Waving From the Driveway

I woke up this morning around 8. Joseph was down stairs finishing breakfast. He had gotten up at missionary time, and was dressed with his badge on, ready for the day. I hadn't made any oatmeal. "What did you eat?" I asked. "Grape nuts, it was the only cereal in the cupboard..."

"Yeah, Dad has all the good cereal in his pantry." Joseph walked over to the sink and stated "There's no sponge..." to wash his dish with. It's okay, just put it in the sink, we'll load the dishwasher later. "Wow, a dishwasher...." I went for a quick walk and then when I got back at 8:30 we had everyone come for a morning devotional. We took a picture with our missionary for one last time.

He was doing a zoom call with our Stake President at 9:30 to be released. He said it was kinda anticlimactic. Yeah, I remember thinking that too. So, no badge anymore, but he kept his white shirt and tie on almost all day. He started to get set up on a laptop so he can join the real world.

At 1:00 until 2:00. we invited neighbors to drive by and say hi to him. Here are Joseph and his good friend Talmage, who just got home from Ecuador - keeping a safe social distance as they visited.

More people came and joined the wide social circle.

From another angle.

More neighbors came by to welcome Joseph home, like a lady who Joseph did yard work for two years ago (Carolynn) and Mark. Mark and his wife kept Joseph and Ethan fed every Sunday when they were here in the US while the rest of us went to Brazil in 2015.

Hmm, it looks like people are relaxing a bit and getting a little too close to each other...

We are trying to be good citizens and but also help Joseph feel welcomed home to this strange new normal.

He's Home!

Yesterday we were told that Joseph would be coming home today. And he did come home. Here are the kids when we got home at 10pm (minus Peter who was asleep in the car after our drive home from the airport)

This is how Joseph's homecoming went: We got an email on Sunday saying he would be coming home, but it could be weeks/months. On Wednesday we talked to Joseph and he said he was told they should be ready to leave on Saturday, but that nothing was for sure yet. On Saturday we got an email saying he would be coming home on Sunday/today. No mention of what time but they would let us know as soon as they had details. This morning I was checking my email over and over again but there was no news from the Antigua mission. I read via the Guatemala City South facebook page that they got notice that there were two chartered flights coming at 5 and 6:30 and that all the US missionaries from all 7 Guatemala missions would be on them.

Around 12:30 we got a phone call from Joseph's mission president. He said that he didn't know which flight Joseph would be on, but they would be arriving at 5:30 and 6. Not the same times as the facebook group said, but we felt like we had a general idea. We didn't have an airline or flight number though and he didn't have a phone number to text him at, so we didn't know how this would work. Corey and I and Peter left at for the airport at 5. The kids had been fasting all day and so had we, and we had a nice dinner ready for us all to eat together after we got home with Joseph. At the airport parking garage, there were very good instructions for proper social distancing for all the parents picking up their missionaries.

We got an orange paper with instructions and a map. Go to Level 2.... Find the stalls where the letter is for your missionary's last name. There's the UVWs - that's us.

They told us that the flight was for 5:15. But it got delayed until 6:15. So we waited... We were told that the next flight was delayed too. ...Until 8:30. We waited and waited. We asked for the kids to pray that Joseph would be on the first flight. But he no sign. We wondered... if Joseph didn't show up, should we we should hurry back home and eat with the kids and then come back? I had only brought one slice of bread for Peter and that was gone. Peter also had a pretty wet diaper and I didn't bring a bag and I didn't have any in the car. If the second flight doesn't land until 8:30, Joseph probably won't be out until 9:30 with customs and baggage claim. Will we make it??

Is he lost? Corey "I hope he remembers what letter his last name starts with." Not R. Wride is with W. After a while we got Peter out of his carseat. Some missionaries started to walk out. They walked out about three at a time. Everytime the sliding doors opened, the garage rang out with lots of victory honks. Corey - "Everyone honks in Morse Code...." Peter joined in.

Peter was working hard. I tried to get Peter to look at me, but he wouldn't. Corey: "He's got a lot of buttons to push..."

