July 28, 2014, One Year!

Querida Família,

As I complete a year on the mission, I´ve thought a lot about my mission as a whole.  I can´t say I never did things wrong or that I was exceptional.  But what really matters in the end is who I´ll be when my mission´s over, because it does end like anything else.  I´ve spent a lot of my life comparing myself to others and my mission as well, but as I´ve really looked at everything, God has given me so much.  These are just a few things I´ve learned and am still learning:

1. God knows where he wants us, more importantly, who he wants us with

2.  How to work and stop making excuses

3.  You need to have faith in the right things

4.  People you think are perfect are not

5.  Everyone has potential to be perfect, look for the good in everyone

6.  It´s not such a sin to be raised in Utah (my awesome companions :)

7.  I do in fact want to get married after the mission

8.  It´s better to pray for strength than for change

9.  I have an amazing family

10.  I still think too much about what others think

11.  Laziness in the end will probably be the worst sin

12.  You have to love yourself to love others

13.  If you don´t love someone perfectly, you just don´t know them perfectly

14.  The gospel IS in fact the solution to everything

15.  How to study the scriptures

16.  How to listen

17.  Always think about how you say things

18.  Laugh at yourself 

These are a lot of things that came directly from the mouths of my companions or other missionaries, but things I´ll always keep with me.  I realized this week what my life was before the mission.  A LOT of hours of doing absolutely nothing.  I´ve never even done anything in my life for a year and a half without a break or without giving up.  The difference a mission will make for the rest of my life is immeasurable.  Not all of it is fun, but it´s important.  I know that the Lord is aware of me when no one else is.  He has provided all I need to become like Him.  

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week.  It sounds like you are doing great things.  Be as kind to yourself as you would be with others.  I expect the next 6 months to be the most life changing!  

Com muito amor, 

Sister Moore