Hi Everyone,
This has been probably the weirdest 72 hours of my life, but I'm home now! I wish that I could describe to you how I am feeling, but it has been such a roller coaster of emotions.
After an emergency evacuation, a 12-hour bus ride and spending the entire night with hundreds of missionaries on the floor of the airport, Hermana Jarman and I sat down and started to talk about all the miracles we had witnessed that made it possible to be there at that moment. I was completely filled with so much gratitude and realized what a blessing it was that we were even able to make it there in the first place.
I wanted to share with you all some of the things that I have witnessed these past 3 days:
1. Saturday morning we woke up and I said: "Hermana Anderson, I am packing everything." I had no idea why I felt like I needed to - we were told we wouldn't even be able to leave the country until March 31. But, I felt like I just needed to do it. Both of us packed literally all that we had and went and weighed our bags. Exactly 30 minutes later we got a call from the assistants letting us know that we had to be out of Dorrego that night and would fly out by Monday. My jaw dropped. I had no idea that it had been the Spirit guiding us to be packed up and ready to go.
2. This is where it gets crazy. Our mission president found out Saturday morning that every single US missionary in our mission was going home, and each had to be in the main cities by that night.
Argentina was completely shut down. There was absolutely no transport in and out of the small pueblos, and there was no way to get us all to Buenos Aires the next day. My president was going crazy trying to figure out how to move us all.
Our senior missionary couple was expressing some of this to one of the members in Bahia and he said: "I know someone with some connections to the bus companies here in Bahia." As a passing thought, our senior couple gave the number of this member to our mission president. Our president called this member and it turned out that the 'friend' he had was the head coordinator for all of the busses in ALL of Argentina. WHAT?!
So not only did she hook our whole mission up with busses to Buenos Aires, but she also hooked up THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. It was insane. I have no idea how the Lord does what he does, but I do not doubt his hand was there.
3. Members from all of the big cities left to pick up every single one of us who lived in smaller towns. Each and every missionary made it into the main cities by Saturday night. As we traveled on the bus, the police stopped us, but they always let us continue. 600 missionaries made it into the airports on Sunday. Every single one of us was able to get to the airport and safely through with all of our luggage. Some missionaries spent the night at the temple or in the MTC, but by the end, we all made it onto our flights.
4. Hermana Jarman shared with me that police were marching up and down the streets in her city, looking for foreigners. The entire city had a 4:00 curfew, and the member entered the city to retrieve them at 3:30. As they were driving out of the city, they were terrified the police would stop them and so they all said a prayer. As they passed through the border, a huge line of police were waiting on the other side of the road. But, not ONE of them even turned to look at their car. They passed without any problem. She told me that she literally felt that the police could not see their car, that they had been protected and shielded by angels.
5. As we landed in Salt Lake City, the flight crew asked us to sing "Called to Serve". I looked around and as with tears in all of our eyes, we sang that special hymn together in unison. The Spirit was there and we all felt and witnessed of it.
I have so many more miracles I could share with you all that made it possible for me and the other 600 missionaries in Argentina to come home yesterday. I know that God lives. His hand is absolutely in each one of our lives, although at times we may not see it. I have felt so much peace and divine help these past few days, even with all that has happened. I know that this is His plan for me and that it always was part of His plan.
In all honesty, I am heartbroken to leave Argentina. It was such a surreal feeling to take off in the airplane and look out and say goodbye to my home for the past seven months. I feel so many strings are left untied and it hurts to have to leave investigators that are progressing and members and friends that I love. I loved my time in Argentina, so incredibly much. But, I also know it is no shock to my Father in Heaven that I am sitting in my house in Murray, Utah, waiting for reassignment. He knows me, and He knows each and every one of the other missionaries that this is happening to right now.
Thank you to all my sweet neighbors and friends who put signs in our yard, left cards and flowers, and for your messages and prayers. I have felt so much love! I can receive your messages still, and I am working on responding to them! I would love to hear from you in these days while I will be home. Thank you for reaching out, I love talking to each one of you. I am not sure where I will be reassigned to, but when I hear I will let all of you know. I am excited for this next adventure to come.
Take care and make sure to watch General Conference this weekend! It's sure to be one that I think none of us will ever forget.
Love,
Hermana Spackman
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