Today is the last full day that we will be in the Kansas Wichita Mission.  Already?!!!  Where did the time go!  It's been a busy, hectic, spiritual and very fulfilling 3 years that don't compare with anything else I have done in my life.  I never thought for a moment when we received our assignment to Kansas that I would love this place like I do.  I can't get enough pictures! I went for a walk this morning just taking in the views, waterways, geese, green grass and trees.  We live on the east side of Wichita and right now we are staying in the Homewood Suites while the mission home is being prepared for President and Sister Ernst.  This place is beautiful right now!  Something else that is beautiful about Kansas is the people.  First off the ward members are amazing and it is so nice to walk into any ward building and feel the love and camaraderie(I looked up how to spell this) that comes from church members.  They are good, faithful people and we have made some very good, life long lasting friendships.  People in general here are wonderful God fearing, church going people.  There are so many different churches in every town and the parking lots are full.  These people love and want to serve God.  As we have driven all over the state we have seen billboards that focus on loving Jesus and the importance of being pro life.  It's a beautiful thing.  I love Kansas values and they are not afraid to share them.  We have had the privilege of working with the most amazing senior (we call them experienced) missionaries in the mission office.  They get up each morning early and drive to the mission office for an 8 hour job that doesn't pay in money but does pay in spiritual benefits.  The young Elders and Sisters love them so much and count on them for so many things.  They are their grandparents away from home!  They have become my best friends and I will forever be thankful to have had the privilege of knowing them and serving with them. They know how to SERVE!  Now....how do I even share with you what I feel for these young elders and sisters who have blessed our lives for the last 3 years.  They come to us as teenagers and return to their families as men and women.  It is a beautiful, inspiring transition.  They grow up right before our eyes and become faithful followers of Jesus Christ.  Missions are hard because you have to give up your own desires to focus on Him and sharing His gospel 24/7.  When missionaries can finally do it, it is amazing and all they want to do is share the word of God and bless people lives because of it.  They learn to love as God loves and see people as God sees them. They are not focused on themselves but rather on others as was Jesus.  It's a beautiful thing!  My life has been enriched because of them and I am deeply grateful for knowing them.  We are friends for eternity!!!
   Something that has been seared in my mind is the fact that we are children of a Heavenly Father, he is literally our Father. He loves us as a father should and cares for us deeply and wants the best for us but he also knows that our greatest learning comes when we have agency and make our own decisions.  We will make mistakes, we are human, it is a given but he sent His son Jesus Christ to show us the way.  By His life we can know how to live and we can repent and change.  Repentance is only true repentance when we change, learn from our mistakes and do things differently.  The bottom line is that he just wants us to return to be with him.  The question for us as His children is "Will we always choose Him? "  Can He trust us and know that no matter what the world throws at us, no matter what temptation is in front of us, no matter if we think He is listening, we will always choose Him.  Let me tell you something, I CHOOSE HIM!!!  I know that there is no other way to be truly happy or at peace in our lives without Him and His gospel.  I don't need anyone else but Him to validate how I feel.  The Book of Mormon is the word of God and if you want power and spirit and peace in your life you can find it through reading that book.  I know this because I have experienced it in my own life.  There is a difference in my day when I read and when I don't.  If you don't have time to read a chapter in the morning, read a verse and  contemplate it and you will find your day focused on spiritual things.  What a way to start the day! Try it for yourself and see if it makes a difference. The world is full of chaos but through Jesus Christ we can find peace.  "When there is no peace on earth, there is peace in Christ!" I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and am so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints!
                                REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!