Welcome Home!

Hello!

I can hardly believe it, but the day has finally come! I am home!!! My mission has ended, and once again I am with my family and friends here in Mesa Arizona. It has been an unforgettable two years, a path that has led me to greater understanding, love, and testimony! I would not change that for anything!

The flights themselves were the last challenge of the mission. We were scheduled to leave tuesday afternoon 4:00 chilean time. However, when we got there, the itinerary, the flights, everything had been changed. And, nobody had told us! We were stuck with nothing! Luckily, they realized how they messed up, and tried to make up for it by redoing our flights. However, the best they could do was get us to Santiago in the middle of the night and stay at a hotel and in the morning pick us up. They told us that as soon as we landed in Santiago, they would be ready for us, and would take us to the hotel and give us the rest of our itinerary. So they sent us off, and we arrived at midnight there. And nobody knew who we were, or what we needed. The airports never got in contact, and we were almost stranded in Santiago! It took two more hours of running around talking to everyone from LatAM for us to get ourselves some flights home, the whole time my head pounding from stress induced migraines haha! But, it all got settled, and we were scheduled to return home late Wednesday night. They did get us a hotel, and we stayed there the night. Seeing as we had no alarm clocks, and we needed to be somewhere in the morning (they were going to pick us up again to take us to the airport), we asked the front desk to give us a wake up call at 5:30 to eat a little something and leave. Next thing I know, 6:00 Elder Hirschi is calling me saying the people are there! What?!? So we all scramble around and luckily get down in time to leave with the man. The front desk never called. The flight itself was normal, long maybe, but it was ok. I sat next to Elder Hirschi, and the flight first took us to Lima Peru. We had no idea why we were there, but then we left for LA arriving late night, then catching a connecting flight home. In this flight there was an awesome stewardess who recognized us as missionaries (she was a member herself) and treated us with some food from the plane (we hadn't eaten in a while). Her name was Kelly. She was awesome.

Arriving in the airport of Phoenix was such a crazy experience! As the flight landed I was close to hyperventilating! I almost ran down the halls looking for where I can get out, and then, going down the last hall, I can see the balloons and giant cardboard faces I knew only my family could have! I turn the little corner and there they are! And there I was! And I was in the moment I had been dreaming about for so long! And there was my mom, waiting, and after two long years I was able to give her the biggest hug I had given in all my life! Pure happiness, joy, I can't describe how exactly I felt, but I only know it felt good. I was finally reunited with my family and friends. 

My mission has been the hardest thing I have done in my life. The constant rejection, hard work, dog attacks and everything else that stood as an obstacle to me reaching my happiness was working its hardest to make me miserable. However, through the mercy and love of Him who I served, I was able to see the light and receive the help I needed to overcome those very same obstacles. Everything, as the scriptures say, ''...was for my good!'' The mission taught me how to work hard and give my all, but also recognize when my all was not enough, and to then trust in God to make up what I missed. It taught me how to love, not just get along with a person, but really love them and desire their happiness! It taught me how to look at others as children of God, and helped me want to serve them! It helped me appreciate the love the God has for me, and the plan he also has sketched out for me to follow. I know that that plan is the one that will bring me the most happiness in this life, I know this. So I will act with all I can to follow it and 'go where he wants me to go.' I am so grateful for my mission, my mission president, his wife, those I met in Chile, and all that I was able to do! The greatest feeling on the mission is finishing and hearing and feeling in your heart those blessed words, ''Well done, good and faithful servant!'' To know that all of your struggles, your pains, your efforts were not in vain, but were accepted and appreciated, that is the greatest feeling. And I now go into the rest of my life, and as I go through, I will have in my mind this goal: that when it all ends, when all this is over, I will once again hear and feel those words said by my Father, though this time I will be in His presence, and in His embrace. I testify to everyone that this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is the one and only true church of God on the earth today. Jesus lives, and He loves us, and He helps us to achieve what alone we could not. All those who have faith in him, repent, are baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end will return to live in His presence and will receive a complete joy. All of us can achieve this, God loves all his children equally. However, we must act. We must choose His life, and live as He lives if we want to live where He lives. I love you all, and am so grateful for all the support everyone back home, and everywhere else, has given me! God bless

Les amo a todos! Que vayan con Dios
Elder Schmid