Lindsey's Last Letter

Good morning my sweet family!
What an amazing week it has been! We had the most wonderful program at our chapel on Friday. We invited all of our investigators and less active members. All the members invited their non-member friends and we met up in the hafer chapel at 7:30 p.m. We started in the cultural hall and watched forever families and then sang families can be together forever. We then made the transition to the relief society room where they had a family demonstrating what it would be like to live in the Telestial kingdom. Wow, it was sad and didn't feel good at all. At the end they texplained what hey did to get there and then invited all to come join them. Of course, no one wanted to be there and we all wanted to leave as soon as possible. We then made our way into the "Terrestrial" kingdom and there watched as a family lounged about playing video games with clothes strune all over the floor and food slopped all over the table. It really was quite funny but we all agreed that is not where we wanted to be. They had us leave and then come back into the same room a few min later. There we saw a sweet family participating in family home evening, singing hymns, smiling and happy. They told us if we wanted to progress we needed to work together as families and help lift and build one another. From there we made our way into a beautiful, small, clean, white room with a family standing in the front dressed in all white holding their beautiful little girl who was just beaming from ear to ear. A great big painting of the savior hung in the front and tears came to my eyes as I thought of the temple and the feelings that come when one is worthy to enter and participate in higher ordinances. Theres nothing better in all of the earth, the understanding and knowledge that we can have our families forever if we will just do what the prophets have asked us to do. If we will just keep the commandments we can go! We can go to the temple! We won't be perfect at it but we can try. That's all we're asked to do. Try to do your best and the savior steps in and makes up the rest. I think we all walked away from that demonstration knowing exactly where we wanted to be. They don't all know what it takes to get there but they are willing and that is all that matters. The Savior can work with a willing heart. Hermana Casaday and her future companion have a lot of work to do and I couldn't be more thrilled for them. What an amazing time it is to be here on the earth when the lord has prepared the hearts of the children of men to receive the gospel. All we need to do is open our mouths and they will feel something. They've been prepared to accept the Savior. They chose him once and they will choose him again. We need to open our mouths and let them use their agency to accept it.
Yesterday Wes gave the opening prayer in Sacrament Meeting for the very first time. He was so nervous. We practiced before he went up and told him that the spirit would help him. He did an amazing job and he couldn't stop smiling afterwards. On Saturday we had the opportunity to enter into the temple with Wes to participate in confirmations. He wasn't able to do baptisms because he's on dialysis. But when they layed their hands on his head to confirm the gift of the holy ghost for those that are dead there came a feeling into the room that is hard to describe. We all felt it but as the tears streamed down wensceslaos face I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity of sharing the gospel with this man. He is special. We had a sweet, quiet, lesson in the waiting room of the temple and spoke of the sacredness of the temple and the privilege we have as members to help further the work on the other side. He tried to explain the feeling that he had in the confirmation room but he lacked the words as most of us do when trying to describe feelings of the spirit. He promised me that he would do all that was necessary to be worthy to go through and participate in the other ordinances of the temple in one year. I know that he will be true to his word and I hope to be there when that day comes.
Well, It has come. The last year and a half has passed like a dream. I always knew the time was ticking. It started in the MTC and sped up from there. I never did get used to it. How do you sum up a year and a half? the time here has been precious. The feelings indescribable. It has been a sacred time. The mission is more than I could have imagined. I never expect to feel pure love for someone that I "just met" and know without a doubt the lord had placed them in our path to show them the way back to our heavenly home. He has allowed me to feel a portion of the love that he has for all of his children and it is powerful. But with that love also has come heartache. Wow, there were times that I thought I would break. The pain of watching someone suffer because of misuse of agency or because of an others poor use of agency. The pain of watching Satan take over because of rebellion or disobedience to the laws of god. I am in awe of the partnership we have with the savior, the understanding and pure mercy he has for us. He has carried me and walked beside me, rejoiced when I rejoiced, wept when I have wept, pushed when I didn't think I could push anymore. He has been my support through it all. I've never laughed so hard, been so inspired, sweat so much, been so tired, prayed so long, felt so high, and felt so low all in one day, only to get up the next day and do it all over again. The time spent here has been full. Full of the sweetest experiences and lessons one could hope to have in such a short amount of time. Oh how short its been. Its not over. There is more to come. More people to reach. More souls to save. I'm so thankful for the trust that the savior has put in me to carry his message. I couldn't begin to describe the joy that the mission has brought me. It has saved me.
I can't thank you enough for the love and support that you have shown for Lance and I. Most of all for your sincere, faithful prayers. They have been heard, answered, and felt over the last year and half. We have needed every single one. I love you all with all of my heart and look forward to reuniting with you in just 2 days. See you soon!