Week 101: THE END.

 

Acai on repeat

Monday- I am grateful for searching, exercise, and beans.

Tuesday- I am grateful for oranges, copies, and righteous families.

Wednesday- I am grateful for young families, district council, and deep breathes.

Thursday- I am grateful for amps, slowing down, and cooking.

Friday- I am grateful for faith, dodging cars, metaphors, and not knowing how to describe what I've learned today.

Saturday- I am grateful for writing, fasting, and recognition.

Sunday- I am grateful for 20 years of life, positivity, The Book of Mormon, and nuggets.

So how does the last week of the mission go down and what are my last words? I hope you're ready.

It's a long one but the last one so bear with me just one last time.

My last week was definitely the MOST anxiety filled week of the mission, man it was weird.

It was actually just like the rest of the weeks of the mission just with a certain weight behind it all because I knew it was the last...(fill in the blank)...

My Portuguese still wasn't understood by everyone.

We had district council in person that was good but the poor missionaries got stuck at our church for 6 hours after the meeting. Bless their hungry stomachs.

We had some VERY busy days that had me in bed promptly at 9:30 and asleep before that.. not sure how that works but it does.

I made sure to take advantage of the açaí because the US really doesn't do it right.

Elder Christofferson and I had some quality jam sessions.

 

I found myself waking before 6:30 because I was just so ready for another day.

 

We hit the streets and tried to visit all the people we could.

 

I finished my study of the 4 Gospels.

I really don't know why but Brazil just doesn't know how to keep their mannequins clothed. It's a problem.

We went on a real adventure on Friday. We took a 2 hour walk one way to teach our friend Jenifer. It was a true adventure that took us on some beautiful roads and through an extremely wealthy town. It was really weird because I never thought that a neighborhood as rich as they were existed in Brazil. We also didn't have any sort of shoulder to walk on for a bit and it was a very skinny road with dense forest on one side and a mound of dirt 20 feet high on the other. One time we saw a huge truck coming down the road so we booked it to the other side of the road and up unto the bank as high as we could. Definitely sketch but we survived. The road was also super windy so we just had pop our head around the turn every once in awhile to make sure we wouldn't get smashed like a pancake. 

On the journey we also passed an equestrian center/park, weird place, and there was a huge vineyard right next to it. It was seriously like a uber rich community with their fancy horses and wine in the middle of nowhere. Weird stuff. If you have money, please DON'T use it like these people do.

Anyways we finally got to teach Jenifer which was excellent and a huge step in her relationship with the missionaries but by the time the lesson was over it was dark...we then took the sketchy road home, there was a lot of spiritual metaphors that came into my head during that walk, like how the Lord sometimes lit the way for his people by the light of the moon, how important the light is, how dark the darkness can be, and simply moving forward in Faith. Out of nowhere a homie stopped his car and offered us a ride into town! It was a miracle and a really good time. That was a 16+ mile walk day, straight blessings. 

I got one last good raining on completely out of nowhere, thanks Brazil.

I had my exit interview which was a good, wholesome, and a very Spirit led conversation. I'm very grateful for my mission president.

I also turned 20 yesterday. Though all of the excitement that is usually held in a birthday was just swallowed up in going home! 

I did give myself the best Birthday present though... I finished the Book of Mormon one transfer! Making this the 4th time in the last 6 months. I. LOVE. THE. BOOK. OF. MORMON.

And you need to too.

I'm going to the temple tomorrow morning along with all the rest of the goodbye mission stuff. It will be my first time in the temple in over 19 months. I am beyond excited.

Then I hop on a plane Wednesday night to get home Thursday before noon .

I am grateful. Simply that.

I am grateful for the prayers, thoughts, and messages of support from each and everyone who has followed my last 2 years. 

I am grateful for the scriptures, my testimony, angels, the prophets and apostles, and the continual Restoration.

I am grateful for God and His perfect son Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and resurrected for me.

I am grateful to have learned how to live worthy of the constant companionship of The Holy Ghost and to obey His whisperings.

I am grateful for all the memories, experiences, sights, thoughts, and struggles.

I am grateful for wisdom, patience, love, diligence, and cleanliness.

I am grateful for the blistering heat and the numbing cold, the difference in companions and countries. 

I am grateful for who I have become and will continue to strive to be.

Thank you.

16 mile walk to end the mission on!