547 Days Later

Well. This is the last email home from my mission. There are about 7 days left of this experience. I have no idea how I'm going to handle them :)

This week was full of meetings, almost every day we were at the mission office for something or other. We didn't have much time in our area as it seemed, but in the end I feel like there was a lot that we accomplished last week. We met with and had some really spirit filled lessons with some investigators, new members and less actives too. I testified, and my companion testified, and the spirit bore witness that our words were true. I felt the fire of that spirit burning within my soul and I knew that they were true.

I called Sister Holm this week, my companion from Xinzhu. I'd eaten lunch with a member from Xinzhu and she'd told me that one of the investigators that I'd been teaching down there was going to be baptized. Sister Holm confirmed, she was baptized, after almost a year of investigating the church (which is a pretty good chunk of time). I remember sitting in lessons with Yang Jia Ru, and laying it out in front of her, but she was not ready then. She knew it was true and just had a few small things to overcome. But she finally did it and I know that she will be a strong member for the rest of her life. It made me so happy to hear. Because of my crazy moving habit on my mission I haven't had a pleasure of knowing the outcomes of a lot of investigators. So it was very special to hear about Jia Ru.

We had my last Zone conference this last week, and there is a tradition amongst missionaries that at the last Zone Conf you get up and bear your testimony about your mission. I have been watching these happen my whole mission and I've always wondered what I should say. Well my time arrived and I had been stressing about it all week, half the mission was there and I wanted to express myself clearly about my mission and my feelings about it. The meeting was great and the testimonies usually are at the end. We have to do a lot of 'spiritual prep' for these things usually, they include reading certain sections of Preach My Gospel or the scriptures and preparing a 2 minute talk that you may or may not be called on to give. Well just after a break in the meeting I was talking with my companion when the elder conducting the meeting announced that a few people would be coming up for talks. My name was the first one called of course and it was also the only thing that I heard. I hurriedly turned to ask the elder behind me what talk I was supposed to give and he said "The talk." He had talked to me a few minutes before about me sharing my testimony and I was really flustered so I quickly walked up to the pulpit not quite sure what I was supposed to be talking about. I stood up there awkwardly for at least thirty seconds in silence as my brain raced before my mouth just started going and I had to reign it in. I bore my testimony on my mission and what I had learned and the difference it made to me. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it, but it was pretty ok. At least there were no tears. I went and sat down and then the next guy stood up and to my horror started giving his 2 minute talk...and I realized that I'd given the wrong talk and completely the wrong time, in front of half of the mission...Haha. It was really awkward. And in retrospect really funny. Usually because of time the talks aren't supposed to exceed 2 minutes and a watch timer goes off when you do to let you know your time is up. But I must have stood up there for at least 8 or 9 minutes and there was no beep, the assistants must have shut it off when they realized that I was giving my testimony and not the talk haha. No one told me or notified me otherwise as I stood up there sharing my soul. However highly incredibly and excruciatingly awkward it was once I realized back in my seat that I'm seriously and very publicly screwed up, it was also really funny. I guess people still appreciated my talk. And when the actual testimony time came I explained that I'd completely missed the announcement and was now going to give my real talk and it was all ok. But just a warning to all those who don't pay attention to church meetings, perk up, lest they call your name.

Besides that interesting experience there was really too much that happened this week to fully explain. I don't know how to make it into words I think. So I'll keep it simple. I've learned so much out here, and this 547 days have felt like 5 years. I think a mission probably ages you at least 10. I have learned so much about the gospel and God that I did not understand before, and I have a relationship with my Father in Heaven that I never thought could exist. I have learned to line up my priorities and what things really matter. I have learned about people. I have learned about myself. And I have learned about life. I almost didn't come, I almost didn't make it, but I am so so very glad that I did. I'm going to take this last opportunity as a missionary emailing home to lay it down. The gospel is true. All of it. Simple and pure. The Atonement of Christ is real. And it has saved my life. And I will never be able to be grateful enough.

I love you all. I will be seeing you soon!
Sister Melissa Thiessen