The last days of the mission

well im back finally from my year-and-a-half long mission among the chilean people. It was an experiance that words cannot even begin to describe, something that changed my life for good and helped me to progress as a person like i had never been able to before.

On his occasion i wanted to describe a little about the last few days of my mission, and my coming to grips with the fact that it actually was over.

First of all, going to the mission office the last time with my hija (greenie) was fun, as going to the office usually is, the only pain was draggin my two large suitcases with us. I told Hna. Monge that the best way to ttravel with luggage is on the micro (small bus) because its funer. We got to the office, i dropped off my luggage and me and my comp made our way over to president's house. I had my interview with President Gillespie in the which he asked me about my plansfor the future, gave me some advice and dating tips, and then asked me how the mission had changed me, or rather, how i had become a better person because of the mission. Really, I would ask myself how it had not helped me.

the mission has helped me in so many ways, apart from having become more responsable and organized, and learning to work with a schelule and to plan and set goals- apart from meetong and seeing the points of view of so many diverse and wonderful people and really beginning to see the complexity and,at the same time,simplicity of nations-apart from all thast, it has helped me to find nourish and strengthen my convictions and faith in my Savior Jesus Christ; and Im talking real faith- the thing that makes you walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. The patterns i have established during my mission are a foundation on whcih i can keep edifying myself until I reach heaven. For that, I am eternally and deeply grateful to my Heavenly Father for the chance He gave me to serve him for this year and a half. It may not have been a long time (though for some it would seem that way) but it has truly been a formative and quintasential period in my life up to this point.

i wish i had been able to sum it up as well for my mission President, but I think he got the gist of it.

Afterward, I had to wait for Hna. Rivas (the other sister missionary returning home with me) to have her interview with President, during the which time i had some breakfast with Hermana Gillespie. Then Hna. Rivas and I went to read and answer our last emails of the mission... that was a heartwrenching experience for me... i felt like there was a hole opening up in me. Then we went to weigh our luggage, moved some things around, and Hna. Rivas had to take and english test. I suppose it went well for her... i wasnt too sure because i took a nap on Presidents deep and incredibly comfy couches.

When all the returning missionaries got to the house, we began the "closing ceremonies", if you will. It consisted of a dinner, then a testimony meeting. Each and every missionary had the opportuniy to stand and say something about how they felt/what they had learned from the mission. Personally i couldnt stop bawling, to see so much change in people's live, its awe-inspiring. Somehting that Hna. Rivas said taught me a lot about the influence a missionary has without knowing it:

In Belloto 2, the Hna.s had an old man named Jorge Luis as an investgator. They shared with him and he lied what they taught but never really kept his commitments. One day we went to his house (we were in a trio at that time) and we found him watering outside. He told us that he wasnt very interested in listening anymore. (heres the interesting part... but also the part i dont remember) Hna Rivas was about to accept that he didnt want to listen anymore, but turns out that I piped up and insisted that he let us talk to him for a few minutes, saying that the message we had was of utmost importance. Well, he let us in and we talked to him about prayer, i think. He had never prayed. That was the only time I had the opportunity to teach Jorge Luis, but I heard that he got baptized and is currently active in the church, and that he has a beautiful testimony.

You never know what kind of infulence you will have on the people around you.