The other day, I was thinking about my hellhole mission experience, I began remembering how I felt when I returned many years later to my old mission areas while traveling on vacation.

I served in the Virginia Roanoke mission from 1977 to 1979. I remember, as a missionary, that I could never enjoy being there. Anytime I tried to absorb the beauty or history of the place, especially in the fall when all the leaves turned bright colors, my budding joy ended up being crushed every time by the black cloud of being a missionary. Taking a little time to enjoy the place was considered a slothful activity and a waste of the Lord’s time and I received more than my share of rebuke from the pin head leadership of the mission for trying.

Some years after my mission, I returned to Virginia as an exmo. It was in the fall when all the leaves were turning color and my Asian wife was in awe as it was her first time traveling across the US. I always loved the fall season.

Visiting one of the areas where I was a missionary, it produced a strange feeling to be in that area again. For a brief moment, I felt that familiar missionary depression and hopelessness start to well up inside me of having to go tracting all day. It surprised me that those hopeless feelings could still rise up after so many years.

However, those feelings were quickly crushed and swept away when reality came rushing back and I knew that I did not have to go and knock on the doors of the surrounding houses again. I could leave at any time. I could eat at any time. I was not confined to a certain area. I had no weekly reports to fill out. I did not need the permission of some pinhead Zone Leader or MP to leave. I had my own car with my pretty Asian wife in it and I was free of the toxic religion of Mormonism.

It was a very satisfying feeling to be in those places as an exmo because I never felt more free of the Mormon Church being in a place where it had chained me so tightly.

My fellow RMs, have you ever returned to your mission area? How did you feel being there as an exmo? Did you ever think the day would come that you would be there as an exmo?

I would dearly love to revisit my mission area, Sydney, Australia. There was so much I could have done, so many places to see, had I not been a missionary.

> I would dearly love to revisit my mission area,
> Sydney, Australia. There was so much I could have
> done, so many places to see, had I not been a
> missionary.

Same here. When I finished in Sydney we traveled up to Port Douglas and went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. If you ever go back book a day on the reef with Quicksilver and make sure you take the SCUBA option. We did that our second time back and it was fantastic.

As for the mission. I'd like to contact the people I knew there and let the know what I'd found since I first met them.

...in Mackay, North Queensland, but I never ventured more than a couple of hundred yards offshore. Against the rules, ya know. I did enjoy the tropical culture, and we had church picnics etc. on the beach. We used to knock on doors in outlying beach communities, then make hot dogs on the beach afterwards.

Probably my most fun day on my mission was when a member took us four elders to Cape Hillsborough National Park on a P-Day in a Mini Cooper (yes, it was a tight fit.) Here's a video of the area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cA0PjTE1-M

We walked out the rock causeway that is pointed out at the beginning of the video to this small island. The water is very clear, and you could see the coral and lots of sea life such as sea cucumbers.

I'd love to go back with my wife, rent a car, and spend about three weeks driving from Coolangatta on the south to Townsville on the north. I'd go to Lamington National Park, Zoo Australia, and spend some more time in the Mackay area. I'd drive around Brisbane and show my wife the areas I worked in, the quaint neighborhoods with beautiful gardens and parks, etc. Maybe even go to the horse races just for the cultural experience.

Yes.
Served in France-Paris.
Went back about 12 years ago, only for a weekend.
I went to 3 of the cities I'd served in.
Met up with one family that had been in the ward at the time (now inactive). Met up with one family I'd baptized (now inactive). Found all of them on Facebook :)
They were at first a bit reluctant to "friend" me, as apparently they thought I was still TBM and was trying to "love bomb" them back. Then I guess they saw my facebook posts, and realized I was out (a long time ago) -- they were then happy to see me :)

Yes. And I have a picture of me in front of the mission home (now a private residence) flipping the bird and smoking a cigar.

Yes, once. I left Montreal in 1982. Eleven years later, I was on an East Coast baseball tour with a college buddy, visiting all the stadiums. Of course, we took in a game at Stade Olympique. (On the mission, a bunch of us attended an Expos game as well. As I recall, it began to snow heavily, and the stadium at that time had no roof yet. The game was played in spite of the weather.)

Anyway, during the game, I was looking around the sparse crowd and noticed a couple of young men in white shirts and ties a few sections away. Looking more closely, I spotted name tags; a couple of elders at a night game, almost certainly unauthorized.

When I was serving, I had written some parody lyrics to "Ye Elders of Israel," and by the time I left, it had become a sort of unofficial mission song. I wanted to ask the elders if that was still the case after so many years. I decided to intercept them after the game, so when the ninth inning began I started to go over to where they were sitting. Unfortunately, I hadn't yet gotten to their section when the last out was made; the moment the game ended they shot out of their seats and practically ran out of the stadium, and I couldn't catch up without losing my friend. I let them go, disappointed in my bad timing.

My friend caught a foul ball during the game, and some kid came up to us to ask for it. I had to translate of course, since my friend didn't know a word of French. He shrugged and flipped the ball to the kid, who just ran off without even saying merci.

Not exactly, but I've been to every other Central American country since.

After my mission, I told a girlfriend that I was going to go back to Italy some day and buy and Alfa Romeo and travel through the mountains. But actually I was afraid I'd never make it back. But then I got stationed in Germany 10 years after my mission, and we vacationed in Italy a couple of times. Not a good experience, mainly because with kids and low income we couldn't afford anything substantial.

