This is my last email from the mission field. I have only a few hours left in Lincoln before they ship me off to Omaha. Fun fact that is bringing my mission full circle: I will be staying the night with the Plattsmouth Sisters (Plattsmouth was my first area) with Sister Youngberg as a sort of temporary companion (she was my MTC companion, remember?).
I am a little sad, and a little happy. It's definitely bittersweet. I have loved Nebraska and being a missionary, but I miss family and friends. And ice cream. :) I have avoided telling people I was leaving until this last week, and some people were truly surprised. Remember Muhammed? We had lunch with him again this week, and I told him I was leaving, and he went through all the stages of grief, in about 20 minutes. Denial: "You tell the church you not leave!" Sadness: "This is bad news, Miss May. Very Bad!" Anger: "I am angry about this, Miss May!" Acceptance: "In two or three months, you come back here!" I forget one of the stages in there (Wait, is it bargaining? Because he totally tried to bargain with me: "You stay just a little longer. You part of my family"). He wasn't the only one. I hadn't even told my ward mission leader until our final coordination meeting, and he was sad, too.
Although, there have been some benefits! One woman in the ward agreed to feed us, and made the best African food ever! Another made me cinnamon rolls (they are back at the apartment right now, waiting for me to devour them!), and I have been using my impending departure as an excuse to get in doors. When one sister answered the door and saw us, she said,, "Not today. I'm busy." I then replied, "Oh, that's okay. We just wanted to stop by and say good bye. I leave next week..." And then she let us right in! It was amazing!
Did I mention that I got wrangled into singing in church last week? Yep, Sis. McCauley played the piano and I sang "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" as a musical number. It wasn't too terrible :)
I am running out of time, but I will be able to see and talk to people soon! I love you all, and thank you for supporting me while I was on a mission. I truly appreciate it. I am a little sad, and a little happy. It's definitely bittersweet. I have loved Nebraska and being a missionary, but I miss family and friends. And ice cream. :) I have avoided telling people I was leaving until this last week, and some people were truly surprised. Remember Muhammed? We had lunch with him again this week, and I told him I was leaving, and he went through all the stages of grief, in about 20 minutes. Denial: "You tell the church you not leave!" Sadness: "This is bad news, Miss May. Very Bad!" Anger: "I am angry about this, Miss May!" Acceptance: "In two or three months, you come back here!" I forget one of the stages in there (Wait, is it bargaining? Because he totally tried to bargain with me: "You stay just a little longer. You part of my family"). He wasn't the only one. I hadn't even told my ward mission leader until our final coordination meeting, and he was sad, too.
Although, there have been some benefits! One woman in the ward agreed to feed us, and made the best African food ever! Another made me cinnamon rolls (they are back at the apartment right now, waiting for me to devour them!), and I have been using my impending departure as an excuse to get in doors. When one sister answered the door and saw us, she said,, "Not today. I'm busy." I then replied, "Oh, that's okay. We just wanted to stop by and say good bye. I leave next week..." And then she let us right in! It was amazing!
Did I mention that I got wrangled into singing in church last week? Yep, Sis. McCauley played the piano and I sang "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" as a musical number. It wasn't too terrible :)
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