Cleaning out my mission box

When I was going through my closet trying to minimalize stuff, I came across this mission box and I thought some memories are not worth giving up.  Some of the things in this box I don't need to hang on to.  I will open up this box every few years and be reminded of the great 18 months I spent serving the Lord and enjoying that wonderful time.  I don't need to save every little thing from those 18 months .

These books were my study journals.  They have so much good info in  them.   I took so many notes and learned so much spiritually on my mission.  These books will never leave my house.  They are a great treasure to look back and read through.

Here is an example of how I took notes and learned.

Then I have my journal.   This has so many emotions rolled into it.  Before I went on my mission I read my sisters mission journal and it helped prepare me for what was to come.   It was a REAL insight into a mission.   I let my younger sister read through my journals when we was debating going on a mission and I hope she enjoyed them as well.  haha  I hope my kids will one day read these and it will help them decide to serve a mission, or at least learn something from them.

These were my planners.  They held 6 weeks or 1 change.   I didn't realize how much I loved this planner until I got home and started buying the exact same size for the year.  I have one from every year after the mission and I currently have one.  

These planners had my life in them each change.  I wrote so much stuff down in them.  I loved going back through and seeing what we did each day.  Who we contacted and taught. 

This was a letter from my mission president. 

This is my actual mission call.  I need to laminate it or something so it won't get ruined ever. 

My mom sent me a calendar with pictures of my family.  I loved being able to see my family and my companions loved it as well.  They got to know me a little bit better. 

I have a cd book with pictures.  The white handbook. My tiny spanish bible, a cassette tape I made with my companion. My teaching aids, my bus card and Chilean ID... My money pouch with some real money still.  

This was an interesting find that I didn't know I would be getting from my mission president when I left.  Every week we were to write to our mission president and let him know how we were doing.  Well he put all of my emails on a cd and sent me home with it.  I have yet to read these but I can imagine how good they were.

 This is my binder of important papers that we got from conferences or anything.   It also kept all of my hand written letters I got from family, friends, mission friends.

My mom printed off all of the letters I typed and kept them for me.  As I was reading through these it was so fun to be taken back into those moments.  Its like I was there again.  I am so glad that I took the time to write my family and that my mom was so nice to save them all.  

A Soccer shirt from Chile.  I have one that I wear occasionally but this one I think I got for one of my brothers but it doesn't fit anymore so he gave it back.   One day I will give it to my kids and let them wear it.

This sweet sweet badge means so much to me.   Everyday when I put this on I was so privileged to be a missionary.   I loved my mission,  there were some very very hard days.... and even weeks but there were some really really good days and weeks.  I learned so much, I felt so much. I have never grown so close to special women I call companions.  I have never been so spiritually high as I was on my mission.  I was dedicated 100% to serving the Lord.  It was a great 18 months.  I learned so much about myself and know I became a better person because I was willing to go way out of my comfort zone.  I know I received so many blessings because of that.  I wish everyone could serve a mission so they can feel of that love.  Just tonight I saw the Elders walking down the road in the rain and I had true sympathy for them. I was taken back to a day when I was new on my mission and it had been raining all day.  We got to lunch and we were soaked.  I thought we have to go home and change there is no way we can continue.  We did continue working until it was time to come home.  When I took my shoes off that night I have never seen my feet to wrinkled and cold.   I thought they were going to fall off.  I learned a lot from all of my companions and love each one dearly.  

I love the people that I taught and love to keep in contact with them.  They bring me joy each time I hear they are still doing well in the gospel.  It brings me true joy.