though I spent a good amount of time organizing all of my belongings nothing seemed to sink in. It just felt like another transfer. I wonder when this will feel real..

When lunch time rolled around Sister Gapinski and I met 한금아S (Sister Han), our ward member, at her home. She wanted to take us out for lunch since I was leaving. We ate 매운물내면 (spicy-water-cold-noodle soup) and it was delicious. This member had a few things to get back to, so we were in and out of the restaurant in less than 35 minutes haha. On our way home, we ran a few errands and then spent the rest of the day at home finishing things in the house. By 5:30PM we met 심하정S (Sister Shim) at her house. We helped her make french fries as we watched the beginning of '17 Miracles.' We had a good time. When her husband (이지웅B) got home, we tried to persuade the two of them come to our ward FHE. It was more of a going away party for me and 박동규E (Elder Park) so Sister Shim decided to come, her husband had a headache so he stayed back. On our way there Sister Shim told us over and over that she was shy and that she didn't want to talk to people. We assured her that it was normally just food and then we could leave. Well~ when we arrived a lot more people came than I expected and they were in the process of preparing food. Which meant that we would be playing games until it was all ready haha. Whoops! Poor Sister Shim felt so awkward but eventually things got better. Elder Park and I were called to the front before the food was served to have bishop say a lot of really nice things and especially his appreciation for the work we have done here in the 만수 (Mansu) ward. I was grateful for his words. I went back to my seat just to be called up again to have a birthday song sung to me and Elder Meeks, whose birthday was Monday and mine was Tuesday. This ward is amazing. I love them!! It was a great night. I took a few pictures and then we walked Sister Shim home. It was in fact a day well spent.

Bishop Kim Woo Shik and wife Lee Hyon Ja

Tuesday. Today is my 23rd birthday. Our district leader, Elder Park, planned for our district to meet at the Incheon Grand Park for a lunch together to celebrate mine and Elder Meek's birthday again. It was fun. Sister Gapinski bought us a 밥버거 (rice burger) which I was grateful for, because the elders ended up bringing all junk food and soda. We didn't stay long since we all had appointments soon after but it was nice to have been thought of.

Relief Society President Bah Ah Sook

Next we headed to 배애숙S (Sister Bay- our Relief Society president)'s house. We had to wait a while with her son and granddaughter until a utility man left their house. When we finally shared the message, it went really well. I was pleasantly surprised and so was Sister Bay and her son. Last minute we geared it a little more towards her son because he is a little less active despite being a returned missionary. I was pleased.

Jeong Hyah Youn

We then went to the church where we met 정혜연S (Sister Jeong), a less active member. She is the member who worked at the Any Time convenient store that Sister Bagley and I would consistently visit. Once Sister Mineer came, she had moved into her boyfriends house in the Daejeon mission boundaries so we weren't able to visit her. BUT she moved back in with her parents, above the Any Time shop! We met her last week but today she insisted that we meet at the church. It was cute to hear her say, "I haven't been there in so long, I want to visit it with you." So that is what we did. We took a quick tour first and then had a brief lesson. It went well and she is determined to start coming back. I really hope she does! She was baptized with very little knowledge of what baptism really meant. Sister Jeong really needs to start coming to church to really understand and learn what it means to be baptized into this church.

Our crazy neighbor

We had to quickly stop at the house for a few things and on our way out I saw a puzzle that I most definitely did not have room for in my luggage. I thought for a minute and decided that I wanted to give it to our crazy grandma neighbor. She is always snooping in our house when we leave the front door open for fresh air. Anyway, she lives alone so I figured I could give her something to fill her time. When we knocked on the door she was so happy to see us. I said some small things and then handed her the gift. She was so happy but had no idea what it was haha. As I looked more closely at the puzzle it mentioned that it was 500 pieces... This poor woman couldn't figure out how to take the top off... haha how she was going to grasp the concept of this giant puzzle was beyond me. I just laughed and opened it for her. With a huge smile and eyes of excitement she looked at me and said, "뭐야" or in other words, "what the heck is this" haha. Too funny grandma, too funny.

