Finish Line! I'm Home!

Goodbye mission life!! This morning I got dropped off at the mission office at 7 am! We traveled from retalhuleu to guate (the capital) with hermana dominguez, hermana soriano, hermana Rodriguez, and hermana ontiveros. It was actually really fun with them. We got to the mall and our jaws dropped seeing all the Christmas stuff and nice stores and normal people. Then we got dropped off at the temple housing and ran into a temple session. It was a really good one. I offered up my mission to heavenly father and I asked him if he accepted it, and he answered me with doctrine and covenants section 126. I felt so happy that he accepted my sacrifice. Also when I walked into the celestial room the sealing room door was wide open and I felt so strong that, that is the next step!!! Crazy. I feel a lot of peace and closer with my mission. It still hasn't hit me. I know it wont until i'm in the USA. But I know i'm gonna miss this so much. I am so excited to see my family. AHHHH. I love them so much. The airplane home was insane. I showed up to the check in desk and they asked for my passport and I was shaking so bad that I had them pull it out for me. Then I saw that my flight had been delayed! Which means I was only going to have 40 minutes to go through customs, get my luggage, recheck my luggage, go through security, and then find my gate which was a train ride away!!!!!!!!!!! As I took off from Guatemala, I reflected on how it truly was my Gethsemane. I was so emotional because I learned to love the Guatemalans and I was closing a chapter in my life. So once I landed I booked it out of the door and ran to customs. I was so out of breath. I got to baggage claim and mine were the last to come down, then I rechecked them. Then I waited for security and asked if there was a faster line and she told me that there is no such thing hahah then TSA decided to check my bag. Then I ran to take the train to the next door terminal. I got to my terminal 10 minutes before the flight took off and I was the last person to board the plane hahaha!!! But the thing is I made it!! 4.5 hours later we landed in Ontario. I seriously was dry heaving. It was SO bad! I got off and I said a prayer before walking down. Then I DID IT!!! I hugged my mom. We hugged for sooo long! I just told her I felt like I was in a dream. Then I hugged Dad and all the kids and we all just cried. 

Then we all went to in-n-out and joked about GUATLIFE!!! Later I got to see cooper!! And he remembered me and peeped all over me!! haha I was too happy to care! Then I laid on the carpet. The next day we got up bright and early to get released. It was so emotional being released from a calling so special. President Cartozian had be share my testimony with my family. I cried the entire time. Once he officially released me I felt the mantel come off my shoulders. I felt my chest physically collapse and I started to cry. I knew I would miss that responsibility. Then dad gave me a fathers blessing and he told me that the lord will still guide me, and he wont take me away from the path. . I know that we ALL have the privilege to work in His vineyard. We can all be His hands and care for our neighbor. I have learned to be His hands. I know He lives. I know He loves us. I know that he hears every prayer. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only church on this earth that has all of the saving ordinances to grant us eternal life. I know it because I have prayed.  I know. I have testified and will continue to testify because I have such a conviction of the gathering of Israel. I know we can only gather Israel with the book of Mormon. I love the book of moron and I love the bible. I know Christ came and bore record to the laminates here in the Americas. I love the Guatemalans. They changed my life. What level of humility and love. Lots of missionaries finish their mission and wonder if they had success. I would be so bold to say that if a missionary comes to know where to find peace in the storm, which is Christ, and they have been converted into a disciple then their personal mission was a success. in the end all else will fail unless we put our faith in Christ. A full-time mission is a price worth paying.

She returned with honor!!

Cooper remembered Brynn!

This is what  #GUATLIFE Finish line looks like

Week 73: That's a wrap on gautlife!!!!

I can't believe I am writing my VERY LAST mission email. 

This week another drunk guy had the audacity to yell at me hahha He asked me why god took his mother away and I explained to him that it was part of god's plan and he SCREAMED in my face and tried to hit me with a rolled up pamphlet hahaah 

That same night some random person called us late at night asking if we could ¨make room for him in the inn¨ hahahaahaha I WAS LIKE UHHHH NO !!! I hung up sooo fast rip

We go running in the mornings next to some volcanoes and one of them low key errumpted cause a ton of smoke started pouring out hahaah but it never ended up exploding!!!! #guatdeath

Then my district held my funeral because hermana salisbury is gonna die in 8 days hahaha #ishouldntbealiveGUATEDITION

Thank you all for following the GUAT LIFE. You only guat once. I honestly think I deserve my eagle scout after this hahahhaah I FOR SURE earned every merit badge at least twice.

