Week 105--Murray, UT

Hey Everyone!

This last week of mission was probably one of my hardest of my life. 

One tender mercy that I found out yesterday was one person that we previously taught named Melanie was baptized on the island of Antigua. I am very excited for her. She will be a very influential member.

I will miss my current companion Elder Archer. He's like a brother and one of my best friends.

I am now returning home Tuesday morning. I have loved the experience of my mission. Never before have I been so utterly exposed. Many of my weaknesses and shortcomings were made very apparent to me each manifesting themselves at different times during my mission. Before my mission, I previously thought of myself as self-sufficient and able to take care of myself and that I would be quite capable of doing the Lord's work. I thought I had a thorough knowledge of the gospel and that I would be fine facing rejection and the regular toils of missionary life. The reality that none of these things were true shook me quite a bit. 

The lessons and the experiences that God has used to teach me through the course of my mission have truly changed me forever. I now know that I can't be truly self-sufficient and that I need to look unto him in every thought and word. 

My mission has taught me how much I don't know and has given me a desire to learn of God's ways. My vision for my life has changed drastically and God has raised my previous personal vision immensely. I have gained much more depth in my understanding of the Savior and feel much more of a profound love for Him. I know that God is real; that He is aware of our circumstances. I know Jesus Christ lives; that He performed a perfect Atonement to save all mankind. I know that there is no way to be reconciled to God except in and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ which Christ and prophets since the beginning have testified of. As any person young or old, bond or free, black or white, learned unlearned and so on, sincerely and with full purpose of heart hearkens to the precepts of the gospel that man or woman will be saved. They will receive all good things and progression available and will experience joy beyond what our body is even capable of feeling in its fallen state. 

I love you all.