I have been called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New Jersey Morristown Mission, speaking Spanish! This blog will be updated weekly with my adventures!

Monday, December 14, 2015

The Final Page

Well, here I am. Tomorrow I leave Elizabeth and go to the Mission Home with all the other departing missionaries. Wednesday I will be on a plane to San Diego. This week has been so surreal. 
Last Monday was our Statue of Liberty trip for all the missionaries going home. I had seen Lady Liberty from Ellis Island many times, but this was my first time seeing her up close. She's huge! 
Tuesday was my last exchange. I was here in Elizabeth with Sister Anderson. At the end of the exchange we got pizza because I'm going to miss Jersey Pizza! 
Thursday was cleaning and packing day, so I got almost all of my packing done, which has made the past few days a lot easier because I haven't had much other time to pack. 
Friday was really cool. Elder David Evans, who used to be Executive Director of the Church's Missionary Department (in other words, he was in charge of everything missionary related for the whole Church) came and spoke to us. The meeting was really long but I learned a lot. He talked a lot about how when we teach people the Gospel, we are so quick to teach them faith and baptism, but we usually gloss over the whole Repentance step that  comes in between the two. He said a lot of things and I know I learned more but it is all written in my notebook that is already packed away.. whoops! 
Friday night Pedro surprised us and told us that a member was taking him to the temple Saturday morning! We knew he was going to the temple soon and we wanted to come with him, but we didn't know it was THAT soon! Usually we have to work with recent converts to get them to the temple, but I guess this time the ward just planned everything without even telling us. So I scrambled to tell Sister Ivie (who is serving nearby in Perth Amboy), get permission from President for us to go, and make the necessary arrangements. So it was all super last-minute but it was the perfect way to end my mission. Early Saturday morning Sister Ivie and I went with Pedro and a few members to the Manhattan Temple and we got to watch Pedro do baptisms for the dead. It was amazing and definitely one of the highlights of my mission. I thought about how perfect the timing was-- Sister Ivie and I contacted him on the street my second night in Elizabeth, we taught him, he got baptized shortly after Sister Nielsen got here, and then I got to go to the temple with him the last weekend of my mission. God is so good, and I have been so blessed to see the change in Pedro and so many others!
 
With Pedro at Manhattan Temple - Perfect way to end my mission
 
Yesterday was my last day of church here. It felt weird knowing that the next time I go to church it will be in English. I don't know how I will handle that... I don't know if I even know the sacramental prayers and the hymns in English anymore haha.

Saying goodbye to recent convert Rosa
I am so grateful for my mission and everything I have learned. It really does feel like I'm leaving home all over again. I have so much love for so many of the people here, and I don't know when I will see them again. The mission is the best thing I have ever done. I have had ups and downs, I've laughed, I've cried, and I've loved more than I ever thought I could. This scripture pretty much sums up my feelings-
Enos 1:26- "And I saw that I must soon go down to [California], having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world."
 
I know that the message I've been preaching for the past 18 months is true. I have felt the Holy Ghost lead me and help me countless times. I have learned what it truly means to rely on Christ and His Atonement. I have seen countless miracles and I feel truly blessed to have been able to play a small part in helping further the work of the Lord in this part of His vineyard. I know that God loveth his children, I know Christ is our Savior, I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and that the Book of Mormon truly is Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

For the last time,
<3 Hermana Hannah Harris
New Jersey Morristown Mission 
June 25, 2014 - December 16th, 2015

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.