. . . And back again
This past Monday--just two weeks shy of a year from when I finished my mission--I once again flew from Eastern Europe to America. I'd never really seen that coming. I'd never expected in my life to go to Eastern Europe. Let alone twice. But our God has a perfect plan for us. He knows exactly what we need even when we can scarcely begin to fathom it. And when He called me to serve a mission in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, He changed my life forever. And He changed it again when He told me that I needed to study abroad in Moscow this summer. And because of that I once again found myself on a Utah-bound airplane, feeling my heart break a little as I left behind the Russian-speaking world.
I left my heart there in Russia, with the orphans to whom I taught English. I left it there with the youth in my stake who became my dear friends. I left it on Red Square and in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. I left it along the banks of the Moscow River where I watched the sun set. I left it in St. Petersburg in the palaces and gardens.
This summer was a time of deep personal growth. My proficiency in the Russian language increased. My understanding of Russian culture and history deepened. And my love for the people of Russia grew exponentially. I forged relationships that changed my life and will forever impact who I will become.
In short, this summer was a lot like my mission--I loved deeply and learned a lot and had profound spiritual experiences. And that's why getting on that plane was so hard. Homesickness and missing are the price we pay for loving. I guess if we wanted to live a pain-free life, we would have to never love. And I don't really think a life without love would be worth living.
So I'll take the missing of Moscow. I'll deal with the lack of Russian surrounding me. I'll be content with Facebook and Skype to communicate with the people I left behind. I'll deal with the missing so I can keep the love. Because some things are worth loving. And Russia is one of those things.
I left my heart there in Russia, with the orphans to whom I taught English. I left it there with the youth in my stake who became my dear friends. I left it on Red Square and in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. I left it along the banks of the Moscow River where I watched the sun set. I left it in St. Petersburg in the palaces and gardens.
This summer was a time of deep personal growth. My proficiency in the Russian language increased. My understanding of Russian culture and history deepened. And my love for the people of Russia grew exponentially. I forged relationships that changed my life and will forever impact who I will become.
In short, this summer was a lot like my mission--I loved deeply and learned a lot and had profound spiritual experiences. And that's why getting on that plane was so hard. Homesickness and missing are the price we pay for loving. I guess if we wanted to live a pain-free life, we would have to never love. And I don't really think a life without love would be worth living.
So I'll take the missing of Moscow. I'll deal with the lack of Russian surrounding me. I'll be content with Facebook and Skype to communicate with the people I left behind. I'll deal with the missing so I can keep the love. Because some things are worth loving. And Russia is one of those things.
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