Where did the time go? In about one week I will have made it back to the comfort of my home and family, as if everything was the same again, but I know I will never be the same. That girl getting on a plane to Guatemala city on July 17th, 2018 is not the same girl that will be coming off the plane in a week. This 18 month mission marked my life, in such a way that I can't return to who I was before the mission. I was able to see the conversion of so many hearts and one of those was my own. That in it self made every bit of hunger, rejection, rain, heat, sweat, tears, parasites, raw meat, tired feet, spanish confusion ALL WORTH IT. It was all worth it because now looking back I have changed my life. The real mission is AFTER this one. The mission of enduring until the end. I am very aware that I am SO far from perfect but I am amazed at the way the Lord has molded my heart these 18 months. This work doesn't end when my plaque comes off. That is when it starts.

 I'm so excited to keep working hard, and build off of these things I have learned. A mission isn't for everybody but it might take you a lifetime to learn what you COULD HAVE learned on your mission. Because of the mission I have found the discipleship path. This mission helped me learn the importance of this path and gave me the conviction to STAY THERE. I know, like it says in jacob 5 in the book of mormon, that this is the last time the lord with nurture his vineyard. I know that we ALL have the privilege to work in His vineyard. We can all be His hands and care for our neighbor. I have learned to be His hands. I know He lives. I know He loves us. I know that he hears every prayer and that His presence has always been the difference. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only church on this earth that has all of the saving ordinances to grant us eternal life. I know it because I have prayed.

 I know. I have testified and will continue to testify because I have such a conviction of the gathering of israel. I know we can only gathre israel with the book of mormon. I love the book of moron and I love the bible. I know christ came and bore record to the lamanites here in the americas. I love the guatemalans. I have cried on multiple occasions because I know the time is coming in which I have to separate from them. I feel as if I am leaving my home again. But I know and I can truly testify that this call to guatemala was inspired. It was not by coincidence that I was sent here. I received and accepted this calling before I was born. I went into evreu area (san marcos, mazate, malacatan, coatepeque and San felipe) looking for the familiar faces I had promised in the pre earth life. I feel such a peace in my heart saying that I found them. I feel peace saying I can now go home and start a new mission, cause I still have so much work to do. I testify of all these things and I do so in the sacred name of whom I represent, even jesus christ, amen.  

Signing off for the last time...

Hermana Salisbury

Week 72: OPENING A NEW AREA with HERMANA CALVO (trainee from april 2019)

Ok I say this every week but this was the craziest week of the mission. hahaha

So President called me to tell me that I won't be a sister training leader for my last three weeks and that he wanted me to open up a BRAND NEW AREA close to the mission office called San Felipe Brillantes! I was SO surprised because I thought I was going to finish my mission in Coatepeque! 

So because I was traveling with president to my new area I got to go to 2 Zone conferences. I got to see all of my old companions and basically say bye to everyone because I'm going home!

 There are 9 missionaries that go home in my group so president had us all go up and give our final testimonies in the zone conferences. It was surreal because I have seen so many other missionaries give their farewell testimony but now it was my turn!!! All the elders that were in the mtc with me said it was INSANE seeing me upthere cause the time just FLEW by!! We had the zone conference on thanksgiving and president fed us a thanksgiving dinner!! It was PERF!! hahaha THanksgiving guat style. 

After the zone conferences we got out super late and all the office elders and us had to get to retalhuleu the next day! (in total we were 7 people) SO president just got us 1 taxi and we had to fit 7 people with ALL of our luggage ahhahaha with the guat power we somehow ALL fit hahaha It was the funniest car ride ever haha we ended up getting pulled over haaahaha Imagine 1 taxi guy driving with 2 people in the front seat and 5 in the back without seatbelts and suitcases FLYING everywhere hahaha The police just looked at us saw we were missionaries and LET US GO hahah that would have been a $1000 ticket hahaha #guatpolice

