1 Whole Year

So It is crazy for me to to think that 1 Year ago I left home to go on my mission and that 1 year ago the 19th of May.  I can't believe that it has been 1 year already!!!! I still can't believe that it has been 1 WHOLE YEAR!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh that is soooooooo crazy for me to think that!!!!! I remember just going to the airport and getting on the plane and just had no idea what to expect it was such a crazy adventure that i was undertaken and going on!!!! Definitely has been the hardest year of my life, everyday is such a struggle but sooooooo rewarding as well :) This week was especially great because of the massive meeting that we had with President Hamula of the 70 Addressing us and all and It was very uplifting and inspiring for sure, It was so great and when President addressed us also it was so powerful it was a very special meeting with it being the 'Mission Tour' Also After the big meeting that took up Thursday daytime, there was another meeting Thursday evening with 2 of the 70 there and the mission president and 6 stakes were there and I saw and met a lot of the people who I served with when I was in my first ward in the Gold Coast, lots of people were there from Burleigh Heads which was awesome :) It was sooo great to see them again :) and it was so nice to go down to the Gold Coast for the meeting to Nerang!!!!!! It felt so good going back there!!!!!! This week has been really great as we have been able to teach so much more and have a few new investigators, and hopefully with one of them we will be able to see her enter the waters of baptism soon :) So we have been really pleased with being able to teach more!!!!!  I just Love teaching, it's so much fun, I remember teaching in the MTC and all It was so crazy haahha so much fun and all but i really had no idea, I can definitely look back and I have seen a massive improvement within the last year!!!! So Also what was awesome this week, I was able to learn to bless the food in Farsi (Persian) :) and the amount of Island food we have been smashing lately has been pretty intense.this is the coldest it has been here for a while :P I definitely Love the hot weather in the morning's here it is a destroyer hahah, it's really not that bad but for Queensland hahah this is Unheard off :P it is now going to be my 2nd Winter here :/ but what makes the mornings better are that We go for a run then play Basketball and then run back :) So good exercise to warm up :)
  Honestly, the last year has been so hard and tough for me!!!! It really has you see when I put in my mission papers I had only been a member for 9 months and I did not really know that much at all about what a mission would be like, others have heard so much and so much preparation some there whole lives was about mission mission mission, when you are you going etc etc etc!!! but All I knew is that the reason I wanted to serve a mission is because I know that the Gospel was a blessing in my life like it really helped me and there was so many amazing things that had came from sacrificing and joining, I knew that I should serve a mission because It would be selfish of me if I never went and was still active in the church like in my 40's to look back and be like why did I never serve I was so blessed so why did I not go???.....  All I knew is that the Book of Mormon was true and that the church was true and I had such a strong testimony of that!!! It's sad because you meet so many missionaries who go just because ''They have to'' etc and so many missionaries in the field who did not even really believe or have a testimony, they were just going through the motion'' luckily they find it in the field which is fantastic, some don't, but I have been blessed this last year with a testimony that has grown so much and I was able to have found someone who's life changed dramatically and for the better and that was Caitlyn, I struggle so much here in the field, I have so many shortcomings but I have also so many strengths, I feel Lonely a lot of time, but anytime I feel down and in the dumps I'm able to think of the success I have seen here in the field this last year, I think of how others are being blessed by serving.