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 rest of a mission like? Specifically, what is the rest of a proselyting mission like?” To answer this question, and several others, I have invited five missionaries who completed the expected amount of time on their missions to come on the podcast and answer questions from those who needed to return home early. These are people I’ve talked to before, many times, about their missions, and I know they would give completely honest, sincere answers about what the “rest of a mission” is like–the good and the bad. Some suffered depression, anxiety, companion issues, etc. but for one reason or another were able to complete the intended amount of time. Some didn’t struggle with anything serious at all, but like all missionaries, they each had mission experiences unique to them.

In this episode, five missionaries who came home early for various reasons, and chose to stay home, answer questions previously submitted via a questionnaire distributed on social media. They discuss their experiences with making the decision to stay home, moving forward with life, dealing with the guilt of not returning, whether or not they feel like “real returned missionaries,” and how they talk about and feel about their missions now. If you are struggling with the decision to stay home or go back out, or if you have already made the decision to stay home and just want to know what you can expect next, listen to this episode and continue the healing process.

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 service missionaries, answer questions previously submitted via a questionnaire distributed on social media. They discuss their experiences with making the decision to return to the field, choosing between a proselyting mission or a service mission, how they overcame the fear that the same issues that caused their early return would happen again, how they dealt with feelings of impatience, envy, and confusion while waiting for the right time to return, and how they adjusted to missionary life again. If you are struggling with the decision to stay home or go back out, or if you have already made the decision to return to the field and just want to know what you can expect next, listen to this episode and continue the healing process.