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