We made it home to Idaho Falls. The flights were all on time, and we had no problems, which was an answer to many prayers. When we got to the airport in Idaho Falls, all of our grandchildren and their parents, and my mom and Chuck were there. They had signs and banners welcoming us. When they saw us, they cheered loudly. All the people coming off the plane stopped and let us go down the stairs by ourselves. We felt like celebrities. It was awesome to see all those wonderful faces and hear the cheers for us. We had waited for a year and a half for this moment and it lived up to all the anticipation. It was the perfect culmination of our mission.
Then we got to hug our little grandchildren. We hugged and kissed each of them, many times lifting them up. We held Maren who was 3 weeks old. We hugged our children. The tears welled up and overflowed. It seemed like a long time since we had seen them. It was an amazing homecoming.
So, our mission is officially over. We have now given talks in two wards and at a family home evening. We have answered questions about what it was like, how much it cost, and if the health care is good in Uruguay. We love talking about our experiences, and we find the spirit enters the conversation. We have grown a lot and feel we have served our Father in Heaven. President Anderson told us the Lord accepts our sacrifice. What sweet words for our weary souls to hear. We gave as much as we could, wished we could have done more, and are so grateful for the experience. Missions are not for wimps, and they are well worth all the work.
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