Then more than 25 years later I got a job in Rome where we lived for 4 years. I bought an Alfa Romeo 155, which I owned for the next 7 years--four in Italy and three in Germany. I drove that thing all over the mountains just like I had promised myself.

If any of you ever can do it, go to the South Tyrol--the German speaking part of Italy (once part of the old Austria). Everyone needs to go there.

I served in SLC, so I get back there all the time. I can only go so long without skiing Alta.

I went back twice both times I drank wine.....chile..

Chilean wine is some of the best in the world!

I went back to Chile, a few times. Drank chicha,vino, cerveza crystal, pisco, ponche. I should have did all that when I was on my mission

Six years after returning from my mission in southern France, I moved there with some friends and found a job working in the stage show at the casino in Nice. I was one of the assistants for the female illusionist and turned into a leopard (a live one) onstage every night for a year. Great times. Never visited the branch there during the whole year.

Nice was my first mission city.

I went back with my daughter 30 years later.

Nice is nice.

What period of time were you there? J. Fielding Nelson was mission president during most of my mission, but Charles Didier came in about five months before I left.

A topic for returned returned missionaries.

I was in France & Switzerland. I went back several times, but no local members that I remembered were still active.

Oh well. Neither am I.

glad to hear they aren't active anymore. One of the worst feelings would probably be seeing that some of the people you guys baptized were now uber TBM

I am going back to where I was a missionary a long time ago in Europe. I plan on visiting a few of the towns and apologizing for my conduct when I was younger. Actually am getting quite excited to go see the things and participate in activities that were forbidden when I was there.

Hey Flash, I knew your mission president and dated his daughter and had to ask his permission - his wife actually intervened in my behalf. Daughter seems to be very much outside of the Church now, talk to her once in a while on Facebook.

Yes. I served in Denmark in the mid-70's & returned there while on business in Germany in 2007.

The ward where I spent eights months threw a dinner party for me & I had a great time. I explained that I had left the church but still loved Denmark, the Danish people, & was glad for the experience to learn a new language & culture. My heritage is Danish/Swedish.

I felt the Danes were tolerant of my position regarding the church.

One of the females I had baptized was married to a non-Mormon. Man, did he have a great cellar of wine! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Visiting my old mission was a great experience. Sipping espresso in Copenhagen reminiscing on the past was a great moment in my life.

Skoal!

Did your Danish ancestors migrate to Utah? If so, which towns, if you don't mind sharing?

curious danish Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did your Danish ancestors migrate to Utah? If so,
> which towns, if you don't mind sharing?

My mothers side came from Arhus.

Unfortunately my fathers side was from Sweden near Malmo. The good news is...even though my last name is Swedish my Danish side is closer to the mother country. So more Dane than Swede.

Go ahead Swedes...flame me!

Norway mission 1974-76. Returned twice.

First time for the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994 with my partner. Had a great time with friends who had nothing to do with my mission and got to experience the country on my own terms. Gay bars, restaurants, cafes, museums, plus Olympic events.

Second time with my mom on a cruise in 2000 of Scandinavia and the Baltic. Three stops in Norway. Hired a cab in Oslo and took my mother to see the old mission home where I live for four months. It was nice to show her around and let her be a part of my experience. It was a great trip over all, one of my best memories of time spent with my mom.

I had night mares about being on my mission years later. Does that count as some sort of return?

I often joked with people that it was the Canadians who converted me.

I moved back to Quebec 10 years ago and I live in a city where I served for six months. I always loved it here...felt an instant connection with the place every time I would visit.

Became a Canadian last year and life is sweet.

Yes. I've been back to England, where I was in the early 70s, several times. One time, almost 20 years ago, I visited some members that I'd lived with while a missionary. The lady of the house answered the door and said, "Come in. I'm just listening to a tape of Paul H. Dunn's best talks. They never fail to inspire me." I didn't have the heart to tell her about Paul H.'s fabrications. She went on to tell me that not much had changed in the small branch where she lived. She said, "It's pretty much the same group as when you were here--just older. We get a few new members every few years, but they usually move away. It's just about [my husband's] turn to be the branch president again, and he's not looking forward to it at all."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2015 10:19AM by gluckauf.

Hey Flash!

Great to hear from you and it ain't even April yet!

I always enjoy your "anniversary" post of getting on that plane and leaving your "hell-hole" mission.

Don't be such a stranger Bro!

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Or so it seems to me...

Best,

BTDTEM

I have plans to visit my old mission. Ireland.

And now I am more excited then ever, as a few weeks ago I tried a Guinness for the first time. And OMG it was AMAZING! So now I have to go to Ireland to get a Guinness!

I have absolutely no desire to step one foot in Minnesota ever again.

Colombia...and no, I haven't been back. I would love to go back someday, but truthfully, there are a thousand other places places that I would prefer to see first. Fine people, many beautiful places, but time and money are limited and there are too many other places to see.

(aside) This is amazing, 28 years in SLC, and I have no idea how people end up going on Mission. No one ever talked to me about it. There must be "special" Mormons...

Several times: San Diego

And I enjoyed the hell out of it while I was on the mission, too...