Well... I have to say, it really hasn't hit me yet! All my things are packed into the car and as soon as we are done here, I will be driving with Sis. Gardner to Plantation. Tomorrow morning I will be driving with the departing missionaries to Orlando to attend a session at the temple, then I will be in my new mission. I can't believe I've been transferred to the Orlando Mission. Not only that, I will be a part of starting the new ASL program in the mission. Wow! I can't believe the Lord trusts me that much. It changes my perspective on things. It's amazing how the Lord puts so much trust in us to help us see what our potential truly is. I know that for the next few months I will constantly go back to remembering a phrase I've made sure to write in my journal:
President Hale has faith and confidence in me. The Brethren have faith and confidence in me. The Lord has faith and confidence in me. With so much faith and confidence from others, how can I not have faith and confidence in myself?
Something that I am most excited about is being able to attend the temple. I love the temple! It's been so hard to imagine going eighteen months without entering within those doors and partaking of the blessings of the temple. Now, I will be able to go to the temple tomorrow to start my service in Orlando, and I may be able to attend regularly to assist in interpretation. I truly do not know what is ahead of me, but I am up for the challenge. I feel so blessed to be able to help the Deaf members in the Orlando mission.
So, here I am spending my last day in Boca Raton. I have spent four months in this city loving the work, getting to know the members and those that we teach. The greatest blessing I have received was being able to attend a baptism on Saturday. It will be my first and only baptism for my time in the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission and it was perfect. The new member is so strong and has an amazing testimony of the gospel. I feel so blessed to have been able to teach him and help him enter into the church. The Lord is truly blessing me with wonderful tender mercies each day. At the baptism, we had five investigators attend to watch and I am able to leave the area knowing that miracles are on their way and great things are happening for Boca Raton.
Honestly, I'm at a loss for words. I don't really know what to write. My journal is full of things I've learned - both spiritual and humorous, but that is all packed away now. It's actually funny that Sis. Gardner decided to make a copy of these past two transfers since she hasn't written a lot in her journal. She copies sixty pages! Actually, I have a little more than sixty pages in my journal before I am going to need a new one. That will be about two months worth of entries. So no worries about info. I just don't know what to write to you. Sometimes I just want to say, "Wait 'til I come home and you'll be able to read a day by day account of my mission." :-D I did just send home another picture CD for you to view and a package of odds and ends that I didn't have room to pack. Hope you enjoy it :-D
I am sure that the next time I write there will be plenty to say. For now, I love you! All is well! I am looking forward to whatever the Lord has planned for me in the future. I am quite curious about what is planned for me for tomorrow. Wow...I still can't believe it!
‘Make no small plans: They have no magic to stir man’s souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, and members of the church of Christ, Methodists and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love him. As they see their church veering off to the right or to the left of these basic teachings, they will begin to search for the truth. And as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be Temples plural in the Southern States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people. ~Spencer W Kimball (1974)
