Farewell

My mission farewell was today and it was really great.  It was nice to see some family and friends I don't get to see too often.  One especially was my Grandpa Adamson, who has been in and out of the hospital for a few days.  It was a real blessing to have him here.  It was also great to hear that I was on speaker phone for Brother Bergeron during my talk.  I'm glad that my talk had good reception.  I've never been a strong speaker and often have difficulty getting my point across, but today I definitely had help from the Spirit.  Yesterday, I went through the temple with my parents.  I don't understand everything that happens there, but I do feel the Spirit and I know, like anything else in the gospel, that if I go again and again I will gain a testimony of the temple.  I am grateful for the blessings I have in my life, especially those of family and friends.  They have all propped me up and supported me my entire life. They have always been there for me, much like my Savior is.  I am grateful for them all and wish them the best as I go into the mission field.  I will give my best efforts to make them, and my Father in Heaven proud.

T Minus 17 Days

17 days away from my mission and I'm starting to get restless.  I caught myself feeling really bored in church last week thinking, "What am I doing?"  I'm just super excited to go to Australia and don't want to wait.  I've been thinking a lot about my talk and some of the things I will include.  One thing for sure will be the "not optional" lesson I got in Deacons Quorum from Brother Schaffer.  I had always planned to go on a mission before then, but after that lesson it became a fact.  He told us to make certain things in life "not optional", including a mission, the word of wisdom, and temple marriage.  My greatest hope now is that I will be spiritually ready to serve the Lord and that I will learn how to be the most effective tool possible in his hands.  I am thankful to all my leaders, family, and friends who have supported me and made the the person I am today.  Without them I may not have chosen to serve a mission.  I am thankful for the testimony I have of eternal families and the blessing of having a family that was raised in the gospel.  My upbringing has been top notch.  I have learned the gospel, good work ethic, good family and life morals and values, and have come to love my current family as well as my future one.  I am no where near the level of gospel knowledge and dedication I would like to be, but I know that serving the Lord with all my might, mind, and strength will bring me a step closer to becoming the man I want to be.