October 10, 2016

Subject: The End of the Journey

As you may recall, a year ago I received surgery and spent six weeks in West Valley, Utah recovering. This resulted in a six week extension to my mission, leading me to return home in November, rather than the scheduled October. After much prayer and thought, my Mission President has concluded to cancel the extension and have me return home on the original date. This means I will depart from Maryland this Thursday and arrive to my native Arizona home with my family, completing my two year mission for the Lord Jesus Christ.

On October 8, 2014, I boarded an airplane to the Missionary Training Center with a suitcase stuffed with way too many white shirts and a side bag full of books I hadn't read, at 4:30 a.m. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, nor did I have a clue to what adventures lay ahead. 

Over the course of the past two years I have journeyed from multi-million dollar mansions to metal sheet trailers. I've met fellow travelers from dozens of countries, spent countless hours engulfed only in records written thousands of years ago, endless doors slammed and opened, and spent an unfathomable amount of effort all for this purpose:

"That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God...that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them." (Mosiah 28:2)

I have poured my heart, sweat, and soul into the work of God for the past two years, resulting in a life molded by faith, hope, and charity. There have been days of sorrow and weeks of rejoicing. From temper tantrums and warm-wrapped hugs, to the taste of a man's breath as he cusses you and your family out, to experiencing the heart-melting smile of a humble heart healed by the grace of God, I have lived what seems like a life-time length of adventures. I join the ancient missionary Ammon in the Book of Mormon by saying, 

" I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

  Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

  Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.

  Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

  Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." (Alma 26:11-16)

The friends I've made on this journey alone are a priceless fruit of these two years. I began emailing just a hand full of people in the beginning. Now I hope to stay in touch with the 80+ of you that mean the world to me. Each of you has played a part of my Maryland Baltimore Mission adventure in one way, shape, or form, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Seek out God. He is there. I am a witness of His love. Experiment on my life's pursuit of the past two years and honestly seek His counsel. Pray with a sincere desire to be in His embrace. Read His word in the Bible and the Book of Mormon and ask Him if they are true. I give you my promise that more happiness than anything you could ask for begins with these simple steps. Trust me on that.

xoxo

Elder Truman Burgess

3636 East Parkview Drive

Gilbert, Arizona

85295