I'm Trunky.....For My MISSION!!! June 27, 2011

Ok Ok I finally admit it, I'm trunky...... but for my mission. If you ever go to the Atlanta airport and there is fingernail marks at terminal 8, you will know who they are from. Oh my goodness I was a mess this morning. I think it is slowly hitting me that I'm going home. Sure I'm excited to see the family and to start in this new journey of life but really I think Christopher has it better. A year left and so many amazing experiences to go. Life is life, but mission life is not like anything you can ever prep for or try to understand until you are here. And every mission is different. People keep asking me how I feel and I really don't know how to respond. How do you explain the best decision you have made in your life and all the blessings that have gone with it, not to mention all the people you have met and lives you've been able to help change and be a part of? How do you explain what has happened on your sacred mission, where sometimes it was just you and the Lord? How do you leave it? Well I don't know how. I can tell you that there will be nothing like it ever, for the rest of my life. I want to soak it in and drink every last drop and yet there still would be a pool left to drink from.

I explained it to someone this way. A mission is like going to Disney World for your first time but you only have 18 hours to experience the whole thing. You could watch movies and see pictures and you can try to prep for it but you know once you get there it's a whole different story. Where do you begin? Now before I know it I'm at the last minutes of my trip and I'm on this magical ride, only it's as real as anything I have ever dreamed of and far better than any vacation spot you could go to. I've been here only 18 months which has gone by as fast as 18 hours. I am grateful for the experience. I've seen a lot and done a lot but if only you had one more day, one more hour, yet at the same time you know you must go back to work and start your life. It's the feeling you know you need to go back home but you want to stay and keep drinking in the magic of this work. I hope that makes sense. It makes sense in my head; but who knows I might have been in the sun too long.

Anyway I can't believe Natasha got married, I didn't know that. I knew about Heidi though. That's exciting. And weird. Makes me feel old. Oh and I can't give you a zip drive because you have both of mine. My red and black one. So I'll have to send it to you through e-mail. Sorry~

So God answers prayers; Even if they are small. I don't know if I told you this. One day I thought to myself, "Heavenly Father it sure would be nice to be in a thunder storm before I leave, I really like the rain as you know and it doesn't rain anywhere else like it rains here. One thing I'm going to miss for sure, So if you could make it rain, that would be great. Thank you." and guess what! It happened two days in a row. Oh I was a happy Sister Missionary. My companion thought I was crazy but I didn't care. God be thanked for thunderstorms to calm the troubled heart of a Sister Missionary going home. God answers prayers, even the small ones we say when we may think no one is listening.

So I don't know if I told you this but Elder Holland is coming to speak here the beginning of August. This is part of the water I wish to drink from before I go home but I guess God has other plans. That would have been amazing to be at. How cool huh?

So this week was awesome! Colby got baptized and confirmed on Sunday, and then Kylie got baptized! It was really cool. They both were small baptisms for just their families but it is amazing to see the change that Colby has made in preparing for his baptism in a matter of a week. He went from being so closed down to completely changed, smiling and excited to change and be baptized. He kept praying about an answer but did not get one. He kept praying and still nothing. Every time we would come over he would have an attitude and not take anything seriously. Then as he was praying he got the impression that he needed to start taking things seriously and that he needed to really change. It was that prompting that lead to his answer and then to his baptism. Sometimes our answers are not what we expect. His answer was shape up and then you'll just know. Kylies answer came as her Father set the example of change, coming back to church after years of inactivity. He was able to baptize her on Sunday. It was a very special moment for them both. I love the Gospel and the Joy that it brings into people's lives! It was a really great weekend. Will and Aliyah moved back to Jacksonville so we are not working with them anymore but I have faith that as we work hard this week and as I push myself to the very end. Blessings will come. I know it. I'm so grateful for my mission. It has been one of the best gifts I have been given by my Father in Heaven.

I love you all and will see you soon!

xoxoxoxoxox~~~ I'm joyfully enduring to the End and will come home with honor with God's name and the name of my family!

Your forever Sister Missionary