Our flyer-passing outer friend

Last on the list for today was our lovely 이두례S (Momma Lee). Her husband had previously insisted on us coming for dinner for my birthday, and that day was today. Last minute Elder Meeks and Watts were invited to celebrate Elder Meeks' birthday as well. They took us to a REALLY nice restaurant and boy did I eat well! It was hard though because Momma Lee's husband was insistent on me eating as much as possible so that I could “get my fill of Korean food before I left” haha. It was delicious but rough. Nevertheless, I was so~ grateful for them treating us. It was beyond nice of them. As we left, I gave Momma Lee a picture of us in a frame. She loved it. I am really going to miss her. She drove us home and hugged us off. I am actually surprised how little I have cried these days, as I prepare to return back home. I really am sad to be leaving all of these people but I suppose the reality of these times being 'my last' just hasn't sunk in deep enough for me to react.

After we were home and had planned for the next day, Sister Shim and Brother Lee, her husband, called and requested for us to come downstairs. We met them to say goodbye. They gave me a silly gift of a random bowl and a food tray. It was weird, but that doesn’t change how much I love them. I gave Sister Shim a huge hug. Brother Lee was so dramatic when we told him it was a missionary rule that I couldn’t hug him so instead he decided to go for a close air hug. It was weird but funny. I'm going to miss being able to see them all the time. Sigh, I am grateful for technology I suppose- it will be the closest I can get once I'm back in America.

To end the day, I received a phone call from our zone leaders, 김재겸E (Elder Kim) and Elder Nemelka, they called to sing me happy birthday. It was nice of them. Then Elder Kim went on and on about how sad he was. He is sad that the mission is loosing so many awesome missionaries and he is sad because so many of his good friends are leaving. It was sweet of him to compliment me and my service; he was so grateful for all that I have done for his country and other fellow missionaries. In return I told him how great of a district leader he was (when I was a greenie), how phenomenal he was as an assistant, and now how wonderful he is as a zone leader in 인천 (Incheon). Elder Kim began to cry, it was adorable. I never thought it would be this hard to leave a group of missionaries and friends, but it is. It is especially hard knowing that we will be worlds apart once we all return to our hometowns and countries. I love Korea. I will forever miss it.

Elder Stowe

Wednesday, transfer day. It was too weird to think that my time as a full-time proselyting missionary in my assigned area of 만수 (Mansu) was over. Over! Sister Gapinski and I began to haul my luggage out of our apartment but to our surprise Sister Shim was waiting outside for us. She didn't want last night to be the last goodbye, she is so cute. She gave me another gift of a frame with pictures of her and her husband haha. I love it. As we began walking she became frustrated that the elders or ward members weren't there to helping us. Just as she said this, guess who we saw on the street? 이미영S (Sister Lee), our darling ward member whose daughter, 최재인S, I helped teach in preparation for baptism. She too was curious as to why we had not asked anyone to help us carry our things. She immediately called someone to help. It was incredible timing. 박미영S (Sister Park), the less active we have been working with, drove us to the subway station to save us a bus trip. It was so kind and Sister Shim was pleased to see people helping us. It feels good to be loved. It was an eventful way to the say goodbye to my favorite ward and area.

Once on the subway the trip was short and we were able to greet a majority of the mission at transfers at the 영등포 (YongDungPo) ward building. That is where I met up with Sister Bassett. We have served so much of our missions together! First in the MTC, then in 수원 (Suwon) as my STL (she took me on a few exchanges), and then finally in 인천 (Incheon) where I was her STL (and took her on several exchanges). It has been a blast and today we decided to visit a couple friends that live in Suwon.

