Six months and still transitioning

Six months and still transitioning

Darrel L. Hammon

Six months ago today, we landed at the Salt Lake City International Airport after traveling all day from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is difficult to believe we have been home six months from our mission! But the six months have passed by so quickly.

The little ones at the airport. Los nietos en el Aeropueto

Since arriving home, Joanne and I have experienced some amazing things:

Visiting family and friends

This has probably been some of the most enjoyable experiences we have had. We were able to visit Hailey, Joe, and little Clark in Wisconsin. 

Hailey, Joe, and little Clark

We also visited the López and Krum families in Boise. 

The López Family

We had the opportunity to visit our own families in Idaho, once because of a funeral of my cousin Deloy. That is never the most opportune time to visit family, but we were able visit with some of my cousins I hadn’t seen in years. At the end of May, we took a Tour de Cemeteries around Eastern Idaho’s cemeteries with Joanne’s family. That was a great experience. 

Little William at one of the graves. This picture was too precious to pass up.

We just recently returned from my brother Dennis’ 60^th birthday held in my sister Delaina’s beautiful backyard in Rigby.

The real Dennis Hammon

 One of the great highlights was spending with Los Rotellini when they came to visit their family for a day. We worked with them in Almacén del Obispo (Bishops' Storehouse) and the Santo Domingo Temple.

La Famlia Rotellini.

Hanging out with other senior couples

One of the glorious opportunities we have had has been to share some wonderful times with some of the senior missionaries who served with us in the Caribbean Area Office and in the Dominican Republic. Once we went to Texas Roadhouse and dined on fine cuisine and had great conversations. Another time, we went up American Fork Canyon into the Uinta National Forest and had a BBQ at the Mutual Dell, a site
owned by the Church.

Elder Atkinson y los Ford

We also were able to go to St. George with Snows and then traveled around Zion’s National Park . We also went down another time to their home in Roosevelt, drove to Vernal to attended an outdoor show, and went to the temple. Plus, we went to the welcome home of  Elder and Sister Eickbush.

Los Hammon y los Snow

Returning to the Dominican Republic

Not often do you get to return to your mission so soon after you have been home. Fortunately we had that opportunity in July to return to do some work with MACILE, a non-profit organization that is helping students from six different schools learn more about the STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We were able to go and share leadership principles, concepts, and values with them, their parents, and some of their teachers.

Some of the MACILE students

Plus, we were able to go to Consuelo to Church, visit the Area Office, and have dinner and dessert with many of the senior couples who are still serving. Oh, what great joy it was to return and see these great people. While there, Joanne and I celebrated our 34^th wedding anniversary. She becomes more and more incredible each and every day.

La Famila Beloni-Díaz de Consuelo

Talking to our new “adopted” Dominican families and friends

Perhaps one of the surprise benefits of technology is the ability to “talk” to our new family of friends in the Dominican Republic. What a joy it is to visit with the Rijo family from La Romana, some of the Caribbean Area personnel, and missionaries and friend we met while we were there. While we cannot be there with them, we can converse with them via Facebook, email, and Skype. To continue practicing our Spanish, both written and verbal, is the one of the huge benefits of serving a mission. Thank you for technology.

La Familia Rijo de La Romana

Are we totally transitioned home yet? No, not really, but we are slowing arriving there. Many of the senior couples from around the world experience the same thing. Just after I arrived home, I wrote an article for Deseret News about this “transition”: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865578163/Transitioning-for-senior-missionaries-Do-we-have-to-go-home.html. Take a look.

So, life goes on, and we will continue to trundle together, always together and moving forward because that’s the way we have found to be the best and most enjoyable.

Darrel and Joanne--and the transition continues