What a year this has been! This year has been full of many new adventures, learning experiences, challenges, spiritual insights, and most of all enjoyment. We have felt the love and support of our family even though we are across the world. We are so thankful for them and love them dearly. We have felt great love for and from the missionaries, Church members, and Philippine people in general. We are thankful for the blessings we have received this past year. The transition wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. For whatever reason we don't feel out of place here; the people are so kind and friendly. They may think we're out of place but they don't make us feel that way. Of course we miss our family, friends, neighbors, home, Utah, and the United States but we love this beautiful country. We feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the strength we have felt from the enabling power of the Savior's atonement. We have been blessed with the physical and spiritual strength to do more than we are capable of doing on our own. We have learned so much about mission life that I told Bart I wish I would have known a year ago what I know now and he told me that I will feel that way next year too. I'm sure he's right since we will continue to learn and hopefully improve. Thank you to all of the wonderful people that have blessed our lives this past year--those we knew before we came to the Philippines and those we have met this year. We love and appreciate you all!
