An High Priest of Good Things to Come

What a week! It's been crazy. Things are picking up, and though we still aren't having as much success as I'd like, I can feel the hand of the Lord leading us along each day. We did some street contacting in Clinton this week, and it was great to be out in the beautiful weather talking to people. It's been a while since I've done that, and I really enjoyed it. I think we'll go again this week! We had a few great teaching experiences and spiritual experiences as well this week, and were able to give blessings to a couple of people in need of them. I read on LDS.org recently that the number of full-time missionaries has passed 75,000! What an incredible time to be serving a mission! 

This week, we have a mini-missionary with us! His name is Hunter, he'll be a senior in high school next year, and he got here Saturday night. He's from Mystic, Connecticut and will be staying with us until Friday. He's literally a 3rd companion and will be coming with us to all of our appointments, meetings, contacting efforts, etc. He gets to live the missionary life for a whole week and see what it's like! I wish I would have had an opportunity like this when I was his age. This is organized through the stake and through our mission president. Mini-missions, as they're called, can last from a couple of days to a week. This is the first time I've had the privilege of hosting a mini-missionary, and we're excited to have him with us. 

Sister Horman, one of the senior missionaries who works in our mission office, called me this week to confirm my departure date and schedule my plane ticket home. That phone call tore me apart. It bothered me and upset me more than a lot of things have, recently. A while ago, I had to start getting things figured out for school when I go home - I did all of that, got my application to BYU in, and couldn't do anything else. For the past month or so, I worked without much thought of going home...and then Sister Horman called me. This past Friday marked 99 days left on my mission, and as a tradition here in the Massachusetts Boston Mission, we went out to lunch at this restaurant called 99 that seems to be only in New England. Elder Broadhead figured out that 99-day mark, and announced it in our district meeting. This week has been rough for me in regards to these feelings of not wanting to go home and of time slipping away from me. Elder Hanberg reassured me, however: he told me that the Lord needs me in other places. There are other people who need me. I'm going to BYU for a reason, I just have to find out why. He's right! This work doesn't end when my tag comes off; it's only just begun. This is just like another transfer...only it's farther away and into the unknown as I take "one step enough for me" as the Lord lights my path just enough to go a little further (see Hymn #97, "Lead, Kindly Light"). 

Also on the theme of "endings" is the fact that we had our last musical fireside last night. I wept at the thought of this marvelous thing coming to a close, and felt the Spirit bear witness to me afresh as I bore my testimony through piano and voice. I'm so grateful to have been a part of this fireside - over the course of these 11 evenings, I have learned and grown more than I thought I could. This has been a major tool in the hands of God to change and shape me forever. Naturally, I'm sad that it's over, but I know that the Lord has more in store. I still have 3 months left, and I will serve Him with everything I've got. He guides me each day and will continue to guide me when I eventually return home. He is "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" (see Jeffrey R. Holland's talk of the same title, Oct. 1999), and I will forever trust in Him. 

With love, 

Elder DeLong