Well I am sitting at my dining room table in my home in California sending out this email. It is so weird but I am grateful to be home and with my family! I had a very exciting trip from Sierra Leone to America, And I am still getting used to the hot showers, constant power and how cold it is here!!
Before I share my experience with the trip home I would like to share one special experience from this, my last area. We were teaching one woman named Salimatu Bindu. She has been taught for a long time but has not been baptized yet due to one thing or another. When I first got into the area we came to her house and found her laying down on a bench in front of her house. She said she was not feeling well, so we gave her a blessing and did not really think too much more about it. Well the last time we came she told us that before we gave her that blessing she has been sick for 3 months and no medicine she was taking was helping. She had head aches and body aches that made it hard to get up, and she could not work for a long time. She said that day it was especially bad and she had been lying there from that morning in that position. An hour after the blessing she said she felt no pain and has not for the last month and a half. She said this boosted her faith in God and this is why she knows this church is true. I am so grateful for a loving God that uses us in way to bless His children. I am grateful for Him!!
On Sunday morning my companion and I received a call from the Assistants saying that all the American Missionaries would be returning home the next day on Monday. We told our zone and had our last Sacrament Meeting in our apartment and then went out and gave the sacrament to some of the members in our ward and had some great lessons with some of the members!
The next morning we began to load into the bus at 11:00 am to go to the Airport in Lungi, about a 5 hour drive from Bo. On the way to the airport our bus broke down, one of the bearing on the front right tire had broken and we were on the side of the road for about 3 and a half hours waiting for a new bus to come and get us. It was pretty funny because as soon as the bus broke down the driver just started taking a hammer to the wheel for like 20 minutes, got frustrated and left us on the side of the road to go and get some food. We were all really confused about it because he just started walking down this long endless road to go get some food. We were all laughing about it! After about an hour or so a Senior Couple in the Mission, Elder and Sister Boone, drove by and when they saw us they stopped and called some people to get a new bus to take us. We were very grateful to them for that!
We finally reached the Airport and met with President Harper. He talked with us for about 2 minutes and we got into the plane and left at about 11:00pm to fly home.
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| Leaving Salone |
When we got on the airplane I was so confused because everyone was wearing masks and rubber gloves and treating us like we all had Corona Virus. It ended up being a great flight and we reached Madrid at about 3:00 am in the morning. We had a 2 hour layover and then left on an 11 hour flight to LA! We landed in the USA at about 10:00 am and it was so nice! There was carpet and air conditioning!! They spoke English! There was so many white people!! It was awesome!
We got through customs, then went to the gate to wait. As I was going up the escalator a man called me and asked about everything that was going on. He said he was a less active member of the church. We talked for a little while, and he bought me a hamburger at shake shack. It was so nice and I was really grateful to him for that, we talked for a while longer and then I got on the plane to home.
We reached Sacramento after an hour and I went and saw my parents! It was a joyous reunion to say the least. We also met Uncle Marchane at the airport which was so great, I was able to FaceTime with his family as well. We then went home and found Aunt Meagen and Uncle John with their family and the rest of mine. My Grandparents shortly came after that. I was really grateful to see them.
Now I am a little bit confused on what the future holds. The Church Leadership has said a few different things and so we are waiting on my Stake President to give me some more information. I am now in quarantine for 2 weeks, but can call people! Feel free to give me a call because I have lots of time on my hands!
Thanks so much!
-Elder Morgan
Update: Elder Morgan has temporarily been released as a missionary until things settle down. We're not sure if he will be reassigned at some point, or if this marks the end of his missionary service. We are so grateful he is home. We just learned that Sierra Leone has it's first case of Covid-19, and the country's boarders are being completely shut. He got out just in time. There are so many new experiences that we're finding out about. Eli's mission was full of heartbreak, miracles and unbelievable experiences. We'll try and get some of these recorded to share.
We are so grateful for the love, prayers and support Eli received. He was truly watched over and protected.
