I got up with all of the other staff this morning and started to take down my bed and pack up my stuff. I received a couple of blankets and a pillow from the Red Cross while I was there and had to play a fairly intense game of suitcase Tetris in order to fit everything in. I got ready and ate breakfast. I had several people come up and wish me well before they left to go over to the client shelter. It was, yet again, hard to say goodbye to so many people that I have been able to get to know over the last couple of weeks. It all passes by so fast!
Before everyone left, I had a minute to talk with Alisa. She asked for my email address and I told her I would write down all my information and leave it on her bed. She gave me two hugs and then headed out the door. It is incredible the influence that she has had on my life over the last week or so. I have really appreciated her positive attitude and the fact that we can talk about God and life and really understand one another. She is making a huge difference in the lives of both the staff and the clients and can't wait to see what she does with the rest of her life. Unfortunately she doesn't have a phone or Facebook, so it will be harder to keep in touch, but I hope that we still will.
After Alisa and the rest of the staff left, I immediately grabbed a piece of paper and the copy of The Book of Mormon that I had packed with the intention to not bring it home with me and wrote a quick note. I also highlighted 1 Nephi 8:10-12 and 11:21-23 which refer to topics that we had discussed the night before about family and the love of God. I marked the 1st with a Mormon.Org card and wrote in a reference to the 2nd. I also wrote a quick note thanking her for everything and letting her know that I had been praying about who to give this copy of The Book of Mormon to and that I felt like it was for her. I also wrote that this book had changed my life and I hoped that she would take the chance, read it, and allow it to change her life as well. I haven't heard anything from her yet, but I keep praying that her heart will be open to it.
I was picked up by the Nassau county shuttle "NICE" (Nassau Inter County Express) and the driver was a very pleasant old guy who took about 3 minutes just to buckle his seat belt. I thought I was supposed to be picked up by a Taxi service and be charged $46 just to get to the airport. "NICE" is a free service and I didn't have to pay anything for my ride to the airport. Awesome! We made it in good time and I was early enough to get to the terminal on time and grab something small to eat.
When I arrived at the airport I headed to the counter to print out my tickets and check my luggage. When I put my information in to the computer it kept saying that I didn't have a reservation. I tried my name twice, the confirmation code twice, and my name once more. Then I talked to one of the workers and even she couldn't find it. I panicked a little bit, and then asked if she could look once more. She did and was able to find a reservation for me for the 12th at 9:49am, which is correct. However, the date of the flight was in June instead of December! Wow! I immediately called the Red Cross and told them what had happened. The lady apologized a few time for the error and worked to find me another flight. I was able to get one of the last seats on the flight that was leaving at 9:59am and taking the same route as the one that had already been scheduled. I was really relieved and headed over to print my ticket and check my luggage. For reals this time.
I headed over to the terminal, but all of the seats were full so I sat a couple of terminals away. When it got closer to the time that I could board the plane I headed back over to the terminal and stood just out of the way. While I was waiting I looked down the hall and saw a younger guy in a suite and tie. He also had a cool looking name tag. Missionary. Sweet. I waited for a few minutes and debated if he would be weirded out that a girl was talking to him and then I turned and said "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?". He laughed and told me that he was returning to Salt Lake City to go visit his Dad in Lindon. We talked until the plane boarded and agreed to meet up in Phoenix during the layover.
I sat down in my seat between an older white lady and a younger black guy. I talked with the lady before our flight took off and found out that she was retuning home to flagstaff after visiting her Mom in New York. Her mother had been displaced by the hurricane but had now returned to her home after her power was restored. She found out that I was a volunteer for the Red Cross and had spent the last 2 weeks in a shelter. After we talked a little bit longer she told me that she really appreciated what I had done and what I wanted to do with me life and that she wanted to buy me lunch on the flight. I was surprised but very thankful for her generosity. She did end up buying me lunch and then pulled out the sandwich she had packed for herself. I thanked her multiple times for her kindness. We talked throughout the flight between our short naps. She had done a lot in her life and now teaches at Northern Arizona University. It was cool to get to know her and share some of my own experiences as well.
When we finally arrived in Arizona we parted ways and I waited for the Elder to get off of the plane. We walked to our terminal and then split up to use the restroom and get food. I got juice and a cup with fruit in it. It was so nice to eat something fresh after eating a lot of junk the last couple of weeks.
