YOU KNOW

i remember skyping home on my mission

i always had the biggest PIT in my stomach about it
for WEEKS leading up to it

i worried they would be sad.


crying.


and that i would get so dang worried
that i would start missing them
more and more

the moment i saw my families face i just LOST IT

FOR ALL THE BEST REASONS!!

i've received a lot of letters from families and missionaries as of recent

concerned about leaving home. worried about their families

dreading being home sick and wondering if all will be well while they are away.

and ALOT of questions about how i received my answer
as to whether or not i should serve

i always tell these missionaries the same thing

the lord keeps his promises

as missionaries we are PROMISED that if 

we will go and serve with all of our

heart..

might.

mind.

and strength.

that he will in turn bless us 

we will be SET APART

this blessing can be taken one of two ways

literally as well as figuratively

as a missionary YES i missed home..

WE ARE HUMAN

but i remember the minute i was set apart a feeling of peace

and comfort came over me..


and that feeling stayed with me throughout my 18 months.

i KNEW the lord would bless my family

I COULD JUST FEEL IT

i litterrallyy felt set apart from all those feelings
thoughts and worries that i had prayed
would not carry with me onto my mission.

i can honestly say that i was never homesick

yes. i missed them


but losing myself in the work.
knowing that they were in the lord's hands



only feelings of optimism and happiness stayed with me

I LOVED HIS WORK

I LOVED MY MISSION

because i trusted that if i upheld my end
of the bargain

the lord would do the same

being on the other side and realizing how tough

it is to have a missionary abroad i can honestly say

crap.

this does suck.



but remembering to only share the good

the uplifting

to inturn live like you'd hope your missionary would

- do daily study
- prayer more often
- do missionary work
- be obedient
- live diligently

you will ALSO bless your missionary



we cannot expect to receive those blessings
if WE AT HOME are not doing our part.

living the gospel to its fullest

attending the temple and keeping
up our end of the bargain



EACH SIDE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART



when we live how the lord AND our missionary
would have us it is then and ONLY THEN
that the heavens will open and the lord's blessings
will pour upon us..

 having my sweet brother in peru those BLESSINGS

and feelings of COMFORT have poured over me.

i am recharged with a missionary like mind

i am happier

my family has grown closer

and i feeeell the lord's love constantly around me

every talk of missionaries or even of a country
remotely CLOSE to peru i perk up and am reminded of
my brother and them continue to try to get on the
topic of missionary work.


when i see missionaries i nearly crash my car
trying to honk. wave. and get their attention



WHAT AN AMAZING REMINDER



before all of this i wouldn't of even noticed
them unless one was ridiculously good-looking



honest honest honest here.

i feel so close to my brother although he is so far away

the best gift any person can give their family is to serve

a mission.

the lord WILL help you find a way

he will BLESS them in more ways than you

could had you been there during their tough 

moments. heartbreaks and bad days.

you have to trust in him.

missionary work and the blessings that come

do not end after 18mo. or 2 years. they are felt throughout

your life.

there is not greater thing to do than serve a mission.

i will say it until i am blue in the face

if you have those feelings to serve

GO.

if you have received your answer
and begin to doubt those feelings

EVEN MORE REASON TO GO

someone (you know who) knows how incredible you

will be and is going to be working HARD to stop you

and if you have those feelings but feel like

you've never received a CLEAR answer through prayer

you're not alone.

i remember praying

and praying

and prayinnnnnggg

AND PRAYING

for an answer as to whether i should serve

after MONTHS i had nothing

nada

zip.

it was then that i learned.

duh.

the lord TRUSTS YOU

he trusts that you will make the right decision

he has blessed you. trained you and molded

you into a person whom he can trust

will make the right decision when needed

STOP WAITING AROUND

ACT ON AN ANSWER

and theeennnnn go forth and pray

after making up my mind i knelt down.

hesitant yes.

but felt like i got hit by a train when the

answer was

hellllllllllooo

YES!!!

we need not be commanded in all things

so GO

stop doubting.

start trusting.

YOU KNOW YOUR ANSWER

there is not a single thing you could be doing

more important than the lord work.


I am so dang proud of this elder. I wouldve
killed to serve along side someone like him.

I have yet to hear any complaints and only see
light and happiness from his eyes.

He truly LOVES this work..

i love you elder d.

thanks for being my guardian angel