14 years later ....

So, there they are!  18 months of, pretty much, weekly letters written home to my family.  I cannot express how huge of an impression those 18 months made on my life.  I LOVED my mission and all of the experiences that I had while in South Africa.  As I have taken this journey of reading/transcribing these letters on to this blog, I have been reminded of my love for missionary work and my love for the beautiful country of South Africa.  This time will forever hold a special spot in my heart.

I am so grateful to my loving Heavenly Father for knowing me well enough to know that I needed to serve a mission and that I needed to serve it in South Africa.  He knew I needed the many wonderful experiences that I had to strengthen me and prepare me for the rest of my life.

I am grateful for my loving and wonderful Mission President.  I miss him dearly .. he was tragically killed in a car accident about 12 years ago.  I am also very grateful for President and Sister Mckay and for their love and support of me and my family through the entire length of my mission.  My parents went through some very difficult times while I was on my mission including my mom being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, my parents lost a business, lost their home, moved to a different state and they were falsely accused of being involved in some illegal investment schemes which they had to go to trial for etc .. of course, they were found completely innocent, but it was still very emotionally traumatic for them, and as I mentioned throughout my letters, the Mckays and their entire family continually prayed for my family.  I will be eternally grateful for that!

I love this Gospel and feel so blessed that I was entrusted with the task of teaching it to Heavenly Father's children in South Africa. My husband and I plan on serving a mission together when we are older (though we debate whether we hope to be called to South Africa or to his mission of Lithuania) and I am just that much more excited to be a full time missionary again, after re-reading these letters.

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the knowledge that it give us. I am grateful for Joseph Smith and the sacrifices that he made to bring us the restored  gospel.  I KNOW that it is true!

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.