T-364 days.  President Larsen

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be seeing you guys in 1 year!!!!! Wow! It's so hard to believe I've been out for almost a year now! That's so insane!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's so much I want to say! And I think it will and be a little more in place if I tell you about a great experience I had this week.

So, last Wednesday we had interviews with President Larson, which entails talking to the assistants, and having them review our agendas and Area book (which we killed by the way, we were like the textbook example of perfect missionaries), Talking to the President's wife about my companions English progress, Interviewing with the President, and having the Zone leaders review our rooms (which we also killed because our room is like a palace. A shimmering, glimmering, palace). Anyway after talking to the President's wife for 20 minutes about everything and anything, she said she was way excited to learn Spanish, but no matter what she tried she just couldn't get it down. It's like I was talking to Mom!!! She talked to Elder Ango with the few phrases that she knew, and it sounded just like Mom!!! I told her that my Mom was in the same boat and that she couldn't learn it that well either and she seemed really relieved to hear that....

Anyway; when I went in for the interview with the President. He asked me a few questions to get to know me and then asked, "How's the mission? What have you learned from the mission?

Now, up until that point, I had been living my entire mission knowing that I had been slowly changing, and that the mission was great and all.....but I had never really testified of the mission. So when he asked me....I didn't really know what to say.

So I just said what I felt.

I still can't remember everything that I said, but I do know that I bore out my heart and soul that the mission that I had served up until that point and that I will continue serving has been better for me, and made me happier than any other thing I've ever done. Tears easily filled my eyes as I told him about what a blessing it's been for me and my family. I told him that I loved every moment of my mission and I loved serving.

I felt the spirt stronger in that moment than I think I ever have before in my life.

The President thanked me and said he couldn't believe how much it meant to me, and how happy I was. He said he would like to reach the happiness he knows I have in my mission.

And I think that accurately describes my experiences up until now!

I'm a year out, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I love you all; I'll make sure to get some pictures out next week!!!

Stay strong! We're halfway there!

-Elder Winn