This time last year we were in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in our last week of the mission. We were saying our good-byes to the friends and families we had learned to love but all too soon would quickly grow to miss. We went to our final Sacrament Meetings and hugged and cried with all those faithful saints. I was only hoping that some of them had rubbed off on me and I could claim just a portion of their faith in the Savior. I was trying to take in everything around me so that I would never forget all the wonderful experiences that we had had in Cambodia. I had two suitcases and one carry-on to put all the memories that I wanted to bring home. The suitcases housed the clothes and things quite easily, but they couldn't come close to holding all the memories.
Because we are driving our own car to the mission field this time, we are not limited to just two suitcases and a carry-on. For some time now, I have been thinking about what I want to take with me. Even though I have begun a physical list of what to take, what has been upper most on my mind is...what is on my spiritual list that I need to take?
I continue to work on both lists. What will I use the most? What will I need to acquire while I am there? What will be better left at home? How will I continue to grow and progress?
These are some of my questions that I seem to have no answers for right now but they still remain on my list. I believe that it is one of those "unfolding mysteries" that will require time and experience.
The time has come to go forward with whatever tools are in hand. I believe that the past three years have better equipped me for this mission. I understand how the Church always works with exactness and honor, but never at the cost of another. It is most important to teach and guide with love and kindness. And gratitude must surface from any situation. These are the things that I think I will need to use the most. These are the things that I must put at the top of the list.
I'm just thinking..... I'm just packing!