So I got to my new area and a really nice member gave us stuffed jalapenos for breakfast! We all had to eat with our hands and touch the chile. During the meal I need to itch my eyes so bad so I did and OH MY GOSH biggest mistake because my eye felt like it was on fire. It stung SO bad I just got up mid conversation at the dinner table to pour water in my eyes hahhahahah The host was so confused so she asked me what happened and I told her. She was like HEY JUST PUT A LEMON IN YOUR EYE AND the PAIN will ¨go away¨ hahahahha Im so dumb cause I actually did it!!! I'm surprised I didn't go blind. I was so mad at the lady but I couldn't say anything because she didn't know any better hahaha After about 10 minutes the pain went away haha #guatCHEF

My new area brillantes is SOOOO small town. Not even a town it's like a little neighborhood hahaha Its guatemalan farm with a baby neighborhood. It is so fun cause everyone knows everyone and they having missionaries here!!! 

This week we had the dinner for those that are going home in my group. We all meet up for dinner with president in Quetzaltenago and then we go to the temple!! It was so fun cause we got to stay in the temple housing which is basically a really nice hotel. When I walked in I just stood in shock cause I haven't seen anything like it in a year and a half. Then we found senior missionaries that invited us into their apartment cause they were doing a thanksgiving dinner. When I walked into this home with the smell of a home cooked thanksgiving dinner i CRIED AAHAAH the couple was like ¨you guys dont have this in your mission??¨ hahahhaa i was like uhhh NOT AT ALL!!! Retalhuleu is the most ghetto mission in guat so they probably think we are SO 3rd world hahaha

So yesterday I found out who I was going to open this area with. I got put WITH HERMANA CALVO FROM EL SALVADOR!!! I trained her april 2019 and now she will be with me until I go home!!!!!!! SO CRAZY!!!! ahahahah 

I am so grateful for this work. This is my second to last email and it makes me SO sad knowing that my full time mission is coming to a close. But I know that the mission of our heavenly father NEVER ENDS. I will always share this gospel (just without a name tag) I love sharing the gospel with the guatemalans. I love that I truly converted. I am so joyful and  I feel so satisfied everyday I share this gospel. In 15 days ill be on my way home. I am going to take advantage of every LAST SECOND. 

Con Amor, 

hermana Salisbury

Week 71: BAPTISM and GUAT PREDADOR

Ok we had a horrible experience this week with some guy we were teaching hahaha He is SUPER old probably like 70 years old. We finished the lesson and he asked if he could take a picture OF us hahahah I was like UH lets just take one all together! And he was like ok so he opened his phone and HAD INAPPROPRIATE PICTURES!!!!! I was like UMMM lets get out of here. So he kept trying to force to take selfies with him so we just booked it hahaha Im sure he might have been upset but he was CREEPY!!!! #guatpredador

So as we were walking to just we got a call that the bishop wanted to talk with us. When we got to the church with 5 minutes to spare and he told us we were speaking. COOL hhahahah so we were the 2 main speakers and I got to wing it for 15 minutes in spanish ahhaha. 

So this week we had a BAPTISM!!! His name is Antonio. He is SO dedicated. He lives so far away that he has to walk 2 hours to take a bus to the church. But this sunday we went to his house with all the members. On the way there he got off the bus and BOUGHT stuff in a small store (tienda) IN FRONT OF ALL OF THE MEMBERS!! They were all asking us "did you teach him that we cant buy on Sundays" ahhahaah We totally did but I think he just forgot. #GUATjudgement

JUST MY LUCK my camera broke. It couldn't make it ONE MORE MONTH hahaha So we aren't sure what happened but on Saturday it just stopped working. So I sent it to get looked at and they said that it needs a special part replacement that is only found in big cities/ countries like the UNITED STATES hahhahaha I have SUCH bad luck. SO i won't have a camera for my last month but a really nice member from our ward is gonna let me borrow her camera until I go home! #GUATISSOBEHIND

So we met a gringa that literally lives here. I was so confused. The first thing I asked her was WHY she would CHOSE to live in GUAT??? hahaha she is like a super hippy so she said she wants to help all the people in guat feel the love. I was like good luck I've been doing that for 18 months hahaha But it was super random to meet a girl from Iowa here in guat hahaha

