12 December 2011

Hey Guys,

Like you said, I wish that I could write a long letter today, but I don´t have a ton of time and I´m going to see you all next week anyway, so I can tell you more then.

Today is my lucky day, I get to go to the CHRISTUS finally! I´m really excited, today is the perfect day as well, perfect weather. I´ve been waiting to go there ever since the mission started, so today´s my chance.

Next Monday we are going to have a family home evening at President´s house with all of his family and all the missionaries that are leaving, I`m really excited for that! They usually do a lunch at his house for the people who leave, but this is the first time that we are going to do a family night and Sister Lima said it was going to be a lot more fun than just a lunch, so I`m excited for that :).

I can´t believe that this is the last letter though, that is nuts. I`m still with mixed emotions about coming home, but I feel that I did my best on my mission. I know that I didn´t have a perfect mission and that I could have done a lot of things better and could have avoided some of the mistakes that I made, but what can you do, right? It´s all part of the learning and growing process. I`m so grateful for Christ and for His Atonement. I would be helpless and hopeless without it! I`m so grateful that I can find peace and calm down through the power of repentance and forgiveness. God has a perfect plan for us, I know this. I know that Christ is our best friend and that He knows exactly how each of us feels. I´m so grateful for all of the missionaries here that have changed my life as well, all of the friendships that I have made, all of the awesome members here, I love all of the aspects of my mission.

We had an amazing experience this week when we were in the hospital teaching a lady whose son isn´t doing so well. She has been having a really rough time. We went and gave her son a blessing and taught her about the Plan of Salvation, one of the most spiritual lessons that I have taught on my mission; the Spirit was so strong there.

Samuel came and visited me one last time as well, it was awesome. He was at the hospital with us and came to church yesterday with me and gave me a birthday and Christmas present, what a champ, haha.

I am so grateful for all of you guys, I´m excited but nervous to see all of you. I´m glad that I have all of your support and that I have all of your prayers. I know that they have kept me safe and protected. I have a strong testimony about prayer and I know that prayer has power. I love you all. Hope that you all have an amazing week and I`ll see you next week.

Love, Elder McDonald