Dear Family & Friends,
Well.... We're here. It's my last email home. I want to thank each of
you for being a part of my mission through email. I have loved
receiving your emails and feeling your support. I've come to realize
just how much I love each of you.
I leave Texas on Wednesday and it's the most bittersweet feeling in
the world. I don't want to leave but I'm so excited to go home and see
my family and friends again. I can't even begin to explain to you how
I feel.
The memories from my mission are so dear to me! SO MANY GOOD TIMES. I
have made friends who will last a lifetime! I am so glad I met all of
the people I did. So many missionaries I've met have become such good
friends to me. I love them all!
I always thought I would serve a mission and assumed it wouldn't be
too difficult. When I got into the mission field, though, I learned
that the difficulty of the task I had undertaken was a little more
than expected. I was tested emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
When I began, I was overcome with a flood of homesickness that didn't
seem to have a cure. Exhaustion greeted me every morning and night as
I attempted to maintain the same diligence as my trainer. I was faced
with a realization that my testimony in the gospel needed
strengthening as I encountered a plethora of arguments and opinions. I
was being driven to the edge and it appeared to me that the fall would
be monstrous. That's when my life began to change. I began to give my
everything to the Lord. I relied on His strength as I could no longer
take another step with my own. I learned discipline; making my study
of the gospel and my diligence in the work meaningful and
constructive. I was taught patience, humility, and long-suffering by
the Lord. I learned that obedience to the commandments is where true
joy is found. I discovered a deep love of my family and realized my
divine heritage as a child of loving heavenly parents. I found myself,
I realized my priorities, and I learned what the pure love of Christ
truly is. I will be forever changed from this experience.
I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it's
true. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. He is the
promised Messiah of the Old Testament. He is my rock and my salvation.
He is my strength and my song. The Book of Mormon is a true book and
it has brought me closer to Christ than any other book. It is a true
witness of Jesus the Christ and stands as a testimony today that God
loves all of His children and that we are in the latter days. It has
helped me come to know that Christ is my Savior, that Joseph Smith is
a true prophet of God, and that Christ's church has been restored
today. I know that the truth will go forth boldly nobly and
independent. It will penetrate every continent, visit every climb,
sweep every country, and sound in every ear. Truth has been restored
and God has called prophets in our day. I love the leaders of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know they are called of
God. I love what I have learned from my mission. President & Sister
Taylor, my mission president and his wife, are called of God. They are
true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and they are a witness of Him.
What they have taught me has made a lasting impact and will never
leave my heart. The gospel is true. Christ lives. Joseph Smith is a
prophet. I'm grateful I have gained this testimony on my mission. I
know God loves us and that He will provide peace and happiness as we
turn to Him. I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
See you on Wednesday!
Elder Joshua Needles
Well.... We're here. It's my last email home. I want to thank each of
you for being a part of my mission through email. I have loved
receiving your emails and feeling your support. I've come to realize
just how much I love each of you.
I leave Texas on Wednesday and it's the most bittersweet feeling in
the world. I don't want to leave but I'm so excited to go home and see
my family and friends again. I can't even begin to explain to you how
I feel.
The memories from my mission are so dear to me! SO MANY GOOD TIMES. I
have made friends who will last a lifetime! I am so glad I met all of
the people I did. So many missionaries I've met have become such good
friends to me. I love them all!
I always thought I would serve a mission and assumed it wouldn't be
too difficult. When I got into the mission field, though, I learned
that the difficulty of the task I had undertaken was a little more
than expected. I was tested emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
When I began, I was overcome with a flood of homesickness that didn't
seem to have a cure. Exhaustion greeted me every morning and night as
I attempted to maintain the same diligence as my trainer. I was faced
with a realization that my testimony in the gospel needed
strengthening as I encountered a plethora of arguments and opinions. I
was being driven to the edge and it appeared to me that the fall would
be monstrous. That's when my life began to change. I began to give my
everything to the Lord. I relied on His strength as I could no longer
take another step with my own. I learned discipline; making my study
of the gospel and my diligence in the work meaningful and
constructive. I was taught patience, humility, and long-suffering by
the Lord. I learned that obedience to the commandments is where true
joy is found. I discovered a deep love of my family and realized my
divine heritage as a child of loving heavenly parents. I found myself,
I realized my priorities, and I learned what the pure love of Christ
truly is. I will be forever changed from this experience.
I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it's
true. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. He is the
promised Messiah of the Old Testament. He is my rock and my salvation.
He is my strength and my song. The Book of Mormon is a true book and
it has brought me closer to Christ than any other book. It is a true
witness of Jesus the Christ and stands as a testimony today that God
loves all of His children and that we are in the latter days. It has
helped me come to know that Christ is my Savior, that Joseph Smith is
a true prophet of God, and that Christ's church has been restored
today. I know that the truth will go forth boldly nobly and
independent. It will penetrate every continent, visit every climb,
sweep every country, and sound in every ear. Truth has been restored
and God has called prophets in our day. I love the leaders of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know they are called of
God. I love what I have learned from my mission. President & Sister
Taylor, my mission president and his wife, are called of God. They are
true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and they are a witness of Him.
What they have taught me has made a lasting impact and will never
leave my heart. The gospel is true. Christ lives. Joseph Smith is a
prophet. I'm grateful I have gained this testimony on my mission. I
know God loves us and that He will provide peace and happiness as we
turn to Him. I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
See you on Wednesday!
Elder Joshua Needles
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