Today we finished making posters and cleaned the house (as much as we could with family visiting and grandkids around). Then we headed to the airport! Jaiden's flight was due to come at 4:30 and so we left at 3:30 so that we would be there a half hour early. Rick had everyone practice “the chant” and we took some pictures and videos.
We had invited our good friends, the Williams, to meet us at the airport and so we waited with them. Emily Williams (Jaiden’s best friend) made a really clever newspaper article about Jaiden which was really fun! All of our kids were able to come, except for Josh of course, since he is on a mission, and Janika and Brandon's family. They are coming next week for her homecoming.
We waited for a few minutes and then she came! Right on time! She walked out and then started running and I ran towards her and gave her a big hug. We were both crying!! I have waited 18 months for that wonderful hug!! Then everyone came and hugged her and then she hugged her dad and then got to hug the grandkids. It was so great seeing her again!
Thankfully her luggage arrived and wasn’t delayed for two days like Janelle’s was. Then we did the traditional “run through the finish line.” This was a tradition (started by Rick, of course) that we did with all of our kids. Rick’s chant for this year was “J-A-I-D-E-N finish the mission to the end!!” Janika had sent a marco polo a few days ago asking if Jared and Janelle had warned their spouses about the “humiliation at the airport.”
Rick was aghast that she would label it as such. Then Jared got on Marco Polo and chanted, “Jaiden Jaiden We’ve Been Waiting!” Apparently Josh said that on his last family video chat as a possible option. Then Rick said, “No, this is the way it is done…” and then showed a marco polo of an entire seminary class (that he happened to be visiting) chanting “J-A-I-D-E-N, finish the mission to the end!!” It was so funny. He was maybe going to include it on her missionary video, but forgot, ha ha.
After we left the airport, Rick and I brought Jaiden over to the Stake President’s house for her release. It was our stake conference this weekend and so this quick release happened between the leadership meeting and adult session. President Nadauld discussed goals with Jaiden in three areas: spiritual, physical, and social. He encouraged Jaiden to become an ordinance worker in the temple, take an institute class, go to the YSA ward, continue with her education and graduate – and date.
We had a really nice discussion, and he had Jaiden share a special, meaningful experience from her mission and shared her testimony in Mongolian. He also had Rick and I share some of our thoughts. It was really nice. He didn’t have her remove her tag right there like the stake presidents did with the other kids. He said that she could take it off when she was ready.
Maybe he allowed her a little extra time since she didn't get to wear her badge for most of her mission in Mongolia (except at zone conference). Missionaries in Mongolia are not allowed to wear their tags (unless they are from Mongolia) since they are there on a work visa. So sadly she didn’t have the same emotional attachment to her tag that some of her siblings did. He told her to put her missionary badge somewhere she could see it everyday to remind her of everything she experienced and learned on her mission.
When we came home Jaiden looked around the house and said, "Our house is SO big!! Many of the Mongolian homes are the same size as our garage!" I think she will be excited for consistent hot water and power!! While we were meeting with the stake president Jared picked up the Costa Vida order. Jaiden had requested Costa Vida for her first meal. It was a little expensive, but also took a lot of stress off not having to worry about preparing a big meal for everyone.
After a delicious meal we had Jaiden teach us a lesson. This is another tradition that Rick started years ago and I love it! I love hearing a beautiful lesson and testimony from our missionaries! She shared a really nice lesson on faith and shared her testimony in Mongolian. Then Jaiden shared some Mongolian “treats” with everyone. She gave us Mongolian chocolate, a Max fun bar (Janelle described this as a “a party in your mouth”), some aarts (curd from sour milk), powdered packets of various flavors that you put in a cup of hot water (not sure what those are called), and Aaruul (dried curd).
It was fun to see everyone’s reactions – especially Evan and Eli’s, ha ha! I was surprised that Jaiden stayed up as late as everyone else. In Mongolia she had a 12 hour train ride to the city and then went from there to the airport and then traveled from Mongolia to South Korea (3 hour 20 minutes). She thought, "I am in the same country as Josh!" Then Korea to LA (11 hours) and LA to St. George (1 hour 30 minutes). So 16 hours total in the air, plus lots of hours in layovers! They are a day ahead of us and so it shows her leaving and arriving on the 8th, but she was really traveling for two days.
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