ANGELS AMONG US

Well, first of all, I just want to tell you:  Angels DO walk the earth today.  This I know for a fact.

This is Syster Campbell's Mom writing today.  No new letter from Annie yet--but she's had quite a week!

We had a very brief email message from her from the MTC Sunday evening--she would be calling SOMETIME between 5 and 8 am the next morning when she got to the airport. Yep.  5am.

I awoke at 3:15am, my brain too full and busy to sleep....

ANGEL #1

At 5:30am, while I was waiting, I received an email from an unfamiliar name--with this picture attached:

The message simply said:

"Sisters Campbell and Hall on the Frontrunner"

Simple words, but such an enormous blessing to this mother's heart!  In talking to Annie from the airport later (not until 8:30, by the way!), I learned that this was Brother Haynie, from the Missionary Office.  He had gotten on the train for a short while just to make sure everything was okay; had been sitting by Annie and her companion, chatting with them, and asked if they'd like him to send a picture to their families:

Yes, please!

I quickly sent him a thank-you email, which he shared with the girls, Annie told me during our call--which made her very happy!

Our phone call with Annie was oh, so short--but so very, very sweet!  All the flight/luggage details necessary to attend to had taken longer than expected, of course.

In our conversation, besides much love and excitement being shared, our daughter bore her testimony to us in her new Swedish language.  She also shared part of The First Vision, and joyfully recited the Missionary Purpose.  All in Swedish.  Beautiful--imperfect but beautiful--Swedish.

Our hearts were oh, so very full!

It was a long day for all of us.  I was in Colorado visiting my sister and her family, and was traveling home that day.  I was in the air for a good part of the time that Annie was, which was kind of an interesting feeling for me...no borders, real or imagined, separating us...but as far apart as could be.

And thanks to some lovely flight-tracking apps, I was able to see where she was throughout the day--

But this was the loveliest sight of all:

"ARRIVED"!!!

ANGEL #2

Yesterday morning, back at home, I was just wishing for word of our daughter.  I knew we wouldn't hear anything offical yet, and I knew she'd landed safely, but that was all.

About noon, on our Swedish Missionary Moms Facebook page (yes...we have one!), I saw this:

With this description:

"Took some cookies to the mission home for the "greenies" tonight...we got there at 8:15 and they had already gone to bed

😂😂😂Sister Beckstrand said they are amazing kids and they are excited to meet their "moms and dads" tomorrow, but were VERY tired! Just thought you mamma's would like to know they are all snuggled in for the night ❤

Sister Pence, a kind and wonderful American sister living in Stockholm near the Mission Home, is this particular angel.  She does so much to bless the lives of the missionaries there in the Stockholm area. Here are the delicious cookies she baked to share with our missionaries:

And she continues to be a true friend and angel in far too many ways to mention here.

Later that day, we received a brief email from the Mission Secretary that our daughter had arrived safely, and that we would receive pictures and more information in the next few days--that was all. But, enough...


ANGEL #3

There's a beautiful young mother in Sweden that I've gotten to know through Instagram. When I first posted a picture of Annie with her mission call, she commented to me that she lived there.

The first thing I saw when I looked at my phone this morning was this comment from her:

"Julie!  Was your daughter supposed to arrive in Stockholm today?  If so, I think I may have JUST passed her on her way to the train by the temple!  I'm kicking myself, but I didn't realize till it was too late--that would've been so perfect!!!

"Long brown hair with two big red suitcases?  Man!  I hope it wasn't her cause that would really have been too bad!  If it was her, you can tell her the woman in the white coat pushing a stroller is really, really sad she didn't stop and say hi!"

When I responded that I was sure that WAS her, she said:

"I just wish I could re-wind time!  She was walking with, I'm guessing, her trainer.  She's blonde and was talking excitedly about the rest of their day.  She seemed really nice.  They were getting on the train that goes from Vasterhaninge to Stockholm.  That's about as many details of our 3 second encounter I can think of..."

Such tender mercies in a 24-hour period from three angels that I have never met in a far-off country that I have never stepped foot on.  Angels DO walk the earth today.  Make no mistake about it.

Without hearing anything offically, I was given a few beautiful mental pictures of my daughter as she rode excitedly from the MTC to the airport in the early hours of the morning; slept peacefully her first night there, and as she walked excitedly to her new assignment--her new home so far away from home.......could there be anything more wonderful than that?!  

Is there any question that our Father in Heaven really does hear and answer our prayers?  I can promise you that He truly does.

He answered this mother's prayers threefold.  And more.

So very grateful today. 

The Missionary Mom