This is it. The final email. I can`t believe this day is actually
here. This week, I will meet half of my family, and the following
week, I will be back home. It feels so surreal. We received transfer
emails today. My heart dropped a little bit when I saw, "Giles.... New
Area: Home.... New Companion: TBA.... New Position: YSA....". I`ve
watched a lot of missionaries return home over the last two years. I
always looked at those missionaries thinking, "holy cow, I`m glad
thats never going to be me." Well I guess reality had to come into
play a little bit because it`s here. I gave my last talk in Sacrament
meeting in Matsue yesterday and as I stood at the stand, the feeling
started to get real. It hit me right there. The end is here. What I`m
grateful for is there actually isn`t an end. All I`ll do is take off
the badge. I`ll be a missionary forever.
I don`t even know what to put in this email. I feel like I`m still
in a little bit of shock. I don`t know if I`m ready to go through the
emotions that I know I`m going to be going through in the next few
days. I`ve come to realize that I hate goodbyes. I think it`s because
I know it`s never really "goodbye". We`ll all meet again eventually. I
just acted like it was a normal Sunday when we went to leave the
church yesterday. I`m terrible at saying goodbyes.
Yesterday was a special Sunday for sure. We had an investigator get
confirmed in Sacrament Meeting and the blessing offered to her from
Brother N was one of the most amazing blessings I`ve ever heard. I
think it was more like a Patriarchal Blessing than a "here`s the gift
of the Holy Ghost" blessing. Awesome. I love this church. I love when
the Spirit comes into play and changes the hearts of all that are
present. Lots of members had tears in their eyes as we finished the
confirmation. It was an honor to be a part of, for sure.
I leave you with a testimony gained over a very difficult, excited,
amazing, exhausting, faith building, character molding two years. I
know with the absolute surety of my heart that God is our father in
Heaven and that Jesus is the Christ. I know with all of my heart that
Joseph saw what he said he saw in the grove. I know the Book of Mormon
is the truest book on Earth and I know it`s the keystone of Christ`s
church on the Earth today. Take away the Book of Mormon and we have
nothing, we have the Book of Mormon, therefore we have everything. I
know God is pleased with my efforts here. I have done what I could to
serve the Master for the last twenty four months. "I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." And
now, I`m coming home. This is it. Thank you all so much. Know that I
love you. I thank each of you for your examples to me. I couldn`t ever
do this alone. I love you! In the sacred name of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Jeffrey Maxwell Giles
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