Sister Pursglove in the England Manchester LDS Mission: Weekly Letter #64: April 6th, 2021

Hello hello!

Trust me, I know it's been a couple weeks since I've written, but in my defense, I figured I would be home soon enough to actually just talk to people and tell them what happened on my mission. To be fair, I also am just tired of writing emails after 18 months of weekly letters to a ton of people.

You have to forgive me for not writing because this is the very last email! On Thursday I'll be flying back home to the States and will be released as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

To be completely honest, it feels a bit like a fever dream that I actually get to go home. Do not get me wrong in the slightest, I am beyond excited to be able to go home and see my family, listen to music, and eat proper American food again—however, I feel like I didn't ever really think that these 18 months would be over and that I would have to leave all the people I've met behind.

I am SO grateful for these past 18 months that I've had living in England. I have loved the people that I've met and all of the amazing opportunities that I've experienced. I won’t lie, there have been some really hard bits, but it has been so worth it for all of the blessings and miracles I have seen.

Some of the biggest lessons I have learned while over here on this tiny island are:

1) God knows and loves us all individually. Because of this, He also has a plan for each one of us to allow us to make it back to live with Him one day.

2) God is in the tiny details of our lives and nothing is a coincidence. The situations we are placed in, the people we meet, and the things we go through all serve a purpose.

3) Perfection is not realistic; there will always be something more that you can do or something that you can improve on. That's the point of life, and that's why we have a Savior.

4) The Book of Mormon and the Bible work hand in hand to teach about Christ and His teachings.

5) There is nothing we can ever do that will stop Heavenly Father and Christ from loving us. It is literally impossible.

My mission may not have always been the best months of my life, but my mission has been the best months for my life. I have learned so much and have progressed in so many ways. I have learned things that I will treasure and remember for the rest of my life. I know I was meant to be here at this time, in these places, during this pandemic. I have absolutely 0 doubt about that.

I know this church is true. I know that God lives and that He loves us. I know that Christ is my Savior and my Redeemer and that because of Him I can live with my family forever. I know that through Christ we can find peace and joy, no matter what the circumstances may be. I love Him and I am forever indebted to Him for what He has done for me.

Thanks for staying tuned during these past 18 months, and thanks for the love and support.

Much love from the other side of the pond!

Photographs below :)