Sept 3, 2012

Ok this letter will be short.

This past week was full of meetings. On wednesday we (zone leaders) had a meeting with Elder Steven B. Allen, head of the missionary department. Man he is a spiritual guy but he does not play games when it come to missionary work. He beat us and left us battered at the end. He said the only way to get missionaries to change is to change ourself first. He hammered us on planning effectively and how to be real Preach My Gospel missionaries. He taught us of how to be percise and look for deviations in everything we do. It was about 5 hours of being torn apart by him but it was an amazing experience.

Thursday was the day that was hard. We had zone conference and it was werid to sit up on the stand next to President Miller. He constantly would lean over during the meeting and say jokes to me that reminded me of dads jokes, funny but dumb. Right before lunch I had to give a training on how to follow up on reading assignments left to investigators, it went well. Near the end of the conference though was the hard part. Since it was my last zone conference I had to give my departing testimony and President Miller made me go last which was unusual because it is normally alphabetical. When I stood at the pulpit it hit me how much the mission had changed me and how much the experience meant to me. I would be a liar if I told you I didn't cry because I did. They best and happiest part of my life is coming to an end and it hit me all in about the 3 min I was bearing my testimony. When I finished I walked off the stage and President Miller stood up and gave me a big hug and whipered in my ear "I love you". So much has changed in these 2 years. I used to dislike President Miller and now I love him as if he had been my father for these past 2 years. I love this work. I love my Lord and Savior. I know President Miller was called of God to be MY mission president. This is the Lord's church, of that there is no doubt.

Love,

Elder Jolly