Mission Memories

So I figured that if I talked about my mission it would be fun to get some of those pictures up as well.  Now, remember that it was the '90's so no comments about hair, clothing (not completely sure why I chose some of these clothes) or anything else! :)

It was fun to go through the pictures and scan some of them in.  Here goes.

This is me at the Provo Temple during my time at the MTC - it was a great time too.

This is my district in the MTC - it is tradition (or at least it was) to stand in front of the map of the world and point to where you are going.  Problem here is that all of the Elders were going to the same place and there was not enough room.  Sister Kiri Price (the one with the red hair) is my companion - she was everything I needed and wanted - she is a great person.

Mike was my very first door knock on my first full day in Michigan.  I learned a lot about faith and the Lord guiding the work that very day (there is a long story here so ask if you want to know).  Here he is in all his faith ready to be baptized - joyful day!

All who read this know that I got very sick (later found out it was Epstein-Barr) and went home after a short amount of time in the field.  I have often looked back on all I learned in such a short period of time.  I know that the Lord allowed me to experience and see everything that I needed to because He knew the plan and knew I would not be going back.

The older sister in this picture had breast cancer when I got to Muskegon and Josh (the elder behind me) gave her a blessing to heal her the day before surgery.  She went in and was healed (no trace that it had ever existed).  She went inactive a few weeks later because of something small and in my opinion silly.  My testimony was strengthened about miracles - that they are wonderful but they do not build faith without the study, prayer and contemplating that must accompany them.  Our faith and testimonies are built piece by piece and without that there is no foundation to stand on, no rock (Helaman 5:12).

This is me - surprise, surprise.  It was taken the day before I left - we had a crazy blizzard and as we drove that day many times we wondered if we would make it home.  Sister Fales was my companion at the end and she taught me a lot about faith, prayer, and following the Spirit.  She was the best teacher of the gospel I had ever seen - wow!  I am so grateful that she loved me and was willing to give up her status as the highest numbers in teaching, tracking and baptizing while she was with me.  She said it didn't matter and that the Lord had put us together for a reason - she was a great example to me and I learned to love her after about 15 minutes of being around her. 

My mission like all others had its challenges and sweetness, I so grateful for it.  It took me a long time to get over feeling like I let the Lord down when I came home to sick to be a missionary but I know that I did what I was intended to do at the time and those experiences will go with me forever.