Jason and Lee Uhn Song

We first went to 평택 (PyongTeak) to have lunch with a former investigator that Sister Bassett used to teach. It was fun and she was so kind to have treated us. Since PyongTeak was far, we were running out of time and I had made plans to see 서은영S (Sister Soh), a former investigator from my greenie area. We were supposed to have eaten dinner together with her husband (Jason) and son (Phillip), but we had less than an hour until Sister Bassett and I needed to be on our way to the mission home for my exit interview. We stopped in a mall to have smoothies, talk for a little, and then she took is to the proper bus stop. I was SO sad that our time was gipped but what can you do???

We got to the mission home just in time for my exit interview. That too went well. It was fun to talk all about what I have learned. I feel like I was all over the place, because I had so much to say with so little time haha. President Morrise was patient with me though and gave me some guidance on post mission life. It was a great end to our day. We finished just before 10:30PM so I didn’t have too much time to prepare for bed. When I finally was ready, a gloriously comfortable bed was waiting for me. I miss pillows and mattress pads! I slept well.

Thursday morning all of the returning missionaries had a breakfast together, prepared by Sister Morrise. It was good, but we had to eat quickly in order to get out the door to start traveling to the temple. All returning missionaries have the privilege of attending a session in the Seoul temple before concluding our missions here in Korea. It was an honor to be back and the workers were especially welcoming to us today. There is a phrase in Korean that translates to "good work" but over time it has become a way of saying goodbye to hardworking people. We received this greeting over and over as we finished the session and left. It was a great session! Oh! By the way we did it in Korean today and I was SHOCKED how much I understood. It was a good feeling knowing I really have learned more Korean than I gave myself credit for.

Sister Jo Un Bi

Because the weather was PERFECT we stuck around to take a bunch of pictures. I feel so blessed to have had such amazing weather for my last temple visit. Next we made our way back to the mission home so the rest of the sister missionaries could have their exit interviews with President Morrise. I continued to pack and reorganize my things. By 5PM everything was squared away for the morning and all of the returning missionaries (Elders Wedam, Baldwin, Bishop, 박동규E, 석찬영E, and Sisters Washburn, Saunders, Bassett, 조은비S, me) had a dinner together; again made by Sister Morrise. It was unfortunately American food, chicken pot pie to be exact. It tasted fine, but I haven't had American food like that for 18 months now and my stomach, along with many others, were not too happy. We were of course grateful, but I hardly ate.

To end the evening Sister Morrise and the sisters cleaned up dinner and then we joined the elders and president for a final testimony meeting. The spirit was powerful. I feel privileged to be going home with such a phenomenal group! It amazes me to see anyone and everyone come closer to Jesus Christ in a wide~ variety of ways. Investigators and missionaries alike, we have unbelievable experiences with prayer, scripture study, miracles, and tender mercies from God. It is unreal to think about how He does it all, but I am a witness that He does it, and He does it all for us. President Morrise concluded the meeting with a quote from a former mission companion of his, saying something along the lines of, "We came to help others become converted and to become closer with Christ but instead we are the converts." Now that we are moldable and willing, we are His work boots on the ground, and we all ran a good race.

After the meeting concluded we went out into the hallway where we sang songs from the Korean hymn book. It was a blast. When we finished there it was past our bed time. I was happy to have to rush and sleep, I was exhausted.

Friday morning was strange. All of my things were packed and all loose ends had been tied. These last few days I have been feeling kind of empty. I feel like since I have been working so hard for so long, I was confused as to why we were asked to stop. Why were we stopping!? There is still work to be done! It was weird thinking about all of the appointments going on without me and all of the missionary work in all areas where I have served continuing as if I never came or left. It was strange. But after personal study and a lot of reflection I feel like it was my time. It's time for me to trust all the experienced and even the new missionaries with all those I have come to love. Of course, I will still do my part in keeping in contact but, sigh, it's my time. I have worked hard, I am ready to be home, I am ready to start my next mission. One adorable Korean elder said, "This time was just the MTC for the rest of our lives, now let's start the real deal!" It was too cute.

