End of Mission

Well.................................................What do I say????? I will start off with a few things. The first thing is that next Monday I might actually use e-mail again but I do not know for sure. We received our schedules for the last few days and my last interview of the mission is on Monday. That will really be very very weird. I am looking forward to the interview but at the same time I also know that it will be a really really hard time for me. To say that I am sad about going home would be a lie. I am very very excited to be able to see you all again especially my mother whom I love, but I am, however, very sad that here pretty soon I will be leaving a mission that I love, a country that I love, people that I love, an area that I love and language that I love. I do hope however that I will not be as weird as Jason was when he got home. I will try my hardest to not be like that. I have been praying a lot lately that God would help me with the transition. I really hope that he does. I will need it. The work does not stop and that is how it should be. We are trying our hardest to be able to baptize three more people this coming Sunday. That would be so great. Those baptisms would help me to complete my goal that I made for my mission. Also the bishop is going to let me sing and talk on the last Sunday. I really hope that I do not cry. I never really thought that the mission would come to an end. I always thought that it would keep going on forever, but it is coming to an end and I do not know what to do. Sometimes I think.... Maybe I should start thinking about home but then I think to myself I cannot do that because I need to work till the very last moment of my mission. I think that God still has someone here in Brazil that needs to hear my voice. I will find that person and I will work my hardest this last week that I have.
Well just to make me a little more sad.. ha. The person sitting next to me (Mauro) turned to me this very instant and told me that I have a very beautiful (peaceful, loving) energy about me. That was a very great compliment. Something that I do not know will continue after I take this name tag off.
I am excited to be able to see good old grams again and to have dinner on Sunday nights. That will be very great. I know that it might be a little weird but it will still be great. Also I am very excited to see all of my nieces and nephews again. That will be a moment very special for me. I really love little kids and it will be great to be able to hold one in my arms again. I really believe that my nieces and nephews will be able to help me a lot in getting used to being home. Children really are angels here on earth.
It will be great to be able to go to Church again there in the United states. I still think that for a while I will be going to more than just one ward every Sunday just to settle into things. I think that is something that could really help me. I hope that you are OK with that. I will probably try to go to our new ward and one of the old wards.
Well let me talk about my mission. I mean I still am a missionary. This last week was great. We were able to see many many miracles. Thanks to the power of fasting and the power of God. We were really trying our hardest and the Lord did the rest. We were also blessed with a baptism last week. That made me really really happy. So the ward that I am in was now split(kind of split) it is hard to explain I will have to tell you about it later. I was able to do a division that I have wanted to do for my whole mission this last week. I was able to do a division with a missionary that I really love. He is a good man. I am excited to talk with him after he to gets done with his mission. It was such a great division and we were able to get so many great things done together. I have really realized that everything that we do on our mission is not because we are powerful but because God decided to bless us. If it were not for him we could really not do anything.
I really have nothing left to say. I am really speechless. Well I love you all. I know that this is the true church. It is not easy to be a member but it is definitely worth it. I know that God really does love us. I am so grateful that he let me be a representative of his son Jesus Christ. I really do not feel worthy of all the blessings that I have received on my mission. Sometimes I really forget all the blessings that happen on the mission but then when I remember it is so great. God is wonderful and God is a God of Miracles. The Book of Mormon is true. We need to be studying the scriptures every single day to be able to stay on the path. That is one thing that I really hope that I do not lose after the mission. I love to study the scriptures and I love to pray to God. I know that he is there. Sometimes it is hard to feel him there but I know that he does hear our prayers. I love you all so much and until next week.... I will try my hardest to not be sad when I get home like Jason. It will be really hard for me to leave Brazil but I am excited for the great things that are ahead of me. Love you all!!!
Elder Daniel James Parkinson
P.s. I think you already know what time I will be getting in but I will remind you. 11:20. Love you all. Do not forget to advise Bishop Gregory.