We made it!! The time has come! I fly home tomorrow morning and will be released as a missionary Wednesday morning, exactly 18 months since the day I landed in California. Before I go into more detail here, here's a recap of my last week in the mission:
Monday we played all sorts of games including kickball, lego contests at President's house, Bang, and foosball! It was so much fun; a perfect pday! We also said goodbye to the Salbatos and Lynn. <3 Tuesday we had district council and sang the traditional "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" for those poor unfortunate souls who are going home. Tears were definitely shed. District councils have become one of my most favorite meetings. :) Wednesday we had a pizza party at Souls 4 Soles and then zipped down to Lake Elsinore because Ashley came back from Hawaii to be baptized!! Woohoo! She's so awesome and I'm so blessed; the timing couldn't have been better. :) Isn't that so awesome?? I'm so proud of her!! Thursday I officially started packing, we had a lesson with Samantha and taught her about the Plan of Salvation, and chatted at the ASL social that night. Friday we served at Salvation Army and taught Taylor at the church building. Taylor asked to say the opening prayer and she expressed, "I'm so excited to be baptized. I want to be a missionary." My heart melted; she's so cool. :') Saturday we cleaned the streets of Riverside (which happened to be the first service I ever did in the mission, and now it's the last as well!), ate lunch with Charlita, and watched stake conference with the other missionaries. And Sunday we had stake conference ...
But most importantly, this week I invited people to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. We found, we taught, and we baptized! I obeyed the command of the Savior: "For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mormon 9:22-23). This week I was a missionary. :)
I've done this every week for the past 81 weeks. And it's been the most rewarding experience of my life; nothing can even come close to comparing to it. <3 Words can't really describe how I feel about my mission. It was not your typical mission, nor will it ever be to me. The best way I can describe my mission is that it was my First Vision experience. :) I have been changed forever because of what I've learned, who I've met, and the things I've done. And all the glory goes to God. "Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel" (Alma 26:16).
I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true and living church here on earth. I know that through baptism, we can be saved because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. :) I know Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw; he is a prophet of God! And we have a prophet leading the world today! I know the Book of Mormon is true and "a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by other book." It has given me the testimony I have. :)
I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for everything you've done for me while I've been out here in California! I can't wait to see you again; keep on keepin' on and working hard. :)) God loves you! Never forget that! <3
Love, Sister Goss
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