061: Josie shares her raw feelings about returning home early due to a difficult adjustment and stress hives

Early Homecoming: Insights from Missionaries who Returned Early

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 downs of her mission. She struggled adjusting to mission life and would frequently call her mom to connect and feel better (which wasn't allowed). She developed chronic stress hives and frequently felt like she wasn't a successful missionary despite all the service she was doing. Josie eventually decided to go home which was another adjustment for her. She suffered from some PTSD and had a hard time with church and mission related stuff. She went to therapy which helped her process a lot of what she was feeling. Josie is still working through much of the emotions and feelings of an early return, but she is also moving forward with her life in productive and healthy ways. This is a great episode for anyone else experiencing the raw emotions of an early return, looking to know that they are not alone, that things WILL get better, and that God absolutely still loves them!