Our area is HUGE. So huge that we don't even know where it ends hahaha but we decided to explore one part called pacaya because we had received a reference from church headquarters (FIRST TIME IN MY MISSION) So of course we went looking. Our only address was "unknown road of pacaya" and it's like the BIGGEST most spread out pueblo ever so we just started asking random people if they knew Osman Mejia. Nobody had a clue!!! So we chose a random dirt road and started walking. We got about 2 or 3 miles in and decided to ask a nice family if they knew osman and they didn't know either. We kinda lost hope at that point and realized that we couldn't find him in this HUGE town without god's guidance.I told my comp that we weren't going to lunch until we found him. hahaha We prayed on that dirt road and then pondered about where we needed to search. We felt impressed to just keep walking. We only got about .5 miles when I felt a force move me to ask ONE more hermana. when I asked she said she wasn't sure but that maybe he lived in the next house over. I was so happy that we ran to the next house and asked if they knew OSMAN MEJIA ahahaha and she was like oh he is my brother!!!! WOW honestly I know that when we call down the powers of heaven they COME DOWN. I am so thankful to live to see miracles. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Salisbury

Week 70: EATING COW STOMACH

My digestive system can't do this anymore hahaha

This week we were contacting a really nice lady! We saw that she was sweeping her "front yard" (basically just the street) and we offered to help her pick up all the trash and she said no because she was going to dump it all in the river AHAHAH she has the prettiest river right next to her house and I CRINGED watching her dump POOPY DIAPERS and USED TOILET PAPER into he RIVER hahhaha but thats how you live #guatlife Honestly there is a littering problem here hahaha 

So we were visiting a girl who was going to join the church and get baptized. The only problem was that her husband was SUPER abusive and she didnt know what to do. So we straight up gave her advice to run away and we didnt think she would actually do it until we went to her house to visit her and her husband answered the door (I was so freaked out by him hahaha) he asked us why we were there and we told him we were there to visit his wife. And then he told us how she ran away to MEXICO with their 4 kids!!!!!! I was SHOCKED. Then he was like i dont know why she would ever run away from me and I was like UHHHH cause you ABUSE HER!!! (I didnt say that) but basically we broke up a marriage and I dont know if I should feel bad about it or not hahaha #GUATWOMANPOWER

A lot of times people dont let us give lesson in their house so we give them on the street. So my comp, the person we were teaching, and the member we brought were sat on the side walk. There wasnt enough room on the side walk so I was sat on the cobble stone street where all the SPEEDING CARS PASS!! We were finishing up the lesson with a prayer and I had to close my eyes while sitting on the road with a TON of cars!!! I said that prayer with my eyes WIDE OPEN hahaha im sure the person we were teaching saw me and was super confused hahaha during that prayer like 4 huge semi trucks passed and we heard gun shots in the next street over hahahha sketchiest prayer I have ever given. Honestly I almost always have my eyes cracked open during the prayer just to make sure no one trys to steal something from me ahhaah #livingonaGUATprayer

well like I said my digestive system is done with guatlife. We got fed COW STOMACH this week. I seriously can't explain on any level what it was like. But what I can say is it smelt like cow breath and was sooooo SO CHEWY like I felt like I was choking as I swallowed it. The whole time I ate it I had tears in my eyes cause SO grossed out but I had to eat it for the people that gave me it. I ended up cutting the stomach into pill size bites and swallowed each piece like a pill so it didn't even TOUCH my TASTE BUDS AHAHA the stomach didn't get me sick but the NEXT DAY someone gave us a pepper covered in egg  whites stuff with cheese and SHRIMP hahaha My stomach was so confused. I have had a stomach ache since then. Parasites round 4 here we come! #GOURMENTGUAT

This week was awesome cause we were able to share the book of Mormon with SO many people. As we were sharing 3 Nephi 11 (the chapter when Christ visits the Americas) with guatemalan historian he told us about an ancient mayan story that a white god named "gucumz". He said that they don't know a ton about him cause the people from Spain burned a lot of the religious records of the mayas. But he said that everything that the book of Mormon says about christs visit in the Americas lines up perfectly with the information we do have about the mayans visit with the "white god". I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. I know it is the tool to prepare us for the second coming of the messiah. The Book of Mormon is another testament of the life of Jesus Christ. God loves us. That's why he has sent us more of HIS word. I invite all of us to read the book of Mormon and the bible everyday to be better prepared for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Salisbury