We had a celebration in our Pathway class and Janet made treats. Tuesday, June 16, they asked us to speak in a special devotional. It was not easy to say good-bye but we spoke about what we have learned while serving in Argentina and Janet had made fudge (Darin's recipe) and banana-chocolate snack cake for everybody. We took lots of pictures and then went home from the office and with tears and huge lumps in our throats, we made our was down Paseo Colon one last time, jumped onto the subway and went to the apartment.
Wednesday we cleaned our apartment really well and it took most of the day. We went to eat at the home of Terry and Linda Spallino (he is the DTA) for the area and she was in our Spanish class. They showed us that they were learning how to use a loom and then they took us into their Family History room, WOW! They are really good examples of being anxiously engaged in a good cause.
Thursday, June 18, we packed and went to the Temple in Buenos Aires with some of the other missionary couples before we went to the airport. A really kind man helped us get our boarding passes, go through customs and we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.
The flight was 10 hours to Atlanta, then on to SLC, and after an hour delay, we landed in Idaho Falls, where it was really hot! We were greeted by all of the Idaho Falls family, Dennetts, Meservys, and Brenda Bird. They had flowers for mom and balloons and big greeting posters with welcome home and it was a great reunion.
We met with President Hal Wright of the Lincoln Stake Presidency to be officially released and had a great visit with him. We love to talk about our mission, and he seemed eager to listen.
Sunday, June 28, we reported our mission to the Stake High Council and spoke in Sacrament Meeting in the Lincoln 3rd Ward at 9:00 a.m. Dennetts and Monsons came along with Alan, Oswalds, Hales, Casey, Ryan, Sara, JoLyn and much to our surprise and joy Paul Andreason and his wife Melinda and their 2 youngest children came. It was great to have the support of family!
Our dear friends from Coltman, who helped us get through the first 30 years of our lives, the Oberhansleys, the Horkleys, the Birds, the Harwoods, and the Berretts all came to support us and it was awesome. Our former Stake President, Mark Fuller, who helped us get the ball rolling for the mission 2 years ago also came.
It seems like the words of Jacob from the Book of Mormon in Jacob 7:26 sum up the past two years the best. "...also our 'mission' passed away like as it were unto us a dream,"
