The End of my Legend

That's the way I see this.  It's like when you get to the end of a Legend of Zelda game and you are super happy about the way the story played out, but just a bit sad that you are actually done.  This last week was very interesting to say the least, but we saw many miracles. 

Our investigators are struggling.  We had a hard time actually finding them, but many people are doing very well.  In particular a young man named Jose that Elder Lee and I met is doing amazing!  Elder Lee's been teaching him, and he has completely changed!  When I met him he was into drugs and gangs, and used the fact that his father isn't around as an excuse.  But after we taught him a bit he started opening up and wanting to meet with us.  Now, he loves the Book of Mormon, wants to serve a mission, and says he wants to be a Priesthood man.  It's amazing what the gospel does to people when you let it!

Our biggest miracles this week were from working with the missionaries.  First off, we presented the sugar cube temple to the zone, to our district first on Monday, and then to the one in Fillmore on Thursday for district meeting.  We held a discussion about the building of the wall in Nehemia; and how the grammar is worded funny, so that it doesn't say "So and so built this gate" but it says "The gate repaired so and so."  We asked "How do our callings and assignments build us?"  and they said some amazing things!  Especially when we made observations about the temple we built and the symbolism there.  We noticed how the temple was missing large portions of it: there was a number of holes and most of the spire wasn't built.  But instead of focusing on the negative one missionary said "It's not perfect, but it's awesome!"  I love that: that's exactly what this life is all about.  We're not perfect, we've got a lot of building still to do; but we're awesome.  We're children of God, and someday we will be perfect and like Him. 

Tonight is going to be one of the best of my mission.  We're going to go teach some amazing people, and then we're going to go meet with Felipe and Carmen.  Our lesson is on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  He sacrificed so much for us!  And then we're going to exhort Felipe to sacrifice his Sunday job because he loves the Lord. 

I know this work is true.  I know it with everything I am.  It's weird how more real it gets as you go.

I'm very excited for the next phase of life, I'm going to give everything to prepare for and find my future family and help all of us make it to the Celestial Kingdom of God.  I am so very grateful I served a full-time mission.

Love,

Elder Matthew David Clough