It was a beautiful devotional though; the first all-Sister departing group during President Clark’s reign. There were definitely tears shed by everyone there. Us. The Clarks. Even the APs. The next morning we loaded up into the van at o-dark thirty and to our surprise President stood there on the curb and waved at us while we drove off. What?! For some reason we were expecting him to be there with us at the airport? We felt abandoned and things started to get real. When the Assistants unloaded us and our stuff on the curb and wished us luck, suddenly we were on our own.
We scrambled to check in ourselves and our baggage and thoroughly confused the attendant when he kept asking us which stuff was “Megan’s” and “Alyssa’s” because none of us knew each other by our first names at all. but if I’ve learned anything it’s that the Lord takes care of His missionaries; because there to be our proxy parents appeared a lovely member couple who were flying back to Utah after a business trip. They helped us weave through the proper lines and arrive at our gate safely and on time.
The flight went well, I got to sit next to the stellar Sister Powell and a gentleman who recognized who we were and introduced himself as a ‘Jack Mormon’. We got the chance to talk to him about his history as a member of the church and his family for a little bit. It was nice to still be a missionary. For the remainder of the flight I tried aggressively to avoid looking at the screen of the little boy in front of me watching Coco.
When we began our descent, we looked out the window and saw our beloved snow capped mountains erupting from the desert floor. Surveying the scene of post-winter nature death and decay, I leaned over to Sister Powell and whispered, “Do you remember it being this ugly?” to which she shook her head.
Anxiety and excitement began to swell within us; we were minutes away from being reunited with our families. When we hobbled off the plane we waited for each other. Then there we were. Myself, Sister Powell, Sister Staten, Sister Bullard, and Sister Anderson. We stood there frozen for a moment, in disbelief. Then we agreed unanimously and simultaneously that we needed to use the restroom. We stood in a lengthy line and waited for each other again. Then we migrated to the top of the escalator. The escalator. One by one we descended and cheers were heard by loved ones awaiting at the bottom. Then there were two. Sister Staten and I.
We started our missions together in the same MTC district 18 months before. And now here we were, standing at the end together. We looked at each other with tears in our eyes, both petrified of the new life awaiting us at the end of those moving stairs. We embraced and reassured each other that we could do this. We had returned with honor after valiantly serving our Lord and King in the Florida Orlando Mission and we could boldly face the world ahead. We linked arms and started at the top of the escalator together. However approximately two seconds later when our loved ones came into view Sister Staten broke into a sprint down the stairs to her family.
I looked around the lobby, searching for familiar faces, half scared that maybe my family got the times wrong and wouldn’t be there. But then a cheer was let out by voices I knew, and there they were. At first I couldn’t see my mom, but then realized she was there with a bouquet of balloons waiting for me at the end of the stairs. It was a great reunion, the kind missionaries dream of on hard days. I was home.
Since then life has been pretty usual. I had my homecoming that Sunday and then I was called to be an ordinance worker at the Timpanogos Temple! I work the Saturday first shift and I love it so so much. To all my missionary friends- I highly recommend working at the temple when you get home.
I’m living at home in Pleasant Grove with my parents and baby sister, and we are looking forward to my two other sisters returning from their missions next month! It’s gonna be bumpin at the Petty abode. I haven’t started school but I’m planning on UVU in the fall and pursuing Film/Cinemaphotography and Digital Media. I don’t have a job yet, I’ve resumed being my moms full-time caregiver for the time being. I still call myself Sister Petty in my head and sometimes I catch myself almost going to back when I’m driving with someone.
I’ve been on a couple of dates, nothing serious but more fun group stuff. I didn’t have anyone waiting for me and I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a looong time so I’m just taking things slow and soft pedaling it. I will say it is weird though that most my friends are married or engaged. I’m not going to my YSA and I’m staying in my homeward to help out around here; we’ll see how things go.
To all my missionary friends: Please keep me updated and in the loop and put me and my home email on your weeklies. I’ll be here at via.petty@gmail.com.
To everyone else: you can review all my mission newsletters that I sent home on my mission blog at sisteroliviapetty.blogspot.com. I’ll also be writing posts of my mission stories and memories there.
Keep on keeping on,
-(Sister) Olivia Petty
Home! 3.14.18
Reuniting with some Florida Orlando Sisters 4.14.18
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