Well, well, who'd a thought this day would ever come? Not I, that's for sure. To be honest, it still doesn't even feel real and I don't imagine it will until I get on the plane to Suriname early Wednesday morning, even then it won't feel like I am actually going home until I see you all again.
This week has been crazy, but thinking about it, it may just be easier to tell you about it when I see you. I feel like I will need to use hand motions and voice changes and all that stuff, written words just won't suffice haha!
So what can I possibly say for a final letter to a long long succession of weeks?
First I want you all to know that I am so excited to see you again, no matter how hard it may be to leave all this behind. I love you all so much and am ever so grateful that you will be there when I get home. It amazes me how much being away for so long in a distant country with a different family culture made me come to appreciate and love the family from which I come. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Second I want you to know that I have come to know for sure that this church is true and that obedience to commandments is the only way to true happiness, temporally and spiritually (Mosiah 2:41) and I want to hold out faithful unto the end. I have seen on my mission, if nothing else, the reality of the phrases "obedience brings blessings" and "wickedness never was happiness." The greatest joys I have felt on my mission were the moments where I saw others humbly obeying the laws of God even if they didn't fully understand them. They may not have always had the easiest of situations, but I could see the light in their eyes and the joy in their lives. Its a beautiful thing. However I have also seen the opposite. When obedience just seems too hard or too inconvenient, it broke my heart to see them not follow what they knew to be right. Often they asked themselves why they aren't happy, but it was much easier for me to see from my point of view.
I want to live with our family in happiness for eternity, and I know that it can only come through this gospel.
Third and probably greatest of all is that I love my Savior Jesus Christ. He has shown so much love and patience to me. I know He lives and loves everyone of us. We can be changed through His grace. Oh how I want to make good use of the investment of His blood and pains. I love Him.
Well, I guess that's it. I can't wait to see you and share all that has happened over the last 2 years! And by share I mean that you best be telling me stuff too!
Wish me luck!
avec amour,
Elder Call
French Guiana/Suriname Zone Conference June 2015
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