Chino, California -November 10, 2014

Hey Mom, Dad, and the kids (whose names I may or may not have forgotten after being gone for so long)

Well I have now stared at this empty email for quite a few minutes now.  I am just not sure what to write for my last email to you as a missionary.  That is kind of weird to think about.  For that last eighteen months I have emailed you every week and that will be a change to not do that anymore.  But I will be with you in person so it will be all the better.  

I guess I could start with one big detail I left out from my email last week.  I am not the driver!! Don't you worry.  It is my companion that has ruined all the mission cars, not me.  :)  So you don't need to worry for my driving when I get back home.  I have been a good safe driver the whole time I have been out.

Not a lot of significant events happened this week for us.  It was stake conference.  That was fun.  So I will have one week off and then another stake conference.  Great huh?  We knocked doors.  We had partial exchanges.  We didn't go on normal ones all transfer because of all the crazy stuff that has happened this transfer with our companionship.  So on Saturday we just exchanged for a couple of hours.  Nothing too great about it.  

I did have my departing interview with President.  That was just weird because it was so different from any other interview I have ever had with him.  Instead of missionary work and companions we talked about stuff after the mission.  Just didn't feel normal haha.

I am including part of my email to Presidents about my mission:  It has been a good mission. I have quite enjoyed all of it. There were definitely some hard times, but I have learned and grown a lot during it. I have made some life long friends and met many people that have changed my life forever. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve God these last 18 months of my life and there is nothing else I would have wanted to do with them. They have been wonderful and I bet lots of good things will continue to come from these last 18 months for the rest of my life.

I just want to say that I am so grateful to both mom and dad for encouraging me my whole life to go on a mission. If it weren't for your examples, I don't know if I would have chosen to serve and because of that my life has been forever changed.  I love this gospel.  I love that I have been able to represent Jesus Christ for 18 months and share the wonderful news of the restored gospel with every one.  I love our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. I am often in wonder at how much They both do for each one of us every day of our lives.  They really do know each of us personally and want what is best for us.  As Sister Hobbs said in stake conference, "God just wants us home"  That is His purpose and His plan.  He just wants all of us to return back to Him again.  I am so grateful that I have been able to help people start on the path back to Him again.  This has been a wonderful adventure that I am beyond grateful for.  

Well I think that is all for now.  I am going to finish the rest of my p-day and I will see you all very soon.  Have a wonderful week and start feeling better mom! And don't forget to bring Maggie to the airport!!

Love you all,

Sister Woodward

Hindu Temple

Carving pumpkins

Carving pumpkins