November 9, 2020
The time has come!
This Wednesday, my wild year and a half long journey will come to an end:( Although this is a pretty bittersweet time, I am mostly feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. 
I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve in two incredible missions, under the direction of two inspired mission presidents. Having the unique opportunity to participate in missionary work in different places in the world has been a wonderful experience. It is evidence to me of how much God loves His children in every nation in the world. The way that each of my missions have gone about doing missionary work has been completely different, but has catered to the individual needs of the people that live there.
I am so grateful for the people that I have grown to know and love. Every member of the church, friend I made, and person I talked to on the street in Ukraine, Moldova, and Florida have a special place in my heart. My mission wouldn't be the same without....
Miss Alphie, the ex Ukrainian gang member that we taught, the woman with the raccoon, Gina with the three legged cat, the man who would give me a poem he wrote every Sunday, all of my English class friends who taught me the importance of wearing tracksuits while playing pingpong, the babushkas that would guard our apartment, and the classic "Florida men" that look straight out of the news. These people provided quality content for my emails.
I am also grateful for the members of the church in Ukraine, Moldova, and Florida who remain faithful despite challenging circumstances. Many would come to church every Sunday and diligently serve others even though they were dealing with very difficult trials. They are great examples to me as they strive to magnify their callings and serve as Christ would.
I am thankful for the friends of mine who completely changed their lives because of the testimony that they recieved from learning the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Often times, this did not come easy and was not convenient for them, but they were steadfast and immovable in their devotion to the Lord. I admire them and am so thankful to have been able to witness the changes that occurred in their lives because of Jesus Christ and his gospel.
I am grateful for my parents. I am at this point in my life because of them! Not only did my parents prepare packages for holidays and made time to chat every Monday throughout my mission, but their example of making Christ the center of our home has become SO important to me. As I prepare to return back to the real world and face "big girl" decisions, I cannot help but reflect upon the diligence and faith that they maintain while raising our family. My parents' genuine desire to serve not only me and my brothers, but everyone around them has helped me understand how I can be an instrument in the Lord's hands.
My parents are the most Christlike people that I know and I will never be able to repay all that they have done for me. I love you Mom and Dad!
I am grateful for all the memes that my brothers have sent me. Seriously. They have provided some much needed laughs during tough times:)
I am grateful for the opportunity to experience and fall in love with the Ukrainian culture and Russian language. It is just awesome.
I am grateful for the power of prayer. I have developed a new relationship with God because of what I have learned on my mission and the changes that I have made in my life. I can come home from my mission and say that I know my Heavenly Father and I know that He loves me.
I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My knowledge and testimony of the greatest gift of all time, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, has been refined over the past year and a half. I have seen people around me completely change their perspectives and ultimately their lives because they recognize that our Heavenly Father has given us the opportunity to repent. Not only has this principle changed the lives of those around me, it has directly impacted my view of life, and understanding of God's love for me. Because Christ died for me, I can become cleansed from sin, I can live with my family and my Heavenly Father again, I can overcome trials, I can have hope amidst pain and suffering, and I can become better every single day. There is and will always be peace and hope in Christ
I am grateful for God's individual plan for me. As I reflect upon the wild ride that my mission has been, I cannot help but feel so loved by my Heavenly Father. He has been aware of my every feeling. He knows how much I love Ukraine and Moldova. He knew that there were things that I needed to learn in Flordia. He knew how heartbreaking it was for me to leave my friends and mission in Ukraine/Moldova.
He also knew which companions that I needed to serve with to help me adjust to Flordia mission life. He knew that in the Palm Harbor ward, I would have some crazy connections with people that I loved in Ukraine. He knew that a Keiv Deli was a couple miles down the road from my appartment. He knew that that one time we knocked on the wrong door, an Armenian woman would answer and I would get to speak to her in Russian. He also knew that in Tampa, a Russian restaurant would be right across the street.
He knew that I would learn skills and experience things that I wouldn't have been able to if I had stayed in Ukraine. He knew that I would have to rely on Him more than I had ever done in my life as I adjusted to a new mission. He knew that because of that, I would become converted, and develop an unshakable testimony.
God is so good! These are just a few of the incredible tender mercies that I have experienced in the past little while. I could go on and on about how thankful I have been to be able to give my will to the Lord, and witness His unimaginable plan for me.
Here is your last photo dump!
See you soon:)
-Cестра Меррил
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