I have been trying to figure
out how to accurately describe the flood of emotions I have been experiencing
since the close of my missionary service last night. While I still have several
hours here left in Washington until my arrival home tomorrow afternoon, it will
be filled with various events related to my departure. It has been a very
humbling experience to think back and reflect upon the past 2 years here in
Central Washington. I had never imagined how much my life would be impacted by
my service to others. It is an interesting phenomenon. It is a mixture of deep
and immense appreciation for everything that I have learned from others and
from the hand of God but also a tinge of sadness as I leave a people and
culture I have come to love so dearly. It is then topped with a sense of
excitement and drive to begin this new chapter in my life and watch it all
unfold before me.
As I reflect upon the events
of the previous two years I am brought back to many fun and entertaining
memories, like learning how to do drywall and even some masonry work, I have
seen the process go from start to finish with apples/cherries/etc. (fun fact,
apples get picked in late summer/early fall, and so the apple you eat in the
middle of the winter has actually been literally put to sleep and has been
chilling out in a storage room somewhere). I have learned how menudo is made
(still don't think it would be appropriate for human stomach to eat cow
stomach, it seems to me like a sick form of cannibalism). I discovered that
washing a car when its 24 degrees outside is not a good idea. The water freezes
before it falls off the car. I learned that outside of Southern California
there’s this thing called "winterizing" that one has to do for their
house. It never occurred to me that when it’s below freezing outside, your
pipes can freeze. That’s usually a problem if that happens, in case you are
wondering. I also have been to the Les Schwab tire center in every single one
of my areas. I also picked up Spanish along the way. That was pretty cool.
Aside from the temporal, I
have learned several things for myself that, although not dependent on serving
a mission, were definitely facilitated by the experience. First of all I have
learned that your circumstances don't have to dictate happiness. Despite
setbacks and trials in life, there is always joy to be found in something on a
daily basis. If not, you're not looking hard enough. Part of that comes with
also recognizing that sometimes you can't do anything to change things, so
there is no use in fretting over it. Getting worked up or anxious or sad over
something you have no control over doesn't do anyone any good, so choose to be
happy instead. Along with that gospel living also helps to avoid a lot of those
things that so often trouble and plague others. When we choose to live in the
guidelines Christ has given us through prophets and scripture, we can achieve a
fullness to life and enduring happiness that won't be found in any other place.
I have also decided that there is no problem that enough humility or charity
can't make better. Someone is being difficult, show some charity and it gets
easier. If life is being difficult, be humble and trust God and everything gets
easier to endure.
Most importantly though,
through my personal experience and seeing it work in the lives of others, I now
know that Jesus Christ lives and that through revelation given to modern day
prophets with Priesthood Authority He guides His church, and that through His
atoning sacrifice He can change lives, if we let Him. In conjunction with that,
I know that Christ and our Heavenly Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in
1820 to call him to be another prophet in these last days to prepare us for
when Christ shall come again. Shortly thereafter, Joseph Smith was led to ancient
records containing communication between God and ancient prophets on this side
of the world which got translated into English and came to be known as the Book
of Mormon, and that anyone, if they are willing to sincerely ask, will found
out for themselves too that the Book of Mormon contains the word of God and that
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church, once again
established on the earth.
To close, I know it may seem kind of cliché but the words of Paul at the end of
his ministry seem fitting for my situation and what I feel right now. In chapter 4 of his second letter to Timothy [verses 6 and 7] he declares:
"I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
It has truly been a once in a
lifetime experience serving the Lord's sheep here in Central Washington. I hope
you all have been able to learn something over the course of my journeys and
enjoy something along the way. Tomorrow I'll be back in California, but the
work still goes on.
Signing off for the last
time,
Elder Matthew Kupferer
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