I hate goodbyes

Dear Family,

I’m glad that tears can’t transfer into emails because I’m scared to write this last email. I’ll start by talking about the amazing things that happened this week so that I can save that part for last.
The Empey family is set and ready for baptism! I am amazed by the dedication and commitment of Steve. For the last two weeks, he has been reading Preach My Gospel, a chapter in the Old Testament, Truth Restored by President Hinckley, and listening to the Book of Mormon on iPod in his car (he’s just finished Alma) every day. He said that he used to think that he didn’t have time for anything more in his life, but somehow, he has time to do all of this. I hope we all feel ashamed of ourselves ;) I told President that I can’t believe that I have an investigator reading Preach My Gospel! We teased Steve that he’s going to know all of our secret missionary tricks! Steve, Roisin and Michael came up to the Trail Center on Saturday and watched the Joseph Smith film. It was such a powerful experience. Afterwards, we asked Steve if he would let us prepare him to be baptized in December. He got a classic Steve-smirk on his face and said, “Yeah, I’m ready to make that covenant with God.” Yes, that’s right, he said covenant, who is this guy?! He knows exactly what it means to be baptized and is fully prepared to not only keep that covenant but magnify it. They weren’t able to come to Church this Sunday, but he said that they would be there “…next week, and the next, until next year, and then every week then as well.” Steve and Roisin decided to be baptized on Dec 6th, and Bryce wants to wait until the 20th so that his Dad can baptize him! Michael says that he hasn’t decided yet, but I’m confident that he’ll be ready by then.
We had Stake Conference this week, which kind of had me bummed at first because I wouldn’t be able to see all of the ward members my last week. It turned out to be a great blessing because I’ve served in so many of the wards in this Stake I got to say good-bye to many more people. I saw some of my favorite families from Elmwood, Gretna, and Papillion. The Lord has been full of tender mercies for me the last couple days. Stake Conference was great though. Elder K. Smith from the 6th Quorum of the Seventy came and he held a new member meeting right before the conference that we attended with the Grote family which was really neat. Bishop Lyman and his family bought scriptures for the entire Grote family, quads for the ones baptized, and the hardback Books of Mormon for the younger kids, all with their names on them! He gave them out right before the meeting and they carried them around so proudly! Elder Smith talked a lot about adversity and overcoming challenges by doing the things that we have always been counseled to do, pray, study the scriptures, attend Church, pay your tithing, etc. The Lord has been preparing us for the last days for a long time. He has been teaching us the things we need to do since this dispensation was begun. So many are waiting for some new, big thing to be revealed that will protect us from the coming challenges. I really don’t know if it will happen that way. Just start doing what they’ve always told us to do! It’s like missionary work; there is no big trick to it. There is never a time when it just clicks and you finally figure out how it works. You just become better at doing the things that we are taught to do and you grow line upon line.
Ok, so I’ll climb down from my soap box and tell you about Sylvester and Aliou. When we went to teach them this week you could see a marked difference in Aliou’s countenance. He kept saying “I am happy, I am so happy, I don’t know why, but I am so happy.” We told him over and over again that it was because he had come to church but he just laughed at that. Then Sylvester piped in and said, “No, Aliou, it is because you went to Church. Don’t minimize the blessings of God.” Whoa, I know! Then he turned to us and said, “I will be at Church this Sunday.” We explained that it would be Stake Conference and what to expect with all of that. We promised that despite the different services, he would still feel the same feelings and receive the same blessings. Afterwards, he said that he loved it and it felt good being there. He also said that when he was “convinced” of these things, that he was going to go be a missionary in France! They’ll be baptized soon for sure. Looks like I’ll be coming back to Omaha often for baptisms, if anyone wants to road trip out with me, you’ll have to provide the car, but start saving up ;) ha.
I’ve been anticipating this last week that I’m going to get the question “So, how was your mission?” about a thousand times when I get home. I’d like to take a moment and answer that to everyone who reads this email so that I only have to say it in real life about 987 times (I’m not sure how many people read this). Words like great, amazing, wonderful, incredible, just don’t quite do it justice. A wise word from one of my favorite members here helped me to put it into one sentence. Here it is: It’s more than I ever thought it would be. I’ve learned more, I’ve experienced more, and I’ve found more joy than I ever thought I would. I’ve loved more, cried more, had more faith than I thought possible. I’ve seen more miracles, more conversions, and more opposition than I could have ever imagined. I’ve learned to trust my Heavenly Father, my Savior, the Spirit and myself. I’ve learned to be patient with the Lord’s timing, others, and most importantly, myself. I’ve learned how to work, how to set goals, how to become the daughter that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. I’m not there, but I’ve got the tools and I understand how to use them. I found that when I truly lost myself in the work, that’s when I found out who I really was. That’s just some of the miracles of a mission. So if you ask me about it, please come equipped with tissues and an hour, and then I might be able to explain to you what the last 19 months of my life has meant to me. I am eternally indebted to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to come here. To allow me to represent His Son, teach His Gospel, and fix me all at the same time. Not to mention all the work that He had to do to help the people I teach become converted despite me. I stand all amazed.
I thank you for the support you’ve been. For the prayers you’ve offered on my behalf and the people here. Thank you for paying your tithing and allowing the work to move forward, it’s blessing millions of people and one girl in particular.
I leave you my witness that Jesus is the Christ. That He lives. That this is His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That His Gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. That the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and will bring you closer to Christ because, as Elder Smith put it, “you bump into Him a lot more often in it.” I love you all. I’ll see you soon.

Love, Sister Henson