Missionary Service: A Right Choice

Recently James' sister, Anne, entered the missionary training center.  She will serve a mission in Montreal, Canada starting in December (Brrr!).  Both Anne and James' emails home this week shared messages of love for their mission work and positive changes within themselves as a result.  They both echo what many missionaries before have shared:  they chose right when they chose to serve a mission.  

Posting a few tidbits from Elder Pope's last message.  It was tough paring it down, it was chock full of good stuff!  From Elder Pope:

…more and more I am thankful for all that I have and have been blessed with.  This life is so funny.  You just don't get it until you're thrown into it.  Life here is great though!  My comp and I have grown so much; we just finished a transfer and have realized that we have changed so much for the better.  

I can see I have come a long ways since I first got here.  I look at how much I went through to get to where I am today and I can now say I made a very good choice.  Probably the best one I could have made at this point in my life.  A mission is a must.  Thank you so much for helping me to be out here.  I couldn't do it without all of you.   

My companion said a few things to me.  He thinks I'll be an architect of some kind and that I'll be a leader throughout the mission.  That I'll meet my wife while I'm hiking in Glacier National Park, haha, oh brother!  Funny guy, man I love him.  Reflecting on all the missionaries who taught me I feel wayyyyy bad for them!  I must have felt sooo close, but I just took foreverrrrr.  They all shaped me in different ways!  So thankful for being able to meet them!…  

With Love, Elder Pope