june 12th, 2011-Last Post-Astoke

Danny will be coming home so soon! We are very exciting to have him back!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has been very busy lately and is trying to get every ounce out of his mission experience. I hope he does not run too fast....
This may be his last post:

Well. I've got a week left.

Yesterday was Stake Conference. It was a very surreal experience. I ran into so many people that I had met over the last two years. Many people whom recognized me but I couldn't remember them. It was interesting to see so many people that I hadn't seen for so long also knowing that I will probably never see them again.

People say that the only thing in life that doesn't change is change. That really has to be the case. If we think about the purpose of life... the purpose of life is not to sit in the same spot and be as comfortable as possible. The purpose of life is to learn and to grow. Once we have done something, once we have experienced for ourselves, the only thing left to do is to do something else.

My mission experience is almost over.

I'm tired. Really, really tired. I come home every night exhausted, I wake up and when I leave the house I am still exhausted.

I am so tired that I can't even close my eyes while I pray or else I will fall asleep. I have fallen asleep while praying out loud with my companion and he has to wake me up.

I am so tired that I have to eat top-ramen spice packets during studies and stand on one leg so that I don't fall asleep.

I still have time to make a difference. I still have time to meet new people and impact them. I do it on a daily basis. God is still preparing people for me to find and teach. I run into them at their house, on the streets, on the subway, etc. I don't feel like my work is worthless. I know that my work will have great worth, even up to the very last day.

I wish I could do more. I wish I had more strength and energy.

I don't wish for more time. I don't have regrets. I know that God has given me this two years and only these two years. He has prepared a work for me and I did it. I feel that what I have done and what I will do in the next week is all that I can do. I really know what it means to serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength.

Literally, it feels like it is all gone. It feels like I have worked until there is nothing left. Not because I have given up, but because I have fulfilled what I had to do. And when I reach the end, I will be done.

I know that God has prepared things for me to do after my mission as well. With the end of every page, a new one opens.


See you soon,


Elder Brown