Guess Who's Back

Oh how I have missed my sweet missionary girlfriends.
I am so sorry it has taken me this long to write this post. I bet you are all wondering what the heck is going on.
Well ladies a lot has changed, I'll give you an update.

Carly

So last time on the blog, I was serving a mission in Santiago, Chile.

Unfortunately after 2 months of faithful service in the field, I became very sick.

I was going to the doctor multiple times a weak, I was misdiagnosed, bed ridden, and ended up in the mission home for about 5 days. I was mostly waiting for a decision to be made about my health.

It was the hardest thing I ever went through. Finally, my mission President called me and told me to come into his office in the morning. My heart pounded with anticipation that morning. I took the bus over to the mission office, he called me in, sat me down, and told me that Salt Lake had decided that I need to go home to receive surgery. 

My heart broke into a million tiny pieces all over his desk.

How could I leave?

How could I say goodbye to all the people here?

What if they still need me?

I couldn't leave. I didn't want to. But I did because that is what the Lord needed me to do.

My mission taught me so many things, but the most important are these:

Christ is real, He is our foundation and if we have Him we have everything.

God has a plan for each of us. It is specifically customized for you and me. 

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to serve a mission. It was the greatest experience. Even though it is hard, I know I am suppose to be home. God has a plan for me and I am trying to be who He needs me to be. 

Taylor

Well, by some sort of strange twist of events my missionary Taylor was also sent home on medical leave. In fact, he was sent home the day I flew out. I had no idea for about a month. 

He was able to serve 8 months as a full-time missionary.

He was dedicated, focused, and changed the lives of so many people.

He too understood that he needed to follow God's plan for him and come home.
While I was out, he supported me so faithfully and with out question. He never once asked me to stop serving the Lord. He was my number one support system. He knew God's plan for us and accepted it with a smile on his face.
However, it was not easy. It was challenging for him. He was sent home because he has an illness that was misdiagnosed over and over again. He still is blindly following the knowledge of doctors, praying to know what to do.
It was even harder for him having me gone.
But God had a plan and He was so merciful.

Reunited at Last

As I boarded my plane home, I was sad because I felt that my time was cut short. But I'll never forget my anticipation to see my sweet heart. It had been almost a year. With a full and anxious heart, stupid questions began to run through my mind:

What if he is too different?

What if I am too different?

What if I am awkward?

What do I say?

Should I hug him?

I was stupid. The moment my 14 hour plane ride ended, all the questions stopped. I was beyond excited. 

I practically ran off and rushed to the bathroom, because well I have a bladder problem and my nerves were not helping. I was so scatter brained I couldn't find where my luggage was.

Finally, I headed down that infamous escalator and saw my sweet heart standing at the bottom with a rose in his hand and that same sweet smile on his face. I ran down the escalator and jumped into his arms and I never looked back.

Everything was perfect. 

Since we have been home, things have been amazing. 

I have never been so happy and smitten with anyone in my entire life.

This is the kind of love they write songs about.

This is what poets rhyme about.

This is what apostles preach about.

This is the kind of love directors write scripts about.

This is what every little girl dreams about.

And I have it, and I'll cherish it, and I'll thank God every day for it.

Ladies the wait is worth it.

They do come home.

Sometimes sooner than we expect.

Sometimes in the craziest of circumstances.

But they come home.

Keep calm & wait on my loves.

xoxo

Forever a proud missionary girlfriend,

Carly