Dear Family,
How on earth is this
my last email ever as a missionary?! This 18 months has FLOWN by (I don't know
if you would all say the same but it has from where I'm sitting!)
I don't really even
know if I have the words to express how much my mission has meant to me. It
brings tears to my eyes when I think of all the wonderful things I have
experienced and learned from and all the people I've grown to love. But don't
worry, it's all tears of joy :)
I think something
that explains it really well is this song on "The Work" CD. My very
first day in the mission, President Christianson played us a few songs from the
CD, and ever since the CD has been the soundtrack of my mission. But, in this
song it talks about how the "hardest thing I've ever loved to
do" once was when I left you all to come out here and serve. That was
seriously SO HARD but I knew I was doing it to bring others closer to Christ.
By the end of the song it talks about how now the "hardest thing I've ever
loved to do" is coming home. It's true! It is the most bittersweet thing
I've ever experienced!!
Like I said last
week, Heavenly Father has been so good to me throughout my mission, but He's
saved so many little treats for the end. I had the opportunity to go to the
temple this week with our Brockport District. Without even planning it, the
Palmyra District was there as well as four sisters serving out in Buffalo. The
session was filled with my fellow servants that I love. I had the opportunity
to sit in the celestial room for quite a long time. I had a triple combination
in my hand and scripture after scripture kept coming into my mind. I read so
many of my favorite scriptures in there, soaked in the beauty and the love of
it all. I just felt like Heavenly Father was letting me know He has accepted my
sacrifice, but also was letting me know that this isn't the end :) I have an
eternity of service still to give, just in a different way. Little did I know
when I started that the mission would be the MTC for eternity :)
Wednesday was my last
site meeting. It was supposed to snow a ton here and we were so afraid we
weren't going to be able to make the drive out there because of the weather.
Sister Sumsion and I decided what we needed to do was be prepared to go or not
to go, and if we didn't get to go we were praying that someone's heart would be
prepared for us to find. I'm pretty sure most of the senior couples and sisters
at the sites must have been praying their guts out because miraculously
everything cleared up right in time to drive to Palmyra. Elder and Sister Ellis
are all-stars for driving us out there. We all went to dinner at the Howells
with Sister Gillespie and Sister Boseman which was wonderful. Oh how I love the
Howells! Site meeting was a testimony meeting for everyone and it was
WONDERFUL. Sister Gillespie, Sister Sumsion, Sister Boseman and I also did a
musical number. We sang "I Believe in Christ," my FAVORITE hymn! The
Spirit was so strong. Sister Gillespie and I stood up together to bear our
testimonies. We figured since we started this thing together, we were going to
end it together too! My heart was so full as I bore my testimony. All I could
think of was my favorite scripture (the one that is also on my mission plaque)
which is Doctrine and Covenants 68:6, "Wherefore, be of good acheer, and do not bfear, for I the Lord am with you, and will
stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the
Son of the living God, that I cwas, that I am, and that I am to come."
I can't even express
how many times I have seen Christ right by my side throughout my mission. This
is His work and He is very much involved in the details of it. What I am so
excited about is the idea that even though I won't be a set apart missionary, I
know Christ will still be there. It's just up to me to do everything in my
power to be worthy of the Holy Ghost. And in case I haven't told you a thousand
times already, one of the number one lessons I've learned on my mission is that
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is worth not having the Spirit with us.
Thursday was
Thanksgiving, and I got to spend the whole day doing what I love with the
people I love!
Saying goodbye to
everyone has been hard, but I know it's just "see you later" because
the Plan of Salvation is real :) I've only been here in Brockport for 2
transfers but it's amazing how much love I have developed for the people here
so quickly. Love is something I've learned a lot about out here. I'm certainly
not perfect at it, but I've learned a lot about how to love people as Christ
did.
Thank you all for the
love and support you have shown me. I wouldn't even be out here if it weren't
for all of you! I've also had so many AMAZING companions that have taught me so
much about life, love and the gospel. I feel so blessed to have ended my
mission with Sister Sumsion. She is so more than just a companion to me:
she's one of my best friends! She has so much confidence and faith in me, and I
have the same in her. She is going to rock it here in Brockport and baptize up
a storm ;)
I know without a
doubt in my mind that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He is at the
head of this church. Joseph Smith was a prophet and truly saw God and Jesus
Christ. The Book of Mormon is true and has brought more light into my life than
anything. It truly is how we bring the Spirit of the Restoration home with us.
I don't know how I got so lucky to serve here where it all began. But what I
can tell you now is that all these things are no longer beliefs -- they are
things I KNOW. I know Christ is my Savior and that God is our loving Heavenly
Father. I know we experience trials to help us grow. I know the plan of
salvation is real, and I can't wait for the day when I will be able to stand at
my Savior's feet and through Him enter into the presence of my Father with my
family FOREVER.
I really feel as if I
can now say that I have done what I came out here to do. I came to lose myself
in the work. I've found countless eternal friends as a result, but more than that,
I've truly found myself. I know who I am and I know what my purpose is in life.
If you don't know who you are or what your purpose is, I invite you to ask God
to help you learn it. I'm so grateful to be able to say I am fully converted to
the gospel, and I know that is something I will have to continue working at
maintaining every day for the rest of my life. And, remember, I will hunt you
all down and slap some sense into you if you ever go inactive :) Ha ha
The last words I have
to say: "It's all true!"
Love you all forever
and see you on Wednesday!
Love,
Sister Butters
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