Early Homecoming: Insights from Missionaries who Returned Early
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Early Homecoming: Insights from Missionaries who Returned Early
Kristen Reber, author of Early Homecoming: A Resource for Early-Returned Missionaries, their Church Leaders, and Family, shares stories and insights from returning home early from her Latter-day Saint mission that provide healing and hope to those experiencing the myriad of emotions that come from a...
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60 episodi
061: Josie shares her raw feelings about returning home early due to a difficult adjustment and stress hives
At the time of this recording, Josie had been home from her mission for only eight months. Her feelings are raw and poignant as she shares the ups and...
060: Amanda shares her story of hope and healing after having her leg amputated below the knee after getting hit by a car on her mission
Amanda Evergreen--also known as the One-Footed Phoenix--joined me to share her story of hope and healing after having her leg amputated below the knee...
059: Cody shares his story of healing from narcissistic abuse while on his mission
Cody endured bullying in childhood and in his teenage years at school and at church. Despite this, he has a deep love for the gospel and still desired...
058: Edina shares her story of returning home early to help her mom with depression
Edina lives in Hungary and was 27 years old when she joined the church. Eight years later, at the age of 35, she decided to serve a mission. It was no...
057: Brady shares his story of returning home early due to anxiety and depression
Having been born and raised in the church, Brady was excited to serve a mission. He had a bit of anxiety in the beginning as he adjusted to Brazilian...
056: Wallis shares her story of returning home early to her dad declining from ALS after suffering from depression and self-harming on her mission
Wallis served for four months in Calgary before coming home due to depression and self-harming. She had an amazing support group--including her compan...
055: Haley shares her story of choosing to return home after four weeks due to physical illness
Haley served for a total of four weeks--three in the MTC and one in the field--before choosing to return home early due to physical illness. While she...
054: Psychologist and Life Coach, Cortland Watson, discusses the psychological and emotional aspects involved in returning home early from a mission
Psychologist and Life Coach, Cortland Watson, joined me on the podcast to discuss many of the psychological and emotional aspects involved in returnin...
053: Meg shares her story of deep depression due to hiding her sexuality and experiencing chronic pain
Meg returned home early after three months of service in Fresno, California. She spiraled into a deep depression due to hiding her sexuality and exper...
052: Nicholas shares his story of returning home early due to trauma caused by abuse from a member
Growing up in the church, Nicholas never knew if the gospel was for him and he struggled to go to church because of his anxiety and lack of desire. Af...
050: A chat with author Destiny Yarbro who returned home early twice for physical and mental health reasons, and now helps early-returned missionaries all over the world
Destiny Yarbro returned home early twice. The first time she returned home early from the MTC for physical health reasons. The second time, she went t...
049: Addie shares the many emotional, mental, and physical health trials she experienced on her mission before ultimately being sent home due to COVID-19
Addie had always desired to serve a mission and when her call came, she was excited to go! However, a few months into her mission, she was emotionally...
048: Jackson shares his story of returning from his mission early twice for physical health reasons
In this episode, Jackson shares his story of returning home early twice. The first time, he served for eight months before physical health problems re...
047: Jacob shares his story of returning home early for physical health reasons, dealing with judgement, and ceasing his habit of seeking validation from others.
Jacob started his mission journey long before he even got his mission call. Overweight and insecure, Jacob decided to make some changes. He got into b...
046: Violet tells her story of returning home early due to depression and anxiety and then serving a service mission in the San Jose area
Violet was born deaf and wears two cochlear implants. She served a mission to Washington D.C. speaking ASL. She came home early due to depression and...
045: Summer shares her story of returning home early from the MTC due to depression and anxiety
After a period of inactivity, Summer returned to church and began receiving promptings and dreams about serving a mission. She followed these promptin...
044: Jake shares his story of growing up with cerebral palsy, becoming inactive, discovering himself as an LGBTQ+ individual, returning to church, serving a mission, and returning home early due to belated confession
Jake was born with cerebral palsy and as a result was often excluded from activities as a youth in the church. As a result of this exclusion, and a fa...
043: Kate returns home early due to emotional and physical abuse from companions
Throughout her childhood, Kate was emotionally and physically abused by her father, and then later by her stepmother. While on her mission, Kate exper...