The kids kept calling and texting. Corey said "I feel like I'm in labor and delivery waiting for a birth... 'No, no baby yet, she's only at a 5...'" At 7:30 we told them to go ahead and eat. We continued to wait. Peter was about to lose it, but then luckily we did have ONE dvd in the car - the Mozart Group! Yay! Peter liked it. Corey said "Wow! Peter had refined taste!" Only one of us (Corey or I) were allowed out of the car at a time. And we had to stay within touching distance of our vehicle. It was kinda cold, so we turned the car on a few times to keep warm. Finally, at 9:27, I saw someone who looked like him! He motioned at me like I looked familiar to him too - so we repeated a few distant gestures of "Mom?" and "Joseph is that you?" and then it was established that YES, that is our Missionary!!!

Corey took a video from the car, but that was the blurry picture I took as I shook with cold and excitement! He asked "Can I hug you?" Yes! We gave each other a quick hug, then we walked to the van. I opened the back for him to put in his luggage. He put in his suitcases, I went around to the driver's seat and took Peter and put him in his carseat, we all wiped our hands with hand sanitizer and we were off!

I texted the kids "We've got him!" I texted again when we were 5 minutes away, and they were all out in the driveway to greet us with cheers and giggles and lots of hugs.

So we're all in a 14 day quarantine now. An airport guy in a mask told us "You can hug them, you can love them... but then you just have to quarantine with them." So we are putting our trust in God that we will all be safe from coronavirus, cause none of us gave him 6 feet. Once we were inside, everyone was excited to tell him everything and anything...

We had been fasting and praying today with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Lord's prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, had extended the invitation to all members worldwide to join in fasting and praying for relief and healing from Covid-19. We ended our fast at 10pm, after we got home. Joseph was voice for prayer and it was wonderful, sweet, and spirit filled. He had been fasting all day too. He cried as he prayed. After his prayer he got up to get some tissue and said "Man, I haven't cried since I was trained!" His little sisters all asked "Why are you crying?" "I'm just so happy" He also said that last night he had been in a home with 40 other missionaries and they had a testimony meeting, and everyone was crying but he didn't cry, so yay for us, we got some tears from him! After he enjoyed some dinner that his siblings had saved. It was a feast. And we all sat at the table with him. Corey asked "How does it feel to have 10 people watch you eat?"

"It feels like Kolipoki..." Which was a movie reference that we all understood and laughed at. After dinner we partook of the sacrament as a family. We sang a hymn first and the third verse particularly touched my heart:

As now we praise thy name with song,

The blessings of this day

Will linger in our thankful hearts,

And silently we pray

For courage to accept thy will,

To listen and obey.

We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.

We’ll walk thy chosen way.

My heart truly is full for the blessings of today. I am so grateful to have all my children at home! Since Joseph left for his mission, we thought we'd never all be together again for years. Up until last Sunday. Wow, what a miracle and great blessing - to have Mel back from BYU, Joseph home from Guatemala, and all the kids home from school all day everyday for atleast a month! I never would have guessed this would happen. I feel so grateful for the blessings of this day! Thank you Dear Lord!

He's Coming Home Tomorrow

Dear Missionary Family,
 
We are writing to inform you that your missionary currently serving in the Guatemala Antigua Mission, will be traveling home tomorrow, Sunday, March 29, 2020.
 
We apologize for the late notice.  We have been waiting for travel itineraries so we could send those to you as well, but thought we needed to get out this information as soon as possible.  We will forward the travel itineraries to you as soon as they become available.
 
The church has chartered two flights that will leave Guatemala City at approximately 10-11am on Sunday (local time).  These flights will be traveling directly to Salt Lake City.  For those missionaries needing connecting flights, every effort is being made to get your missionary home to you as soon as possible.  Because so many domestic flights have been canceled, this may possibly mean that your missionary will not arrive at their final destination until sometime Monday.
 
Thank you for patience with us at this very difficult and challenging time.  As I am sure you can appreciate, the logistics of this effort have been monumental.
 
We want you to know how much we love and appreciate these great missionaries.  They are valiant, brave, and amazing in every way.  It has been one of the greatest blessings of our lives to be associated with them in this great work.
 
We pray the Lord’s blessings be upon them and upon you and your family as you assist them in their next transition, whether it be to another mission or to life beyond the mission.
 
