Ya regrese!

I’m home?! These past couple days have been an adventure in and of themselves. I loved being in the Mission Home last Tuesday night before I came home. I learned some very valuable lessons, things that I will forever implement in my life and in the lives of those in my future family. I love the example of love that is my Mission President and his wife. They’ve taught me a lot, whether they’ve realized it or not, just by being who they are. We all have those people who have impacted our lives in ways that words could never explain. Aren’t we all so grateful for them?! I loved the missionaries I came home with – Elders Rosas, Larsen, Watkins, Roberts, Kreiger, Breur, Althouse, Cardoso, Gomes. They were some powerhouse missionaries and I’m grateful for the time I had to serve with them. I haven’t a doubt that they will continue to serve the Lord with all the fervor with which they served Him the past two years. Tuesday night ended late and Wednesday morning started early. It was hard to say goodbye. I was grateful to have Elders Tilley, Maughan, and Erikson take us to the airport. I have grown to love each of them for the caliber of missionaries that they are.

The plane ride home was a hard one. It was strange to be waving farewell to a place I felt I had only just been saying hello to. “New Jersey is my home,” I kept saying to myself. It is to me like the waters of Mormon to the people of Alma. New Jersey is where I came to know my Savior, it is where I experienced pure joy for the first time in my whole life, it is where I grew to love myself, it is where I found my closest friends. I love New Jersey.

When I got to Las Vegas, my heart was pounding just as hard as it had been for the past week. I was nervous. I was excited. I was sad, but I was happy. It was an interesting little roller coaster of emotions. I came to the escalator only to find my Daddy waiting at the bottom. Mommy had told me they’d wait by the carousel, so I was a little thrown off. It was a joyous reunion. Little Brother is like 6 inches taller. My sisters are beautiful. My mommy and daddy look great. I asked a lady if she would take a picture for us…I ended up giving her a mormon.org pass-along card afterwards :-). She seemed pretty excited about it, actually.

From the airport we drove straight to my Stake President’s Law Office in downtown Las Vegas. It was there that I was released from my full-time service. That was a difficult experience for me. I expected to feel a change in the Spirit that I felt, but I didn’t. I felt that same peace that I’d felt during my mission, and I was grateful. My ability to remember things seems to have decreased however…but that’s about it. I am determined to live worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, for that is the only way I know how to live.

The days since have been a little adventure. It’s a whole different world. I’m not used to it, but I’ll be just fine. I find joy in my scripture study. Prayer continues to be my refuge. I couldn’t do it without my Father in Heaven. I read a verse this morning that hit me pretty hard. It reads, “But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.” This is where I need to be right now. He knows why I’m here, His wisdom is so much greater than mine. I trust Him with all my heart and know that He will guide me as He works to bring to pass His eternal purposes. It’s here. Reality has hit. And I’m going to live it.