Mission Intermission

 On March 29, 2020  Joseph returned from Uruguay.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, over 30,000 missionaries in missions around the world were returned to their home countries.  The missionaries from Chili and the United States were flown out of Uruguay on a chartered jet which flew first to Chili to drop off and pick up missionaries, and then on to the US.  The jet had room for all of the missionaries, but not all of the luggage, and Joseph's bags (including his carry-on) were among the 100 suitcases left behind in Uruguay.  The mission president took good care of the luggage, storing them in a facility on the temple grounds, and they were shipped to the missionaries about 3 1/2 months after they returned home.

Joseph was released from missionary service shortly after arriving home.  All returning missionaries were given the option to be given a reassignment in their home country, or to wait a year to return to service.  Joseph chose to wait out the year, with hopes of returning to Uruguay, and he enrolled in classes at BYU.  We were so happy to have Joseph here for his brother's wedding on June 13, 2020.  Joseph's grandmother passed away shortly before Joseph returned to the mission field, and he was able to attend both her funeral on May 10th and burial on May 22nd, 2021.  It was so nice having the whole family together for these events as well as some fun family vacations.  Joseph originally left for his mission about 2 months before his brother, Stephen, returned, so it had been nearly three years since we had all been together.

In March of 2021, Joseph reapplied for service, and received his call to return to his mission on May 25th.  Five weeks before leaving, on April 20th, Joseph received a reassignment to the Texas San Antonio Mission.  (Missionaries are not yet returning to Uruguay).

President Ryan Dobbs set Joseph apart for a second time in our home on May 25, 2021.

We left for the airport at 4:30 am on May 26th, and as we looked up at the moon we notice a lunar eclipse!  We didn't even know it would be there (full eclipse was at 4:11 am, so a sliver of light was just starting to show).  It felt like a special way to start the day.  This is a photo taken by a friend, Danielle Taylor, through her telescope:

On the way home from the airport we snapped this photo, but as you can see the shadow of the earth more than half-way off the moon at this time.