While waiting in the airport I texted Bryant who is in my Injury and Violence Prevention class to ask what I needed to know for our final. He called me to tell me that the final had been cancelled. I was so relieved! I wasn't super worried about the final, but it was so nice to know that I didn't have to spend all night and the next morning studying for it. This means that I only have 1 final to take on Friday. It is for my Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness class. I have basically been studying for the class for the last 2 weeks and I'm not so worried about that one.
I talked with the Elder at the terminal until we boarded the plane. I sat between an older man and another woman. They were both really nice and the older man and I swapped some stories from our travels. He mentioned that he had served a mission back East and we talked about that a little bit. It was nice to talked about the church with someone after the last two weeks where the only time I saw a member of the church was when I was in the temple and at church. It was a good flight and we all slept for most of it.
As we were arriving we flew over snow capped mountains and I couldn't help but smile. I was coming home! We flew over the copper mine, which is huge and incredible to see from the air. When the plane landed I said goodbye to my seat buddies and headed out. The closer I got to the security gate, the bigger the smile was on my face. When I caught a glimpse of Mara and Maria and couldn't help but laugh out loud. I was so excited to see them! They each gave me a huge hug and we all laughed together. We headed over to pick up my luggage and then left the airport.
On the way home I stopped by my friend Chelsey's house to say hello and visit for a few minutes. It was so weird to be back again and it made the last 2 weeks seem like a dream. I told stories to Mara and Maria and showed them pictures that I had taken. It was cool to have so many experiences to share.
When I arrived home I was greeted my some of my siblings when I walked in. Gaby told me that things had been so quiet without me there and they were happy for me to be home. I was excited to be home. It was so fun to laugh and joke with them. I was also super excited to see my parents and to be able to share experiences with them as well.
I headed to bed pretty late and was so excited to sleep in a real bed with lots of blankets and soft pillows. I love my family and I have missed them dearly. Tomorrow is temple Thursday, so I will go there first thing in the morning and then head to work in the afternoon. It should be a good day, but so incredibly different than the last 2 weeks. It was an experience that I will not soon if ever forget. I am grateful for how blessed I am and for the mercy of God in allowing me to go. God is great and gratitude sets you up for a life of happiness.
Before everyone left, I had a minute to talk with Alisa. She asked for my email address and I told her I would write down all my information and leave it on her bed. She gave me two hugs and then headed out the door. It is incredible the influence that she has had on my life over the last week or so. I have really appreciated her positive attitude and the fact that we can talk about God and life and really understand one another. She is making a huge difference in the lives of both the staff and the clients and can't wait to see what she does with the rest of her life. Unfortunately she doesn't have a phone or Facebook, so it will be harder to keep in touch, but I hope that we still will.
After Alisa and the rest of the staff left, I immediately grabbed a piece of paper and the copy of The Book of Mormon that I had packed with the intention to not bring it home with me and wrote a quick note. I also highlighted 1 Nephi 8:10-12 and 11:21-23 which refer to topics that we had discussed the night before about family and the love of God. I marked the 1st with a Mormon.Org card and wrote in a reference to the 2nd. I also wrote a quick note thanking her for everything and letting her know that I had been praying about who to give this copy of The Book of Mormon to and that I felt like it was for her. I also wrote that this book had changed my life and I hoped that she would take the chance, read it, and allow it to change her life as well. I haven't heard anything from her yet, but I keep praying that her heart will be open to it.
I was picked up by the Nassau county shuttle "NICE" (Nassau Inter County Express) and the driver was a very pleasant old guy who took about 3 minutes just to buckle his seat belt. I thought I was supposed to be picked up by a Taxi service and be charged $46 just to get to the airport. "NICE" is a free service and I didn't have to pay anything for my ride to the airport. Awesome! We made it in good time and I was early enough to get to the terminal on time and grab something small to eat.