By 11AM all of the returning missionaries loaded our stuff in the mission van and then we followed President and Sister Morrise through the famous Olympic Park to our bus stop. We said our last goodbyes and loaded our heavy luggage into our "airport limousine" haha. The ride took about 2 hours and we arrived to the airport just in time to see that our flight had been delayed for a few hours. We checked our bags and ate lunch. I travelled with Sister Bassett and Sister Saunders. They are awesome! We had a blast together.

Waiting at the Incheon, Korea airport

When we FINALLY boarded our flight to Dallas, I took a couple Z-Quil pills to try and zonk out. It worked like a charm! The first 8 of 12 hours were spent in every awkward potion my body could form, sleeping haha. I woke up for dinner and second dinner, but slept like a rock. With the remaining 4 hours all of us sisters read our scriptures, socialized, and talked to the Korean family sitting next to us. Sister Saunders had the privilege of sitting next to this woman's sleeping 8 year old son. She kindly raised her armrest and let his legs sprawl across her lap. As she studied, he slept and as he slept he kicked. He kicked her tray table full of study material, he kicked her stomach, he kicked the row in front of us. It was super funny! Eventually he slept calmly and so did we. The flight was smooth and enjoyable. I was actually impressed with the Korean food that they served too! I am really going to miss homemade 김치 (kimchee) and 고추장 (red pepper paste) sauce...

By 7PM we landed in Dallas, Texas. Since we came from Korea we had to go through customs again and recheck our baggage. It went a lot smoother than I was anticipating. In no time we were on an escalator that would lead us to our terminal. To our surprise, as we approached the top of the escalator, guess who was waiting? Jay Marks! He was waiting and yelling "여보세요?" or "Hello?" haha it was too funny. Just before we reached the top he asked, “Can I hug you??” I hesitated as I thought about the missionary rules and then replied, “Um.. probably not.” Regardless of my response he immediately wrapped his arms around me for the biggest hug of my life. I love him. He welcomed all of us with “American water bottles,” as he refers to them, and a cell phone to call our families. It was so fun to see him and his wife, Stacy. We didn’t have too much time so we left as fast as we came. Once through security, the sisters and I went to the bathroom to put on make up in an attempt to look presentable after 26ish hours of traveling. As soon as we finished, it was time for us to board. 2 hours later, we landed and I was giddy.

We anxiously waited to de-board the plane. Others around us knew who we were and what we had done as full-time service missionaries so many graciously let us in front of them despite the late hour and I’m sure their excitement to see their own families. It was very kind and we appreciated it... A LOT. After a quick stop to the bathroom to brush our teeth, we made our way to baggage claim. As Sister Bassett, Sister Saunders, and I synced our steps, we were all anticipating the moment that we had only been able to dream about for the last 18 months. Our dreams were coming true in a way we never could have predicted. A large crowd walked in front of us as we began to funnel through the roped path provided by airport security. It was as if all was quiet for just a moment as we all saw necks of our anxiously awaiting families craning to see above the crowd. The silence was shattered as soon as I heard my mother yelling my name. The next thing I saw was her dodge under ropes and through the people as she quickened her pace to greet me with the biggest and warmest hugs she could muster. I was home and the tears of joy were hard to control. Next came my older sister, Alise, she swooped in just before I was able to hug my father. The hugs were quick, but oh so sincere. Most memorable of them all was the hug from my nephew, Isaac Coombs. He was being held and as I approached him he asked, "Are you AnneMarie?" in his cute, high-pitched, 3-year-old-kid voice. I smiled and said yes which was followed by a smile and wide open arms for another warm hug. I pulled him all the way over the security ropes to hold him as the hugs continued. I have never felt more welcomed or loved than in that moment. My mind was calm and yet scattered. There was so much to be said, but no words or thoughts had time to form. Simply put, I was happy to be home and relieved to be so warmly welcomed at such a delayed hour on Friday night.  It was sometime after 11pm at this point.