042: Genisse's story of coming home early due to depression and anxiety and then returning to her mission
Genisse is the first missionary I have spoken with who came home early due to mental health reasons and then returned to her mission. In this episode,...
041: Pascal Friedmann shares his story of returning home early due to severe thyroid dysfunction
In this episode, Pascal tells me his story about returning home early due to a prolonged illness that started about a month after he arrived in the fi...
040: What is the "rest" of a mission like?
There are so many questions that run through the mind of an early-returned missionary, not least of which is questions along the line of "What is the...
039: JT shares his experience of returning home early due to depression
JT had never experienced depression before his mission. He recalls being bullied in the MTC by his companions for six weeks before finding relief in t...
038: Richard Ostler, former YSA Bishop, shares what he has learned about helping those who feel marginalized in the Church
In this podcast episode, Richard Ostler (host of the podcast Listen, Learn, and Love) shares what he has learned about helping those who feel marginal...
037: Synne returns home early due to perfectionism and self-harming and becomes the first service missionary in Norway and Sweden
In this episode, Synne shares her story of returning home early from her mission in France due to perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and self-harming...
036: Sarah shares her story of experiencing covert abuse from a companion and her dad while also returning home early for physical health reasons
Sarah was sent home during the COVID-19 pandemic because of physical health problems. She begged her mission president to stay, but he was concerned s...
035: Josie shares her story of coming home early after 15 months due to stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, and going through a faith crisis
In this episode, Josie shares her story of coming home early after 15 months due to stress, anxiety, and panic attacks that increased in severity. Gos...
034: Tyler talks about his journey of intense anxiety, leaving the church, and returning to full activity
Tyler came home early due to intense anxiety and panic attacks after serving in the Spokane Washington Mission for 3 months. He actually loved being o...
033: Ruby shares her story of extreme depression, self-harm, and suicidal thinking
Ruby began struggling right from the get-go on her mission during at-at home MTC (due to COVID-19 restrictions). Her struggle soon turned into extreme...
032: Jacob shares his story of returning home early due to belated confession
Jacob had always wanted to serve a mission, but due to some mistakes made before he left, he was unworthy to go. He lied to himself constantly to conv...
031: Elizabeth discusses returning home early due to OCD Scrupulosity and creating BeyondMyBadge.org
In this episode, Elizabeth shares her struggle with OCD scrupulosity, which she describes best as "perfectionism." On her mission, Elizabeth was very...
030: Drew Young shares his experience of coming home early from the MTC due to mental health struggles and talks about how he has since found purpose in his life's mission
Drew Young, author of the new book The Meaning of Your Mission: Lessons and Principles to Know You Are Enough, shares with me his experience of return...
029: Lizzy tells her story of returning home early due to a dizziness that never stopped
In this episode, Lizzy shares her story of returning home early due to a dizziness that never stopped. Many people around her thought that anxiety was...
028: Rian shares her story of returning home early due to toxic perfectionism
In this episode, Rian shares with me her story of returning home early due to toxic perfectionism, something that she didn't realize she struggled wit...
027: McKenzie discusses returning home early due to anxiety and homesickness
McKenzie has struggled with anxiety for most of her life, but when the prompting came to serve a mission, she faithfully accepted the call to serve. W...
026: Bob and Elaine discuss, as parents, the effects of our culture on missionaries who return home early
In this episode, Bob and Elaine share their journey of navigating the culture of our Church that still surrounds missionaries who come home early as t...
025: What can I expect if I stay home?
In this episode, five missionaries who came home early for various reasons, and chose to stay home, answer questions previously submitted via a questi...
024: What can I expect if I return to the field?
In this episode, five missionaries who came home early for various reasons, and chose to return to the field either as proselyting missionaries or as...
023: Layton returns home early due to a suicide threat after seeing a robber in his home
In this episode, Layton shares his story of the trauma he experienced on his mission from seeing a robber in his home and the suicide threat that resu...
022: Sophie Returns Home Early Due to COVID-19
Sophie served in the Washington D.C. North mission for 17 months before needing to return home early to Vienna, Austria due to the COVID-19 pandemic....
021: Courtney's early return due to physical health, the mental toll it took on her, and her decision to return to the field
While in the field, Courtney came down with dengue fever. She was given a shot for the fever, but likely got a pathogenic bacteria from the shot that...