I'm home!

Hey everyone!! I'm back from Heritage Tours! It was an 18-day church history tour. There were over 120 recent high school grads that went from LP and AF! We rode 2 big charter buses around that seriously became my home over time. We seriously went across the country, as far east as Boston and NY and stuff.. It was SO SO much fun!! We visited basically all of the important sites of the restoration within the trip. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime.. Strengthened my testimony more than I thought could ever happen in only 3 weeks! We had TONS of neat, spiritual experiences that I hope to NEVER forget because they mean so much to me and my testimony. I'll share a couple:

On Fast Sunday, June 6, we went to the sacred grove. What an amazing day! So we come out of a local sacrament meeting in Palmyra and it is POURING rain! Rain that I've never seen before.. It was unbelievable. So as we boarded the buses, our directors asked us to pray as a group and individually for the weather to clear up, and if not, it was necessary for what we needed to learn that day. We get to the sacred grove, it's still raining, but minutes after we go off alone in the grove, I heard the rain stop hitting the leaves. It stopped raining and the only "rain" I could feel was from the leaves. Such an amazing experience to know that God answers our prayers. I know He does.

Also, the day we spend in Nauvoo, June 14, it was supposed to be stormy all day, but it didn't rain at all. In fact, we were sweating from the intense sun! And on the Susquehanna River, we saw this amazing storm cloud above us, knowing that it would rain, the pathway back to the bus would be muddy, and we'd probably all be miserable. We prayed that the rain could be postponed till the end of our meeting, if it be God's will, and it totally did! The rain cloud literally flew over us and it didn't start raining till we were off and headed to the hotel. I had the most surreal experiences with God answering our prayers.

Also at the Susquehanna, the boys and girls were standing on opposite sides of the group for our meeting. The boys sang a song about the restoration of the priesthood and I, of course, was crying. I can't help it. And we had a testimony of the power of the priesthood and missionary work. Such a strong spirit there! At one point in the meeting, I looked at the boys, my friends, my friends who will one day all become missionaries. And I imagined thousands of people standing behind them, I saw the thousand of people who will be converted to the gospel throughout the generations because of the boys standing in front of me. Then I cried harder! I know that the power of missionaries and spreading the gospel is absolutely necessary in bringing God's plan to its fulness.

In Sheron, VT, the birthplace of Joseph Smith, I got the confirmation that Joseph Smith sacrificed SO much for me to have the gospel. I sat in the middle of a hill that was facing this memorial for Joseph Smith when it was dark outside and I could see all of the stars. It was really the neatest experience.. The spirit has never been stronger at that point on the trip. I couldn't stop WEEPING! Ah I love the gospel and KNOW it's true.

And finally, at Adam-ondi-Ahman, we talked about the sacrament meeting that the Savior will someday conduct. We discussed as a group that if we are living righteously and worthily, or simply holding a current temply recommend, we can attend that meeting with all the great prophets of old and of this dispensation! All worthy members at that time will be invited to attend that meeting. Wow. I've never been more motivated to live more Christlike in my life!

This was probably a really, unnecessarily long post for all of you reading, but even writing it myself, I relived and reexperienced those things that I felt on this trip, and I had even more confirmation from the Spirit that this is the true church! Everything I sacrificed for this trip was 100% worth it! I want to go again! Ah. I KNOW this gospel is true. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This trip simply confirmed to me all of the principles and doctrines that I've grown up with are so true.. I'm glad to say that I'm going off to college now with a firm, unshaken testimony of this church.

Can't wait to see all of you at grandma's! I missed you all! Thanks for all your love and support! :)