For the next two weeks, all the missionaries returning from foreign countries had to quarantine for two weeks. I thought we would all lose our minds, but we made it through. Ty did find ways to connect with those outside our family who wanted to see him. He met many friends outside the house in the open air, and maintained a six foot distance from them. Once the two weeks was over, we all rejoiced. A day or two after returning from Peru, Ty was released as a missionary by President Carnavale. It didn't take Ty too long to get back into the pre-mission life, however, we enjoyed hearing of his many experiences he didn't share in emails or phone calls. Now the waiting began - where and when would he be re-assigned? Would he be allowed to return to Peru - a country and culture he had grown to love in such a short amount of time? Once church headquarters announced that missionaries could be reassigned if they chose and then given the option to return to their original mission, we were elated. We had fasted specifically that Ty would have the opportunity to return to Peru once the country was deemed safe to return to. It seemed to take forever to get Ty's reassignment. He was the last one in our stake to get his new assignment, and even then, he still had to wait six more weeks to leave. He was thrilled to be reassigned to the California, Newport Beach mission (this mission would allow him to use his Spanish some of the time). We were all so excited!
Knowing Ty still had six weeks, we told him he needed to find a job. The Lord was merciful! The first job he inquired after, a car wash and detailing center close by our house, hired him on the spot and he was able to begin the next day. He worked, on average, forty hours a week up until one week before his leaving to California. He was paid $8.00 an hour, but typically made around an additional $60.00 a day in tips. This gave him some spending money and the ability to pay for a few more months of his mission. When Ty wasn't working, he was going on a date or doing a variety of fun things with friends. He enjoyed every minute of his time back home. Before he left for California, we were able to do some fun things as a family. One thing we all really came to treasure was Sundays. We often met as an entire family to partake of the Sacrament and study the Come Follow Me curriculum. We also held testimony meetings and assigned uplifting talks or watched conference talks together. We also spent four days in Oxnard, California. We rented a beautiful beach house right in the harbor. Carley's parents and sister Abby joined us, along with Ty's Aunt Nanette. We had so much fun just hanging out at the beach for a few days, eating out at yummy restaurants, kayaking in the harbor, playing spike ball and air hokey, singing and playing guitar around the outdoor fire, and just being together. A few days after returning home, we headed to the Beaver Mountains where we rented a large cabin and had a family reunion with several of my brothers and sisters and their families. We really had a great time. We enjoyed lots of yummy food, hiking, fishing, boating, playing games, and of course singing songs and playing the guitar. It was a wonderful way to end his in-between time. The night we returned from the reunion, Ty was once again set apart as a missionary, and President Carnavale gave Ty a beautiful blessing. The next morning, we were once again at the St. George airport telling Elder Milne goodbye. I believe it was harder the second time around to let him go. I returned home and cried myself to sleep. However, I am so happy he was able to return, especially under such interesting circumstances. The Corona virus is still prevalent, especially in California, so we are unsure what missionary life will be like for Elder Milne once he arrives there.
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