mia for the last 18 months

i am back from the New York Utica Mission! however, i do miss it a ton.
the past 18 months have been such a ride!  and these few photos don't do justice at all. if you had 18 months of all ears to listen to everything i've been able to do or witness, it still won't amount to the things i've learned while serving. there are moments everyday (really everyday, even if it were just small moments) when you can recognize the hand of the Lord in the things you are faithfully doing because He asked you to do them.

like the time when a companion and i ran out of money in our missionary savings fund and we were unexpectedly offered food by some people we were teaching, without them knowing at all that we were low on food.

or when we were given a day of 80 degree weather in the month of March! (which usually is covered in snow but we got lucky this year)

like when all of our appointments cancelled but we later found out it was because we needed to attend a baptism with someone we were teaching who eventually walked into the waters of baptism herself.

or the time when we were invited  into a warm home at 8 in the evening when it was 15 degrees outside.

and this list can honestly go on and on and on for eternity haha. i'll forever be grateful for all of the things that i was able to be a witness of on my mission. to be a part of someones change to be better, to be more in tune with what God wanted for them, was one of the great rewards i've experienced. and now that i'm home everything that i've taught to people, regarding the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, is now put to the test. and i know that without the memories and lessons learned of all the good and especially the bad experiences, life right now would be quite difficult to tackle. but it's all attainable because the Savior made it possible! i was going to go home in the beginning of my mission. i was going to throw away all of the possibilities and growth that had happened. but it was because Christ gave me the strength to keep going and keep enduring, i was able to stay and to conquer the 18 months. hoorah to that!

 thank you for all those who have supported me while i've been gone. strong words of encouragement and wisdom was definitely needed when i was having a hard time staying in the beginning of my mission. now here's to a new adventure!