Chance Really Did Make It Home From England

 So Chance made it home from England. He loved so many things about living and loving the people he met in that great country.

He made many friends for life, and part of his heart will forever belong to the people he served as a missionary.

Chance returned with an extra glow about him, a mantle of growth, independence and wisdom. 

As a line from one of his favorite movies, "The Man From Snowy River," says: 

"He's not a lad, brother, he's a man."   Spur

Elder Paxton did indeed return home a man. He had lived over seas for two years, lived through a pandemic where he was locked in a flat for 23 hours a day at times, learned to plan out meals, when the grocery stores were getting low on food, spent time being isolated in his flat with companions he had only just met, prepared flats for other owners when moving out, and lived for several months surrounded by people wearing masks, which is NOT the most optimal environment for a deaf person to hear in.  He had grown from a lad to a man.

We were sure excited to see and hug him after a two year separation.

Due to COVID, we were not able to go into the airport to meet him, but instead waited out in part of an empty airport parking lot waiting for him to exit outside.

We all were wearing masks, which made the reunion even more suspenseful after being apart for two years since everyone had grown a foot or two in that period of time.

Chance had been on a plane for a loooooong time with a couple of lay overs by the time he got home to us......and he looked just perfect!

I got the first hug.......just as it should be. 

Chance and his dad

]                                                     Chance and his brother held each other for a bit....they 

                                                        have been best friends since they were little sharing a bed.

                                                        And just like his brother, Chance returned home with a guitar 

                                                        he bought during his mission. 

                                                        And his English substitute for a cowboy hat that he 

                                                        wore through out his mission to help protect his 

                                                        implants from the elements.

Chance hugs his littlest sister who changed the most out of all of us while he was gone.

Chance and his younger brother, both in hats naturally, enjoy a sweet reunion.

Chance has another sister too, and her picture will be added

soon.

                                              Chance in the parking lot of the airport...looking quite

                                                                         dapper in his suit.

                                                Notice that although he didn't have a cowboy hat on, Chance's

                                               brother provided one for him as soon as they made contact.

What a joyous reunion we had with our boy!

We are excited to have him home and be in his presence again.

We would not have traded his time on a mission though for having him home.

He was where the Lord needed him to be and he flourished while growing and stretching

in ways that had him return home even better than when he left.

He just lights up when ever he talks about the people he met that are so dear to his heart now,

and he made life long friends.

He grew in his relationship with Jesus Christ as he learned to rely on God and saw first hand

the personal love that God and Christ have for each of us.

Our family is complete again and all together!