Dear Everyone!
My little sister emailed me today
and wrote some pretty hilarious and thought provoking things which have
prompted me to write how much I love my mission. I have been feeling
that a lot lately. I just cant get over how much I love, love, love,
love my mission. I have felt that way before but never to such the
extent that I feel it now. But! Before I get to into how much I love my
mission I want you all to know that my sister whom I love is turning
older!! Yep! She is having a birthday! What What! Happy Birthday Emily!
Ok. So. I really and truly do love my mission with all my heart! I love
the people. I love the schedule. I love my companions (current and
past). I love bearing testimony, I love the awkward moment of getting
out of the car and semi chasing someone down or full on chasing someone
down. I love studying in the morning. I love walking for hours in the
pouring rain, I love having meetings to go to. I love having lessons
cancel and being able to find a wonderful new person to teach. I love my
mission President with all my heart. I love his wife too, she is pretty
fantastic. I love feeling the spirit. I love learning more about the
gospel, myself and others than I have at any other time in my life. I
love getting letters (hint, hint). I love it so much because its the
lords work. It is such a blessing to be out here. I feel so blessed so
be able to meet these wonderful people here and to have this amazing
experience.
To anyone who is still pondering whether to serve or not, my advice is
to Go! Of course take it to the Lord and pray because ultimately it is
between you and him. Missions are the greatest thing ever! You may hear
that over and over and over from returned missionaries, current
missionaries or people who because of a missionary came into the gospel.
I want to add my testimony to all that have come before, I am so
blessed to serve a mission because God is allowing me to glimpse
eternity each and every single day. At times as I have pondered what
eternity is like my head threatens to explode because I cant comprehend
the idea of forever. But when I think about the Holy Ghost and how it
makes me feel, how it makes those whom we teach feel, I know that I am
glimpsing eternity and it is wonderful. However God gave us all a way to
glimpse eternity whether we decided to serve missions or not.
There is a place in Preach My Gospel that when looking things up on the
Holy Ghost, it refers you to the Bible Dictionary under Earnest. I
hadn't a clue how 'Earnest' and 'Holy Ghost' connected but when we read
in 2 Cor
1:22 or 5:5 or Eph.
1:14
we see Paul use it in the context of speaking about the Holy Ghost. in
the bible dictionary it says Earnest: A pledge or security. The word
thus translated is a commercial term denoting the deposit paid by a
buyer on entering into an agreement for the purchase of anything. As
used by Paul it means that the Lord gives us his Holy Spirit in this
life as a foretaste of the joy in eternal life. The spirit is also the
Lord's surety that he will fulfill his promise to give eternal life to
the faithful.
I found that absolutely beautiful. The Holy Ghost is a beautiful gift
and promise that we have been given. It brings us happiness and joy. It
allows us to carry that joy to others. It testifies of the truthfulness
of the Restored Gospel. It helps others to come unto Christ. I love my
Savior. I am so grateful he has allowed me, as weak as I am, to come out
and participate as a full time missionary in his glorious work.
I love you all! Have a great week!