Together we gathered my luggage from baggage claim and walked to the parking lot. As we approached an unfamiliar car, a 2012 dark blue Jetta to be exact, I asked, “Whose car is this?” My dad just smiled and said, “Yours.” One surprise after another. It was a happy night. Upon arrival to our new house in Utah, my mother gave me a tour and finished it in my beautiful room. My mother is so talented when it comes to decorating and I am so grateful for all the preparation that my family has done just for me, they are THE best. It really was an unforgettable night.

Saturday was my first day home. I couldn't sleep so I was up early unpacking my things while my little sister Danielle, now my companion, slept. I woke her up at 6:30AM so we could exercise. She showed me a 3 mile loop that we could run. As we ran she asked a million questions about my mission. I was already out if breath because of the drastic altitude change but the constant talking didn't help either haha, I was dying. When we got back home Danielle had to shower and head to work so I found my mom so that she could be my next companion. It is weird still needing a companion but not have one assigned. I ran errands with my mom until 4PM.

By 4PM it was time for me and my family to walk to the stake center for my appointment with the stake president. My older sister, her husband and son, my older brother, and my parents accompanied me to meet President Jushau for my release. Before I was released from my full time missionary service, President Jushau pulled me into his office separately to get to know me and to ask about my mission experience. My parents moved here to Highland, Utah about a year ago, which means I was in Korea when this change happened...I had never before met President Jushau but he was nice and patience as I answered his questions. It's funny because I hardly cried as I left Korea but now being home it's like I can't stop. Every little question or comment that he asked, triggered more and more tears. In that moment I REALLY realized how much I loved and missed my mission and all the people that made it what it was. Together we went over goals of what I would do to never forget those valuable lessons that I learned and then we called my family in for the actual release. It was hard to take off my name tag... My name tag has been my best accessory and symbol of my purpose as I serve my Lord and Savior, but now it was time for me to move on and grow in other ways that The Lord has in store for me.

Sunday was a great day. In the morning before church, my parents and I were asked to attend a portion of the Stake presidency meeting. Here is where newly returned missionaries come to report. I love talking about Korea and all of the great people I was privileged to meet, and that is exactly what they asked me to do. After I spoke and bore my testimony, my parents were asked to bear their testimonies as well. I always knew they were proud of me but the spirit coupled with their words, confirmed to me how appreciative and impactful my experiences and letters home were for them. Hearing from President Jushau yesterday, from the high council today, from my parents on several occasions, and also from the feelings of the spirit, I knew that my service had been accepted.

It was the day of my homecoming talk at church and an open house that followed. Family and friends had traveled from across the country and I was so excited to tell them all about what I learned in the last 18 months. I had prepared well to be one of four speakers today but when I arrived I was informed that there would only be two speakers.. The youth speakers bailed since it was a holiday weekend! I was asked to speak for 25 minutes... 25! That's a long talk but when it came time for me to speak it went well. I felt guided by the spirit and the tears in the congregations eye's confirmed that they felt the spirit too. It was a good meeting.


Immediately after sacrament meeting, those who came to hear me speak made their way to our house for a delicious lunch made by my mother. It was a happy moment to see so many of my family members and friends gathered to welcome me home. We socialized but eventually the house cleared out and I was exhausted. In the passed couple days, I have been running on less than six hours of sleep. Jet lag is rough. Just when I thought I could relax for the evening, my phone buzzed. It was a fellow missionary whom I served with, Elder Anderson- also known as Hayden. He got home a couple months ago and knows what it's like to adjust. He more or less forced me to come out with him. We went to a game night with some of his high school friends. They were all returned missionaries so they understood my discomfort and awkwardness haha. It was a fun night. We played a game that required music lyrics and boy let me tell you, I don't remember much of what I listened to before my mission. Regardless, I enjoyed myself and especially appreciated Elder Anderson reaching out to me. When he said goodbye to me, he gave me a big hug and said, "Sister Sloan, welcome home. You were a great missionary but we are all so happy to have you home." I almost cried. It’s strange coming back to a world that continues to evolve without you. Sometimes I feel as if my missionary life is forgotten, so I appreciated the reassurance that it was very much remembered and appreciated.