Last Letter

This was two years ago at the MTC in Provo

Perry completes his mission on Tuesday.  He will fly home and we will all be at the airport to meet him.  To say we are excited is such an understatement!  Can't wait to post pictures of him at the airport.  He sent the following email this week.  So proud of what a wonderful young man he has grown to be these last two years--especially because he was pretty awesome before he went.    Welcome home grandson!

Dear Friends and Family,

As some of you are likely aware, my mission will come to a conclusion this Tuesday, and as such this will be my last weekly email. These last two years have been spectacular, I don’t think there has been any other time in my life during which I have learned so much or had so many spiritual experiences. 

Throughout my mission I have met some awesome people, been in great places, and had opportunities to do incredible things. I’m grateful to have spent these last two years in Kentuckiana; there’s no place I’d rather have spent this time.

Without a doubt, I have learned a lot on my mission, but one thing in particular which stands out to me is the importance of keeping our testimonies fueled. It’s not hard to do, yet when one allows their testimony to die down or extinguish, it is substantially more difficult to rekindle the fire.

Maintaining and growing our testimonies is not excessively difficult. For the most part, we know what we need to do, and as we strive to keep the commandments and do what God has asked of us, the spirit will help us to follow Him. He only expects us to do our best. 

This week has gone pretty well. Christmas was great and this morning we had the opportunity to go to the temple. It was really good. I will miss the Louisville Temple, but I look forward to attending other temples.

I have no doubt that this week will be gone before I know it. But I plan to make the most of it. I recently was thinking about what I want to do in the remainder of my mission and although I have not been perfect, I have no regrets from my mission. Even my mistakes have been learning experiences and I am glad for the knowledge which they provided me.

I hope that you all have a wonderful year. I look forward to the chance I have to move on and continue following our Savior Jesus Christ. I still have a lot to learn, but everything will work out as I put work into everything I do.

Have a happy new year.

-Elder Scott Perry Duncan