Welcome Home Brother

The family waiting for Connor.  Travis is present too -- on the phone.

Connor has been serving for two years in the Nagoya Japan Mission.  He got home April 16th.  We were gathered at the airport waiting for him.  When Connor finally came down the hall Tia was standing beside me holding a poster she made that says, "WELCOME HOME BROTHER!".  There was a man in front of Connor who laughed a little because it looked like we were greeting him.  Tia said something like, "Welcome brother!  And you too!"  and the man joked about being adopted.

This person looked a little like he may not have had an easy life so far, and I wondered if he had a loving family somewhere to greet him.  I think it would be great if everyone had a family who was waiting anxiously for them to arrive because they love them, and always want them to feel welcome at home.

We are all brothers and sisters of a Heavenly Father.  He is waiting anxiously to see if we will choose to come home, and then He will greet us with love, and make us feel welcome.  It is a lot easier to choose Heavenly Father if there are people who are happy to see us no matter what, and who greet us with love, and even "adopt" us as family when our own isn't available.   

Some of us have been born into very loving families.  Others have not.  It is up to us to greet all people with love.  We do not know what hard things anyone may be dealing with.  We do not know if they have anyone else who will greet them with kindness, love, and joy.  It is possible that our greeting and our love may make a very big difference in someone's day and in their life.  It may lead them to more readily accept that there is a loving Heavenly Father who is waiting to say "Welcome Home."

Trisa, Kayli and Travis (who is on the phone Trisa is holding)

Dan was the first to dive under the roped off walkway and hug Connor.
Dan planned on giving Connor a "two hour hug".
He didn't get that, but he did hug him as much as he could!

Trisa and Connor

Kayli and Connor.  I didn't aim the camera very well because I was pretty
sure that Kayli would move.