To be honest, this was one of the best days of my life. I absolutely loved my mission, and I will always be grateful for the experiences I had as a missionary. However, seeing my family and friends again was even better than I had imagined. I still remember coming down the escalator, and noticing my family, and some of my very best friends waiting for me. I cried for joy at seeing them, but also at knowing that I had given my mission everything I had, and that I could finally rest. That feeling was sweetly confirmed to me later that day when the Stake President came to release me. He said he felt impressed to tell me "your Savior wants you to know that you did everything he wanted you to do." Those words spoke so much peace to my heart, and I knew that I could enjoy the excitement of arriving home with the assurance that I had performed well in my service to the Lord. Taking off my name tag was a little heart breaking, but I knew that I could continue to be a representative of Jesus Christ, even without that little black tag next to my heart. The first few days were a little weird adjusting to being home, but I was honestly so happy to see my family and so excited for Christmas at home that the weirdness quickly diminished. At the conclusion of my mission, I am a different person than when I started. None of that is because of anything I did; instead, it is because of the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the 18 months I had to spend in Ft Lauderdale Florida. It was hard, it was humid, I was homesick, we faced a lot of rejection, and I think the dark circles under my eyes at the end were evidence of a difficult journey-however, the sweet joy of bringing other people closer to our Savior made every moment worth it. I have never experienced the love of the Savior quite like I have on my mission. I know that He lives. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints contains the fullness of His gospel. I know the Book of Mormon comes from God, and we will grow closer to God by reading it. I know God loves each and every one of His children individually. What a blessing to be a missionary!
