Chapter 70: Passing On

A very eventful week. A very sad one as well. We spent the entire week planning moves and departures and this weekend we saw it all through. As of tonight, all the missionaries are settled in their new areas, as well as the departing missionaries home safe and sound. Among those missionaries were Elder Klintworth, Elder Helmrich, and Elder Danielson, three great friends of mine who I have served around throughout my time here in Scotland. Their time to serve has now come to an end, and they now pass on into the next chapter of their lives.

It's hard to experience change and it's hard to see dear friends leave. I've known Elder Klintworth since I came into the mission. For the past nine months, he has mentored me and helped me become the person and missionary I am now. I am especially grateful for what he taught me and gave me to carry forth into the rest of my life.

This life is a time where we are meant to experience such coming and going. As we do so we can and should seek to form friendships with all we meet. The Saviour spent his entire ministry traveling from place to place, teaching, ministering to, and loving others wherever he went. As we follow his example, we will find that anywhere we go we can share the brotherly love of God's kingdom.

This love unites the family of God and inspires hope, peace, and unity.

This love is also quite simply expressed and manifested towards others. Share a smile with someone. Compliment a stranger. Engage with the people you meet. Broaden your circles and strive to simply stand as a light for all to see. It can be very easy to be caught up in ourselves, but I think the purest joy that comes from being a missionary is being able to live for days at a time only thinking of others.

There is no replacement for how good it feels to know you are acting as an instrument in the hands of God to help his other children feel connected to Him through your simple actions. Please, try it and see for yourself and "let brotherly love continue" as you pass on from on thing to the next.

As you do that, you will change people's lives and see the great orchestration of eternity in those you meet and come to admire. I am grateful for those dear friends of mine, as well as my family, who I've recognized as part of God's plan and love for me in tutoring me along this progressive state of mortality. I hope we all can look outside of ourselves a bit more a seek to lift others.

I know it has made all the difference for me.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

Sunday with Emily! Great to have her visit from Aberdeen

Pictures from Pratts Hill:The departure group

Me with Elder Danielson

Elder Helmrich accounting with the Lord

Elder Lambert and Klintworth exchanging wisdom

All the Elders

The AP trio: Elder Lambert, Elder Kulmayer, and me

Me with my mentor and dear friend, Elder Klintworth

The four friends

Cooking with Elder Lambert

Exhausted in the mission home

Elder Klintworth teaching till the end

Goodbye selfie in the airport

President McCrudden with his Assistants