This Is Happiness

I'm awful with goodbyes...

We learned Friday night that I was being transferred.

From that point on everything just became really sentimental and special. Last visits to people I've been seeing for the past 7 months; a sense of finality and closure that nobody could quite comprehend. Which I think is due to the fact that we exist on an eternal round, and that there really are no endings, just everlasting beginnings.

Yet these past few days have just gone something like this: "Goodbye may seem forever, farewell is like the end, but in my hearts a memory and there you'll always be." Fox and the Hound

Sunday was definitely the most special. It was incredible. It was during sacrament meeting, after I had confirmed Jonathan a member of the church, a recently returned missionary got up and gave his homecoming talk, and we were singing the closing hymn: God Be With You Till We Meet Again (seriously). I was sitting between Jonathan and Jim, and just thought: "this, this is happiness." As I went to give the closing prayer my heart was just filled with so much gratitude, and so much love for these people.

This is happiness.

Then later we conferred the Aaronic Priesthood to Jim, went and ate with a ton of people, and just were able to have many tender special moments. Between lingering hugs and handshakes, to last laughs and memories, I could not have been more blessed yesterday. And I am very grateful. This is happiness.

Here are some more pictures I took with some of the greatest:

 

The Williamsons! We were doing service

 

Can't forget Buddy!!

 

Denise and Jama!

Now it's time to move on.

Which will be nice. I'm glad I was able to die a hero, rather than stay long enough to become the villain (as Two Face would say). I know the Lord is moving me to bigger and better things. Stay tuned.

Keep moving forward.

Love,
Elder Horne