Week of 21 March - 28 March

We arrived in Seattle from Hawaii 8:55 am Saturday morning.  The airport in Seattle was almost empty.  We rode an airport train to our next plane for Salt Lake. We arrived in Salt Lake around noon.  Now we are under quarantine for 14 days because of the corona-19 virus pandemic.  The mission in Hawaii has been chaotic. New information arriving twice daily.  President and Sister having meetings over the phones to give more information, more updates. So many young missionaries having to return to their own countries along with any senior missionaries returning home because of the age the virus seems to like best. First it was announced that we MAY go home; 12 hours later, you will go home.  This was the order of things daily.  Now no young missionaries can go out of their apartments except to get food or exercise. And senior missionaries are home. Well, those who had a place to quarantine.  Others who had people living in their homes or who had sold their homes, went to places they found to rent to quarantine.

Our stake president, President Jackson had already contacted us to make sure we had a place to quarantine and ask if there was anything we needed.  We are so blessed.  We have an apartment where we have been quarantined, our dear, wonderful children put food in the cupboards and refrigerator, wash our sheets, cleaned...Raymond and Julie, Mike and April, Jonathon and Charity have been bringing groceries, bringing food all prepared.  It doesn’t get any better.  Unless, there could be 5 more children and families living closer also.

Sunday it was nice we could hear the service upstairs as the piano played in Robinson III home.  We had popcorn which made our day as we poured butter on skinny popcorn. 

Monday I began to call some of you and we settled in more, washing and cleaning.  I probably mop the floor every day because I’m just watching it   Then today I HAD A BREAK THROUGH.  The thought came to me that I could do something for someone else:  read a story every day to my grandkids! 

Tuesday I started reading Mary Engelbreit fairy tales, one a day.  How this has cheered me!  I definitely am getting the most charge to my spirit this way.

Wednesday the Mueller Park Tenth Ward found a way to welcome the missionaries home with isolation and social distancing going on, they drove their cars to the church parking lot with signs saying “Welcome home, missionaries” and drove by our place ina nice long line honking everyone.  Yes, that was a huge boost to our spirits.  It is difficult coming home and not being able to gather and hug.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday has been more adjusting.  It is very lonely for two people shut up.  But groceries and food keep coming and it’s starting to feel like we could get use to this life. Dad came up with an idea to drive around temple square and look from the road to see what we could see happening.  Outside walls are coming down, south visitors center is gone and work continues on making temple square even better.  Interesting that it is also being made more earthquake ready.  On one of these days, we felt another earthquake as I sat in my fat reading chair.  Dad was bouncing so he couldn’t tell. 

We are over halfway of quarantine but we can’t see how much will change after that; we just will be sure we’re not carrying the virus. We have a sweet peace between us and are grateful to have each other.  

I also called my mother, Grandma Stokes during the week.  I don’t think she remembered we were gone and didn’t even say when was I coming over?  She and Harold seem to be settled and happy at Jamestown courtyard now.  That felt wonderful.  Harold expressed how glad he was that we were home from Hawaii.

During the week, a sister from the mission department called and talked with Dad, asking all kinds of questions and then told him we were being put on “leave” status so we can be called back up to serve.  

We’ve come to the idea that it doesn’t matter where we serve but that we serve.  Service by itself is its own reward and then when we get to teach the gospel by example or by training, or by assisting, the Lord labors with us as we keep His commandments in His vineyard.  

Love you each one, Elder and Sister Robinson (we have not been released yet).