Well today we are running around between airports all day starting at 5:30 this morning. Typical Monday. Next one will be pretty similar. Sorry I don't have time to write more, but know that I'm grateful for all of you and that the mission is the best!
Elder Sirrine
From photos of journal pages
November 16, 2016
Yesterday we had a wonderful visit with Eunise’s husband, Alex. He committed to be baptized Dec 11! We had a good district meeting, and it was neat to see the Lord guide us as we role played for Elder Heaton’s investigator and he learned how to overcome his concerns
Later…The sacrament prayer is so powerful. We so routinely listen to them every week. Tonight we shared the blessing on the bread with a less active family, and the Spirit was felt so powerfully. It’s incredible how powerful and sacred that ordinance is.
November 17, 2016
I was feeling a little “off” during zone conferences today, but I do feel like the Spirit was there.
Afterwards we had a bit of time to visit. We hadn’t planned, so, having no idea what to do, we prayed. We felt prompted to visit a certain member, Sister Welch. We drove to her house, and she wasn’t there, but her inactive daughter opened the door. We talked, got a referral, set up an appointment for Sunday with her and her non-member boyfriend, knocked the next door over, set up an appointment for the same Sunday, knocked the next door over and set up another appointment for Sunday. Then we drove home. Couldn’t have been a more productive 30 minutes. God is good.
November 21, 2016
Today we were planning where to go on our coming exchanges and Elder Parrish and Elder Ko both wanted to go to Zone 3. After some indecision, we prayed and felt prompted to call President and as his council. We worked that out, and I felt like we ought to run the rest of the zones past him as well. President said it was fine, but then mentioned that Elder Parrish maybe ought to serve with zone leaders he’s never served with before. Those happen to be the zone 9 leaders, where we had agreed I would go. That was a dagger. Looking forward to going back to the Hamptons one last time was something so special. I was tempted to explain that to President because I know he’d be fine with that, but decided not to.
I’m gland we were prompted to call him and ask. I feel it’s a neat opportunity to exercise humility, which I’ve been praying for, and submit my will. I’m never short of eagerness to prove to the Lord that I will do anything for Him and I’ll do it happily. My exchange with Zone 8 will be all the better.
December 1, 2016
Words can’t describe my feelings. I never thought this would happen to me. In two weeks, I’ll be sitting in Utah. My head knows quite clearly that the close of this mission is the beginning to a new life, a grander road than I’ve ever traveled. Life is beautiful, and it lies ahead. But my heart is breaking. I’m terrified that all this will fade. What has made it into my journal could not be described by the smallest fraction of my experience as a missionary and my first true experience as a son of God. The people and the places and the memories will fade, my call to teach repentance as a full time missionary will fade, leaving behind only one thing – me. Myself. It is truly the greatest gift God could have given me. A new self. A new life, a new path before me. For the first time, I understand what it means to be reborn.
So I only attribute my sadness to a lack of faith. I know and feel that I am the most blessed person on the earth. But it hurts.
I returned yesterday from my last exchange as a missionary. I was with Elder Pothier and Elder Wixom. I was so impressed. Elder Wixom has become an absolutely phenomenal zone leader after being with Elder Pothier. I had little doubt that Elder Pothier would succeed Elder Ko and myself, and in transfer planning right after, President confirmed that. I am happy for him. He is truly humble, and therefore, truly great.
I’m so close to finishing the mission video that has taken so much attention the whole transfer. It is powerful. President ____(says?) reading the vision(?) is enough to bring tears to the “test subjects”.
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