Lobstah, gratitude, and Maine sunsets.

​Dear Everyone:

I'm going to miss New England. There, I said it.

​

I mean, with gorgeous sunsets like this one, wouldn't you miss it too? Oh Maine. Beautiful, eh?

This week was a good one. I've been working really hard on gratitude. The end of my mission is not going as I had planned. Or even hoped.

(Because lets be serious. The longer I've been on my mission the more I've realized that it really doesn't matter what kind of plans I have, I'm not the one in charge here. But that's a story for another day.)

Back to gratitude. I've been working on that all this week. And not just being grateful for things, but being grateful in all things.

See what I did there?

Elder Uchtdorf gave a great talk on gratitude last conference, called "Grateful in Any Circumstances". It was kind of my inspiration on my gratitude kick this week. Last Saturday, the 26th, I was kind of frustrated. So I started reading the Ensign, and happened to open up to that talk from President Uchtdorf. I didn't finish it though. But then, the next day in church, we happened to have a lesson in Relief Society on that very talk. And then this last Saturday, the 2nd, I had a fortune cookie after dinner at a less-active's house. And my fortune said "One should not forget the language of gratitude".

I'm starting to get the hint.

I've loved my mission you guys. There have been times when I really wondered what the heck I was doing out here, and times when I really wanted to do anything other than this, but overall, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It's been hard, it's been frustrating, it's been exhausting, and it's been totally, completely, undoubtedly worth it.

And I am so grateful for that.

I'm grateful for all that I've learned, the things I've seen, the people I've met, for the opportunity I've had to help people apply the Atonement in their lives and make them better - and for the time I've been able to spend up-close and personal with the Atonement, applying it to my own life!

Sometimes I feel like Nephi did in 2nd Nephi, chapter 4, verses 28-30. There's nothing like a rejoicing soul.

It's been a beautiful year and a half.

However, I still have one more week. And I'm excited for it. Yes, I am stoked to come home!

But, I still have so much I need to finish out here!

And I'm grateful for it all.

One big blessing from this week? A fresh lobster dinner :)

​

You haven't really lived until you've ripped apart a lobster with your bare hands, dipped it in butter and lemon juice, and eaten it in the lobsterman's backyard.

Have I mentioned how much I love being a missionary?

It's great.

Love you all! See you soon!!

Love,

Sister Lindsey Berg