Why I Stayed Longer on my Mission

Too many miracles are happening in this my final transfer that just
leave me thinking:
"Man! I'm glad I'm still here!"

When I was in the MTC, I met an Elder named W. He's half American, half Japansese
so he was a huge help in my endeavor to study the language. I asked him
questions all the time. He always told me: "Pray you get called to
Shibuya Ward so that you can meet my family!"

Over a year later I forget the name of the Ward his family lived in
and even his last name. I hadn't thought about him at all until
unknowingly, I was at his house and his mom showed us a picture of
him. It was a beautiful, full circle miracle. The miracle doesn't end
there because we take a picture and send it to him in the Fukuoka
mission and he remembers me too! About a week after that he sends his
mom a letter for me to give to his girlfriend before he left on his
own mission. She's a medical student, and insanely busy, but who does
he trust with this precious referral? Twelfth transfer Sister
Goldsberry. What an honor. He wrote me instructions on where to study
in Preach My Gospel to prepare to meet her. He suggested I remind her
how funny he is, "or something like that." The best missionaries in
the mission have served in this Ward but if I hadn't stuck it out
until my twelfth transfer Elder West might not have felt comfortable
to give out this referral. I'M SO GLAD I STAYED.

Our friend D. was having a really hard time. Her visa to stay in
America was denied. We've only met her three times, but being the self
reliant person that she is, she turned to the Book of Mormon for
comfort. She prayed, read in Helaman 12, and came to realize that
perhaps it wasn't God's will that she go to America, but that she stay
in Japan so she can be baptized on May 1st. That's a huge miracle in
itself. She shouted our individual names into the phone and said: "I
LOVE YOU!" and right then I was glad I stayed so I could hear D.
tell her she loved me.

There have been so many ailments, so many twisted mentalities that
I've been healed from on my mission. A lot of the people I had to
forgive, a lot of the habits I had to develop, a lot of the revelation
I had to receive didn't come to me until my twelfth transfer. For that
I am eternally grateful.

Also, this week my two companions defined me as "dignified" and
"suave." Missions really do change people.

Love you!

See you soon,
Sister Goldsberry

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