Monday, October 26, 2015

the last one :(

WOW. Here we are. My very last email as a missionary....This feels like a dream, and when I wake up in my own bed on Friday, I have a feeling I am going to bawl my eyes out because it's over. Haha. But this week was really good. We taught more than I have for a long, long time and I really feel like Heavenly Father has blessed me more than ever.

We got to go do a chalk art event in the middle of Stockholm, where we draw a picture in a big town square and go around and talk to people about it. I taught the Restoration 6 times in two hours and I LOVED it. Missionaries are really special. They have this special spirit to them, and when they talk, people listen. It was amazing to look up and see 8 missionaries talking to all different people around a mural of Joseph Smith.

We also taught a less active named Thudawa. I was being really bold....another thing I love about being a missionary. I learned how to be bold :) Haha I told her that she needed to come back to church and Heavenly Father is just waiting for her, and she started crying and agreed. The Spirit testifying of truth people! :)

I don't know. I have all sorts of stories from this week of fun things we did or saw or taught, but the little things from week to week really don't matter now that I can see my mission with a different perspective. I keep looking back on day one of my mission and I am SO grateful that I came.

I am so grateful that I got to be a solo sister and have Elder Sweat and Elder Pearson as my "companions" and learn so much from them. The MTC showed me that I just need to keep pushing and things will get better.

I am so grateful for my trainer and my greenie breaker and Gävle. Being in Gävle taught me that I am brave and independent--but only if I want to be. I conquered homesickness and what I felt was total inadequacy and I learned how to speak Swedish. I needed Gävle!

I loved Halmstad. Halmstad taught me how to truly love. I was there for only 3 weeks and I still keep in contact with people there. God has a plan for his missionaries! He knows what He is doing with us! And people here need me as much as I need them.

Luleå was one of my favorites. The biggest lesson that I learned was that I can do hard things. I lived through a Swedish winter gosh darn it!! And I trained! And I lived in the tiniest apartment ever! And I ate fermented fish! And I drove on ice and I walked on the ocean and I LOVED IT. I loved every second of it.

Uppsala....how can I possibly describe Uppsala? I met some of my very best friends here. I learned that God puts people into our lives for a reason. I needed my companions and all of the elders there. I still keep in touch with all of them and I am so grateful for each one of them. You just need people sometimes :)

Lund. OH Lund!! Here was where I learned what Christlike love is. I got to be companions with my best friend and teach my other best friend Matilda with my other best friend Malena. I LOVE them. I love them so much. I really learned how to love like Christ loves people. It does not matter who you are or what you've done or where you are from or what language you speak. I promise I will love you no matter what :)

And last but definitely not least, we have Hägersten. I was feeling a little sad about leaving Lund...I wanted to stay with my people. What I learned from Hägersten is that God knows better than we do, and we need to trust Him. He always has our backs. :) And He knows where people need us! I LOVE it here. I can't think of a better place to end my mission.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR MY MISSION. I wish I could explain. I guess this is what I have truly learned over the past year and a half:

God loves me. He knows who I am. He knows who YOU are. He knows what we need. We are His children, and he loves us more than we can imagine. He takes care of us. We are the happiest when we follow His commandments and do what He says. He watches over us constantly. Jesus Christ is the most amazing person in the universe. I LOVE HIM. I am so grateful for what He did for all of us. The scriptures help us feel closer to him. Prayer is the best. The gospel can help everyone. And the Church is TRUE.

I love you guys. Thanks for putting up with my emails for the past 18 months :) See you on Thursday :) (WOW WOW WOW!!!)

Love (for the last time :)),
Syster Erin Modersitzki

The missionaries held a "funeral" for Erin because she is "dying." That is mission speak for going home. :)
This is Äldste Bradley, Erin's zone leader.


This is Erin's last district.
It really is fall in Sweden.
With Äldste Bradley. Erin was in the MTC with his sister and now he is her zone leader. :)
Teaching about the restoration.




No comments:

Post a Comment