Home At Last
I apologise that this post has taken so long to be well, posted! But here is the email that I sent out to all of my mission friends still faithfully working out in the England Manchester Mission! This was my experience, in short, in coming home :) (ok, maybe it's a little long)
"Wow. Where do I even start?
First off, i hope you're all well.
Anyway. So i'm home now and all and it feels so weird. Like, I feel really good. And I wasn't expecting that at all. I thought that it would be hard, and maybe it will be hard in a little while, but right now it just feels right to be here.
So I won't make this update too long because no one wants to spend their entire emailing time reading one email. :)
So my flight from England to America went pretty smoothly. I was on the same flight as Elder Hall and it was fun to wait in line and take guesses at which ones were American and which were English! I must say though, I was so relieved when I had an english couple sit next to me. They were pretty involved in their movies they were watching but I did get to talk to them a bit about who I was and what I had been doing over in the UK.
When elder hall and I landed in Newark we talked to a few people who'd met missionaries before and there was one woman who approached us and said that if we were going to terminal C then she would just follow us. I think maybe the name badges cause everyone to just assume we know what we're doing...
Well my flight was delayed 2 hours and that was crazy! There were tons of annoyed people so I just made friends with the lady from Nicaragua behind me who was cahtting excitedly to someone on the phone. She was on her way home to her family to surprise her mum for her birthday! She was in her mid 30's and just so excited.. I guess she had decided JUST that afternoon to fly out to nicaragua haha
FINALLY the plane is ready to go and it's about a 3 hour flight before I land!
Now, I am absolutely TERRIFIED of flying, but i figured flying over the ocean was the worst bit of it. HA.
Before we get started down the runway the pilot decides to come and have a little chat with us all.. "Well, I just wanted to let you all know that we will be experiencing some slight turbulence. But not to worry, I wouldn't take you anywhere I wouldn't take my family, or myself for that matter. But it is suppsoed to be quite busy up in the air so I will warn you that the seatbelt sign will be on for the entire duration of the flight and I have also asked my flight attendants to remain in their seats."
He proceeded to turn about and head into the cockpit, leaving me there wondering if I'll still make it home.. or at least see Texas soil again before I die.
What was worse were the two ladies beside me decide to continue on the same topic of our perilous flight by saying "My husband is a pilot and he never gets up to talk to the passengers unless its really bad.."
"yes, and only in the worst of circumstances do they ask the attendants to remain in their seats..."
Well, if I wasn't sweating before...
Oh! I forgot to mention! I think one of the most special moments that happened to me whilst traveling home was in my second flight from Newark to Houston. I sat next a man from New York and when I was telling him about the church and missionary work he laughed and said "New York needs the missionaries more than England right now!"
After we finished talking he needed to rush off in order to connect his next flight.. But before running away he turned back and said "well sister reed, thank you for doing God's work out there!"
It was such a tender moment for me.
All of you elders and sisters! You're doing God's work out there!!! And it's the greatest thing in the world.
So suffice it to say I was able to get to the airport in one piece. I'm probably shaking as I'm walking out of the terminal. I go to the restroom and splash water on my face.. you know.. like in the movies.. and then I'm just wandering around with absolutely no idea where to go to find my family...
There are two airports in Houston Texas and as I arrive at the baggage claim area I'm starting to think that
A. My family went to the wrong airport or
B. they just entirely forgot I was coming home.
Turns out they forgot I was coming home.
Ok just kidding, they were just waiting behind some other escalators and didn't see me until I practically snuck up behind them! Ha so that was fun.
I woke up the next morning and went to seminary with my mum and two brothers, then did some errands with my mom! Nothing too exciting.
Saturday was about the same! Except I was preparing for my talk and cleaning and organizing more... Things. Too many things.
Sunday rolls around and I got to see my aunt and two baby cousins who are not so baby any more! They were HUGE! Speaking of not so baby anymore.. my two younger brothers now tower over me... this was my reaction to seeing them for the first time..
Sunday morning I was speaking on the topic of diligence and earlier that morning I was talking with the high councilmen. I kind of.. accidentally might have.. probably taken some of... Ok, I pretty much took all of his time haha oh well! You're not truly a returned missionary unless you talk the ears off of everyone who will listen, right? Anyway, I was also invited to go and speak to the 20 or so young women about my mission all during the third hour of church too. And that was a blast! I had SO much fun talking to them and telling them the joys of being a missionary. It felt good to be standing up teaching and testifying again :)
So it's been fun to catch up with family and some friends. I'll be home for a couple of weeks and then I'll head up to Provo, Utah! I'm going to the Saturday morning session of general conference and will spend time with my grandparents and family before moving in to my apartment and starting work before the next semester starts :)
Sorry this email didnt have anything too interesting in it! I haven't done anything too exciting to report back on just yet :)
But I'm alive! And I promised that I would email!
So let me know how you're all doing! I'd love to hear about the experiences and really anything else going on over there in the best mission in the world!
Love,
Sister Reed!
But they call me Maddie"
Now that I've been home for 3 months I want to continue posting some of the challenges and whatnot that have come up since I've been home. So that maybe others out there who are recently returned or are preparing to come home might be able to know they are not alone in facing the world as a returned missionary! Thank you all for following along on my journey.
Love, Maddie
Stay Tuned!!
