Emotional goodbyes.

This is a bit surreal right now, and I'm feeling a perfect balance of excitement, anxiety, happiness and peace. Crazy to think I will be home in just about 3 more weeks...

This week kinda shook me in a way I wasn't expecting. When I first got into this area, I was so stoked to go home. My thoughts were back in sunny AZ, definitely not snowy England. Last night though, I went to my final missionary fireside in Manchester, and pure emotion gut-punched me. At the fireside, I saw so many of my true friends that I met over my entire mission. James "Donkey Kong" Williams from Wrexham, the Hills from Stafford, Gary and Ronny from Southport, the crew from Crosby, and the Bluncks, Siti, Yuki, the rest of the YSA gang from Preston, the Rossendale punks and all of my dear missionary friends and families that I met along the way. It was like...I could see my two years of work in front of me, and it was incredibly humbling to see how many lives I was able to be a part of. My eyes were on the verge of being sweaty as I realized how much I truly love and will miss these people and this land. 

Ok, enough being sentimental. Here are the rest of the week's deets:

Celebrated hard on my birthday. Treated myself and bought a new suit, and had a lovely mini party at Irish Palmer's house. Then, we had a combined YM/YW nerf war at the chapel. Forts were made. Rivalries were made. Fun was made. Injuries were made. I was shot dead in the eye, and lost my vision for the rest of the night. Freaked me out, but then God healed me in the morning. Cool. We then had an adventure in Bolton, stayed at Elder Candland's flat, we reminisced about Preston, made our way to Chorley in the morning for a zone conference and interviews, good times. Then on the way home, I was stuck on a bus for 3 hours, slowly plowing our way through the snow. I now hate buses and never want to be on one ever again. When I got home, I re-pinched the nerve in my neck. My body needs some serious recovery, aka swimming in the ocean. We were also able to see a little miracles, through testifying and destroying the anti-mormon material that was corrupting our solid investigator Doreen, and also giving a much needed blessing to one of the members. I will miss having sacred events happen so frequently. 

But with all that said, I miss you all more and I can't wait to see you so soon. 

I love you all, and I am craving jam sessions, mexican food, chilling with the family, and many good times to come. 

3 more weeks.

Till then...

PEACE OUT!!!

Elder BA