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UNTIL 9/25/13:
Sister Lisa Hamilton
SEP25 OR-EUGE
2007 N 900 E Unit 72
Provo UT 84602

AFTER 9/25/13:
Sister Lisa Hamilton
Oregon Eugene Mission
55 W 29th Ave Ste A
Eugene, OR 97405

EMAIL:
lisa.hamilton@myldsmail.net

Till We Meet Again

Wow. I don't even know where to begin. Today was *spectacular*

I woke up early this morning s t r e s s e d . I was supposed to speak in church, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say. I had written a talk (multiple, actually). Nothing seemed right. My heart was heavy. 10 minutes before walking out the front door for church, I knew I couldn't use anything I had written. I prayed. I prayed hard. And, just as He did when He asked me to serve a mission, Heavenly Father asked me to take a deep breath, step to the pulpit, and trust him.

As church began, my heart raced. And then a member of the stake presidency walked in *gulp*  Talk about nerves. Here I was, minutes from giving my farewell, and I had no idea what I was going to say. And then...

THE LIGHTS WENT OUT

"Okay, okay, I get it," I thought. "I won't give the talk I prepared. You didn't have to cut the lights to keep me from reading it." Then again, maybe He did. I can be pretty stubborn; He knows that best of all.

After singing a hymn in the dark, the lights turned back on and the congregation all gasped in delight. How great it is to bask in His light in a well-lit chapel.

After all the excitement of the lights going out and a wonderful talk by Sister Bonnette, a convert, a returned missionary, and a mother of 4? 5?, I made my way to the pulpit. Although I didn't have the words I should speak written down, the words flowed freely from my mouth. Heavenly Father never ceases to amaze me. "Let go of control, Lisa" He implores. "Let me speak through you. Let me give you the words you should speak." And when I do that, when I relinquish control, He takes over. I bore testimony of the things I know, and as I did, my testimony grew. Instead of a heavy, stressed heart, I had a warm, full heart - enlarged with testimony.

Throughout the entire day, my ward family enveloped me in arms of love and prayers of support and encouragement. From notes of well-wishing to beaded bobby socks (my childhood fave), they showered me with love. I have an entire journal full of written testimonies, words of advice, and encouragement and lots and lots of love. 

Following church, we had a potluck linger-longer. Several returned missionaries from the ward shared mission stories and gave me advice. The primary children (and, might I add, we have a vivacious group) sang "I hope they call me on a mission!" with vigor and vim, and then overran me with the most ginormous group hug I have ever taken part in <3

My last surprise of the day was a video. A hilarious parody put together by the youth and their leaders about "Lisa's first day in the field". It was the best!

My heart is full. My cup runneth over. I am so blessed to be part of a wonderful ward family. But even more than that, I am blessed to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And, even more than that, I am blessed to be a daughter of the King.