My Testimony is the Best Thing I Have to Offer

June 21st 2010

Well it is now officially the last week of my first transfer! Can you believe how fast the time is flying by? Well, at least for me...it feels like it is zooming by. I mean 15 months still seems a little far away, but I am enjoying every minute that I have here. I am learning so much, every single day. My testimony has grown in leaps and bounds and I can feel the change that is taking place in me. It is a good change though, and I know I will not be the same person I was before I left. Being on my mission has put a lot of things into perspective for me; into an eternal perspective. It is quite the transformation that has to take place in order to be an effective missionary and to allow the Lord to mold me into WHO He needs me to be.I guess this is the quest of a lifetime, though really. We are so blessed to have the gospel. We are so blessed to have our testimonies. And we are so blessed to have one another, to support each other through the hard times and lift one another up when we're down on our knees.

My testimony is truly the only thing I could ever leave with you that matters. The Plan of Salvation that Heavenly Father has set out for us, is the ONLY thing that matters. When we look past the troubles and cares that mortality brings, we begin to see the big picture. We all came here to earth for a reason. To learn and to grow, to gain experience that we otherwise would not have been able to had we not had the opportunity to come down here and gain a body. We prepared ourselves spiritually to come down here and before we came we were forordained to our families and to our unique missions. I know this to be true and I am so passionate about my firm belief in this. THis life is but a small moment; and we have to do all that we can TODAY to show who's side we're on and who we will follow. The war between good and evil is actively going today; the world it seems is in an ever incresasingly downward spiral, but we have reason to rejoice and have hope for a better world when we understand WHO we are as children of our Heavenly Father, and our purpose here as part of God's Royal Army to fight against evil and build up the kingdom of God, for when our Savior comes again! And He will come again! I can testify to you that I know that to be true with ever fiber of my being. Every one will know Him, and will have to stand face to face with the Savior when that day comes. He will have so much love for us; that although we aren't perfect, His grace and mercy will lift us and lighten our burdens. After we have done all that we can do, and relied on HIs Atonement every single day that we had while here in this earthly existence, I know that we can return to live in HIs presence and in the presence of our God, with our FAMILIES, for eternity. This is it guys! There is no more profound or beautiful message than what the gospel of Jesus Christ brings. I feel so blessed to be apart of this work and to be able to witness the Atonement change people's lives.

Real conversion is a miracle, and conversion in itself is a lifelong pursuit. We are never fully converted because we need to always be learning, growing, changing, and progressing forward. We need to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and trust that He will lead and guide our paths so that we may be in the right place at the right time! I know that He is aware of us and He understands us. He and our Heavenly Father want to help us along the straight and narrow path so that we may partake of the tree of life and have a fullness of Joy in the Celestial Kingdom. They have given us the tools we need to stay on that path in these last days, even when times are hard. We have the scriptures, we have a living Prophet and Apostles who lead and guide this church. We have Temples and all the many blessings that come from them as we actively look toward the templ and do all that we can to be worthy to go and then to go on a consistent basis. We have church, seminary, institue, family home evening, and so many other avenues. We have missionary work; both to be the partakers of and doers. We have prayer, which is such a blessing when we understand the true importance and meaning of prayer, as it describes in the bible dictionary. We have it all! And this is it! This is why we are here. This is why I am on my mission and this is why I love this work. I know that it is by my testimony that I will be able to do my part in helping push the Lord's work along and help build up the kingdom of God. I know I was foreordained to this calling! We have a purpose! We have so much to look forward to! I am rooting for each and every one of every single day and I know that there are loved ones beyond the veil who are doing the very same. Including our future posterity, for me and you sisters, and all others who read this and have yet to have their kids. Our children are counting on us, to do the very best we can today, to prepare ourselves to be the best parents and leaders that we can...so that we can bring God's royal army to the earth, some of His most valiant soldiers. I know these things to be true and I am so grateful for the sacred personal experience I have had to help me gain this conviction within my soul. This gospel is amazing!

Thank you to all those who have written me; I promise I am getting around to each of you to write ya'll back. Letters and packages are always greatly appreciated in the life of a missionary. I'm grateful for every single one! Thanks for all the prayers, love and support. Keep the faith!!Oh, and remember WHO you are :)