With great love and appreciation,
 
President Timothy Barney and Sister Paula Barney
Guatemala Antigua Mission

Phone Call

Joseph has not left his apartment for 10 days. And they don't have internet in their apartment, so it's just phone calls. We were happy he was able to call this morning and we were able to talk with him for like 20 minutes.

We asked him how he's feeling about the upcoming and final transfer. "...Kinda stinks...." He thought it was interesting that so many of his friends that left months later than him will be coming home now too. So he is lucky that he was able to go out so quickly and spend more time in Guatemala than his friends have been able to spend in theirs. Corey teased "Well, you know, if you had agreed to come back in June like we asked, the world could have avoided this whole pandemic...." Ha. This is not ending how any of us planned - there will not be a big family group welcoming him home at the airport and no homecoming address at church. But it is okay. We will trust in the Lord and will submit to his tutoring and his will. We are glad that we will be able to see him soon.

Two Years Ago

Joseph received his mission call two years ago today.

Two long and eventful years... but it still is strange to know it will be ending so soon. I know he, like so many other missionaries, are sad to be leaving the countries that they've come to love as their own. We are praying for him to be at peace.

Release Letter

We received this email today from Joseph's mission President. Subject line was "Release Letter", so it looks like Joseph will be returning to the US in the upcoming weeks or months.
_________________________

March 22, 2020

Dear Parents and Family:

We are so grateful for your wonderful sons and daughters serving the Lord in Guatemala.  Thank you for your love and support of these amazing young men and women.

Many of you have read about a recent letter from the First Presidency which states, in part:
“In the coming weeks, based upon world conditions, substantial numbers of missionaries will likely need to be returned to their home nations to continue their service. This will be done in a systematic way based on the urgency of travel restrictions, level of COVID-19 concern, and other considerations.”

The Presidency of the Central America Area, in consultation with other General Authorities, has determined that it is advisable that all missionaries currently serving in Guatemala return to their home nations.  It is anticipated that this will take place over the next weeks or, in some cases, perhaps months.  The order of return for the missionaries will be:

1. Those who have any health condition.
2. Senior missionaries.
3. The remainder of the missionaries.

Where feasible, all three groups will return at the same time.

There are many countries which have closed their borders and will not currently allow the return of their citizens.  Others, such as Guatemala, will not allow anyone to leave the country.  It is hoped that the Guatemalan travel restriction will end on April 1, 2020.  Even if the travel restriction ends on April 1, it could take weeks or months to arrange travel for all missionaries.  In the meantime, the Area Presidency is working to arrange travel for missionaries who are not from Guatemala.  Upon their return, it is anticipated that all missionaries will be required to be quarantined for a period determined by their home nations.  After this period of quarantine, missionaries with sufficient time remaining in their period of mission service will be reassigned to serve in their home nations.  As soon as we have any additional information, we will immediately contact you.

In his General Conference address of April, 2017, Elder David A. Bednar said:
"In the culture of the Church, we often talk of being called to serve in a country such as Argentina, Poland, Korea, or the United States. But a missionary is not called to a place; rather, he or she is called to serve. As the Lord declared through the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829, “If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” “Each mission call and assignment, or a later reassignment, is the result of revelation through the Lord’s servants.” Each of your sons and daughters has been called by the Lord to serve a mission.  How exciting it is that they will now be reassigned by that same revelation to serve in another area."

We love these wonderful missionaries and will miss serving with them.  We expect that after a period of quarantine, native Guatemalan missionaries who will be returning to Guatemala from other countries will be reassigned to take the place of your sons and daughters.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our missionaries, parents and families during this challenging time.  We invite each of you to join with us in fasting and praying that the borders of the nations will open and that the way will be prepared for each of our missionaries to safely return to their homes.

With love,
President and Sister Barney
Guatemala Antigua Mission

20 months - Quarantine Week 1

Joseph was quarantined in his apartment today, but he was able to call us somehow - but Corey might have called him? I'm not sure cause I didn't hear the phone ring. But the kids brought the phone to me and said it was Joseph. I passed it to Ethan and they were able to talk, so Joseph knows of Ethan's assignment to the Dominican Republic and they were able to visit for a bit!

Joseph didn't make any promises to change his return date, he just told Ethan that as of now he is coming home July 15th.