I Am Grateful To Be A Missionary

Hey everybody! 

     This week has been maybe one of the craziest weeks of my mission to say the least. By far one of the busiest, and this week will get even busier. It was transfers this week, and I will continue to stay where I'm at. This week two of my former investigators from my last area were able to receive baptism. I made the decision not to attend, but was able to call them both. They were so excited about their baptisms, and told me of the spirit that they felt. We were also able to commit an investigator of ours to baptism for Christmas Day. It's a little ten-year-old girl, and we're looking forward to that day. It's been a week of little miracles, and spiritual enlightenment. I love the gospel, and love seeing the changes that it makes in people's lives.

      This week will be probably one of the busiest of my mission. This afternoon we have a former mission president speaking to us, Elder Scott D. Whiting of the seventy coming, and we'll be traveling to meetings all week along with everybody transferring in the mission. It'll be a crazy week, and lots of planning,but lots of great things coming up this week. 

     This last week for Thanksgiving, we were invited to eat with our mission president and his wife in their home. It was a wonderful experience for me. We had us and our housemates, our senior couple, and a few of our church members. As we finished eating, we each went around the table, and expressed thanks for one thing. There was tears shed from a few people as people talked about family, health, the Savior, the Atonement, missionary work, and more. It was super spiritual and there was an obvious spirit present that was so powerful.

     It came to me, and I really didn't know what to say exactly. I sat there for a second. I said that my family was my greatest blessing and how grateful I was for a loving and supporting family. That will always be my priority and my greatest blessing. But outside of my wonderful family, I expressed my thanks to be a missionary. Never in my life did I see myself serving a mission. I never grew up singing "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission", or had hopes of wearing a missionary name tag. I never did. And as I looked around the people, I thought of my life, and the course that I've taken over nearly the last year and a half. My life has been changed because I followed the spirit and answered the call to serve. My testimony has been strengthened, my heart changed. My life has been touched, and I know that although how small, I've helped others. I've felt Christ's love, and had small glimpses of what eternal happiness truly feels like. I've seen the light of the gospel shine within the lives of others that I thought had no hope. And as I looked at my life, how it's changed, I was able to look at those around me on my Thanksgiving night in Korea, and say with a heart full of gratitude... "I am grateful to be a missionary." 

     On this special week of thanks, I am grateful for the true and everlasting gospel. I am grateful for my loving Savior who atoned for me and my sins, and my mistakes. I am grateful that He's never given up on me. I am grateful for a loving family, who's been there for me through everything. I am grateful for the loving support of a community, and friends, and everyone who has pushed me. Without you all, I would not be here. I am grateful for little miracles, and blessings, for I know they truly are the most important in life. I'm so blessed, and I'm so grateful beyond words that I've been so fortunate. I love you all and express my deepest thanks with all the love that I truly possess. Thanks for everything, and I can't wait for next week!

Elder Roper