Nah I'm just joking that's a completely random guess as
to how long until I'm home, but it very well could be about that long.
Alright so as many of you already know, this will be the
last week of my mission and the last week of my time here in Argentina, which
means this will be my last email. So this is going to be a bit sad. But just so
you all know, I'm not crying.... yet.
I want to start by sharing with you all a few thoughts that
I have on the Mission in general. One of my first Zone Leaders, Elder Duval
from Utah, shared with me what he thought of the mission, and I've kind of
adopted it. He said that the mission is a bit like if you take a little puppy
dog and send him away for two years and when he comes back he is really big and
buff and has a lot of scars and things like that. And I believe that it's a bit
closer to the real thing hahaha! In a way, I started my mission as a small,
innocent, and very, very cute puppy. Now, after close to two whole years of
service as a Missionary here in Argentina I have come to be more of the other,
more grown up dog. In more figurative ways, because it's obvious that I'm not all
too big and buff. But in more than one way, I have been beaten and bruised,
scuffed and scorned, and I now have a few new "scars." Some from me
finding my own testimony, some from having a bit of a troublesome companion,
and others from getting a Root Canal in Argentina. But through all of the hard,
long, hot, humid days of tough work and rejection, I have become a new person.
I can honestly say that the Mission has changed my life. I know that I wasn't a
"bad" kid before being a missionary, but I now know that I am headed
in a good direction with lots of blessings and happiness awaiting me. But don't
get me wrong, I'm definitely not perfect! Far from it. And don't worry, I'm
still pretty immature and goofy at times. But my Mission experience has changed
my life. Something that I heard before coming to the mission is that these two
years shouldn’t be the "highlight" of our lives, but it can be the
"highway" TO our lives. I can testify of these words.
And now as I look back on these two years through all the
good times with lots of success and joy, and through the rough patches, I
can't help but be grateful and feel reverence for all that has happened.
My mission has been by far the hardest thing in my entire life. But, like
Presidente Westover said in my first interview with him, "All beautiful
things are hard." Without the hard times, what are the good times? So,
even though I know I haven't been the perfect Missionary, I have worked hard. I
know that through my efforts I have been made an instrument in the Lord's
hands. I have seen miracles in the lives of those I have met and taught, and
also in my own life.
I have come to know my Savior and Redeemer in a very
personal and real way. I know that He lives. I have a strong and unbreakable
testimony of Him and His Atonement. I know that He suffered for all of us, and
that through His suffering and sacrifice we can all make the decision to accept
His extended hand and be healed. I have had the opportunity to witness the
power of God's Grace in my work here in Argentina. Miracles exist. The only
thing that keeps us from seeing them in our own personal lives is our faith.
Everything is possible through our Oldest Brother, Jesus Christ.
I have come to love the Argentine people and their culture
more than I ever thought would be possible. It's ridiculous the things that I
love from this great country. It has come to be a part of me and I
can't wait to be back here again. I am going to miss everything so much. I
only hope that in my last few days I can soak in everything that I can. So many
have become my “family” and they will always be a part of my life.
I can’t wait to be back home with my family, but I also know
that I need to treasure my last few days as a full-time missionary. We are
going to bust out this last week of the transfer and I can’t wait to see the
blessings that the Lord has in store for us. I love missionary work and all of
the joy that comes from it.
To end I want to share with you all one of my favorite
scriptures in Alma 26:11-12
11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own
strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is
brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
I love you all and thank you for all of the love and support
that you have offered me during all this time. I hope that these emails and
blog posts have helped you in some way, if only to bring a smile to your face
or help you feel the Spirit.
Chau
Elder Haley
