Dear Family and Friends,
Well, where do I start with this email? At this point I still don't feel like I'm going home, at the moment we are in the mission office getting ready for our last testimony meeting. Today has been mellow, but I was sick this morning with a high fever, but all is well now. Its hard for me to think that I'll be leaving such a wonderful place. I remember that a while ago I sent home a group message about some things I was looking forawrd to in the Philippines, like mangos, rice fields, pretty flowers and other things. I have found many thing so much better since I've been here. I've found a testimony of Christ, I've found the world's happiest people, I've found the other part of my family, and there are many more blessings that I've come to receive. 2 years is long, but its not long enough. The past few nights have been full of mixed emotions. The people I've met have been the some of the sweetest additions to my life, and it makes me sad to see them go. I feel like I did when I left, I'm leaving my family again. From Binalonan, to Lingayen I've seen how the Lord works and blesses His children. This last week has been the fullest one of my mission, we had meetings and other things, and it went by too fast. But I have learned how much Heavenly Father loves each of His children. walking home one night, I took a moment to look at the people who were going about their own business, and I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of love. I know Heavenly Father loves them, and the spirit confirmed it this week. This email is my last as a missionary, so its only fitting that I leave you my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father is a real being, and I know that He is in the very details of our lives. I know He knows everything about us, our names, our birthdays, our fears, our joys, and each are important to Him. I know that the Atonement is the only way for each of us to feel any lasting happiness and peace in this life, and I know that as we trust Christ, as we love Him, that we will come to know Him. I know that plan of Salvation is God's plan for each of his children to be happy, and I know that because His plan I have been richly blessed and comforted through the hardest parts of my mission. I know that families are forever, and that the most beautiful thing in this whole world is a family that loves each other. I can think of no other thing more important or happier than a family. I'm excited and nervous to all of you again! See you soon! Mahal Ko Kayo Lahat, Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (The Weirdest Missionary You Know) Dear Family and Friends,
This week I have another animal friends to add to the list. Some people found a Filipino Gecko, he wasn't very happy, but we got to hold it and check out its feet for a while. Little guy bit me, but nothing happened! This week we woke up to find that our bathroom had a bunch of baby frogs that had crawl up through the drains. All in all, this week our house seemed to be an amphibian zoo. Things are going smoothly, all engines are still going, there are no breaks! The Lord's house is getting closer, and he's preparing more and more people. This week has brought a bunch of pondering about how personal the Atonement is when I came across a verse in 1 Nephi 21:16 quoted from Isaiah which reads : "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;" This has had particular significance to me especially when I spent a week with my Grandad learning the basics of engraving. Engraving is a very precise process, and in a lot of cases uses a microscope to make sure the useen details are correctly made. Isaiah could ahve used words like "slashed", or "written", but I think the point he wanted to get across was the fact that Christ's Atonement is not just for the big things, but it works in the very details of our lives. We have also heard the phrase "I Know it like the back of my hand!", well in a way, Christ knows each of us, "Like the back of His hand". Heavenly Fatehr knows what we need, and when we need it, we can trust Him with anything. I know He works in the details of our lives. The time is slowing down, and I have very mixed emotions about this next week. I hope each of you know that your prayers have helped in ways I can never express, thank you so much for all the letters of support, they've helped me, an they've helped the people here. Mahal Ko Kayo Lahat! Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (The Weirdest Missionary You Know) |
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September 2016
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