When I arrived at the airport I headed to the counter to print out my tickets and check my luggage. When I put my information in to the computer it kept saying that I didn't have a reservation. I tried my name twice, the confirmation code twice, and my name once more. Then I talked to one of the workers and even she couldn't find it. I panicked a little bit, and then asked if she could look once more. She did and was able to find a reservation for me for the 12th at 9:49am, which is correct. However, the date of the flight was in June instead of December! Wow! I immediately called the Red Cross and told them what had happened. The lady apologized a few time for the error and worked to find me another flight. I was able to get one of the last seats on the flight that was leaving at 9:59am and taking the same route as the one that had already been scheduled. I was really relieved and headed over to print my ticket and check my luggage. For reals this time.
I headed over to the terminal, but all of the seats were full so I sat a couple of terminals away. When it got closer to the time that I could board the plane I headed back over to the terminal and stood just out of the way. While I was waiting I looked down the hall and saw a younger guy in a suite and tie. He also had a cool looking name tag. Missionary. Sweet. I waited for a few minutes and debated if he would be weirded out that a girl was talking to him and then I turned and said "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?". He laughed and told me that he was returning to Salt Lake City to go visit his Dad in Lindon. We talked until the plane boarded and agreed to meet up in Phoenix during the layover.
I sat down in my seat between an older white lady and a younger black guy. I talked with the lady before our flight took off and found out that she was retuning home to flagstaff after visiting her Mom in New York. Her mother had been displaced by the hurricane but had now returned to her home after her power was restored. She found out that I was a volunteer for the Red Cross and had spent the last 2 weeks in a shelter. After we talked a little bit longer she told me that she really appreciated what I had done and what I wanted to do with me life and that she wanted to buy me lunch on the flight. I was surprised but very thankful for her generosity. She did end up buying me lunch and then pulled out the sandwich she had packed for herself. I thanked her multiple times for her kindness. We talked throughout the flight between our short naps. She had done a lot in her life and now teaches at Northern Arizona University. It was cool to get to know her and share some of my own experiences as well.
When we finally arrived in Arizona we parted ways and I waited for the Elder to get off of the plane. We walked to our terminal and then split up to use the restroom and get food. I got juice and a cup with fruit in it. It was so nice to eat something fresh after eating a lot of junk the last couple of weeks.
While waiting in the airport I texted Bryant who is in my Injury and Violence Prevention class to ask what I needed to know for our final. He called me to tell me that the final had been cancelled. I was so relieved! I wasn't super worried about the final, but it was so nice to know that I didn't have to spend all night and the next morning studying for it. This means that I only have 1 final to take on Friday. It is for my Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness class. I have basically been studying for the class for the last 2 weeks and I'm not so worried about that one.
I talked with the Elder at the terminal until we boarded the plane. I sat between an older man and another woman. They were both really nice and the older man and I swapped some stories from our travels. He mentioned that he had served a mission back East and we talked about that a little bit. It was nice to talked about the church with someone after the last two weeks where the only time I saw a member of the church was when I was in the temple and at church. It was a good flight and we all slept for most of it.
As we were arriving we flew over snow capped mountains and I couldn't help but smile. I was coming home! We flew over the copper mine, which is huge and incredible to see from the air. When the plane landed I said goodbye to my seat buddies and headed out. The closer I got to the security gate, the bigger the smile was on my face. When I caught a glimpse of Mara and Maria and couldn't help but laugh out loud. I was so excited to see them! They each gave me a huge hug and we all laughed together. We headed over to pick up my luggage and then left the airport.
On the way home I stopped by my friend Chelsey's house to say hello and visit for a few minutes. It was so weird to be back again and it made the last 2 weeks seem like a dream. I told stories to Mara and Maria and showed them pictures that I had taken. It was cool to have so many experiences to share.
When I arrived home I was greeted my some of my siblings when I walked in. Gaby told me that things had been so quiet without me there and they were happy for me to be home. I was excited to be home. It was so fun to laugh and joke with them. I was also super excited to see my parents and to be able to share experiences with them as well.
I headed to bed pretty late and was so excited to sleep in a real bed with lots of blankets and soft pillows. I love my family and I have missed them dearly. Tomorrow is temple Thursday, so I will go there first thing in the morning and then head to work in the afternoon. It should be a good day, but so incredibly different than the last 2 weeks. It was an experience that I will not soon if ever forget. I am grateful for how blessed I am and for the mercy of God in allowing me to go. God is great and gratitude sets you up for a life of happiness.
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