DEDICATION...only ten more days...

DEDICATION...only ten more days...till he walks off the plane!  to say that our family is excited is an understatement.  we are beyond  thrilled to get our hands on him again.  we are so proud of him and his example of service and diligence and leadership and sacrifice and courage and faith and obedience and so much more.  things are different and at the airport there will be a missing face.  tate's uncle travis won't be there in body but i know that he will be there in spirit.  i also know that he has been there for tate on his mission when things were tough or hard or discouraging.  as a family tate coming home means a little more.  it is another tender mercy for my family.   i like to think it is similiar to the reunion that we will have someday with travis.  this family of mine is strong and faithful and we too are dedicated to the gospel and to each other.  there probably won't be many dry eyes at the airport but this time they will be tears of happiness and joy!

tate's message...

i think the thing i learned most this week was about dedication. we can be dedicated to many things in this world. and really that is the only way we can get the best results, the most blessings, or exactly what we want. i have been blessed to devote two years of my life to serve other people and help them. and i have realized at the end of these two years i have gotten exactly what i wanted. but it isn't something temporal. i have realized that after giving everything i gave to others, i have found everything that i need in this life to succeed. i am so grateful for this time that i have had and am torn to leave this home in chile. thank you for all those people who have supported, sent letters, prayed, or whatever else you may have done. you made the difference to me!

wow this week was crazy. we started off with my “final lunch” in the mission home with all the missionaries who were leaving. i leave two weeks later but they just threw me in there with them as well. it was weird to do that. but it was also good because we got to have a testimony meeting about our feelings towards the mission. we then got back to the office and got everything ready for the next days training and got home at about midnight and went to bed. 

3:30 am came way too fast and we were on our way to the airport to drop off the missionaries that were going home and then to wait til the new missionaries got there from the mtc in mexico. it was so awesome to see them come through the doors. they looked so freaking tired!! i remember my first day i was sick and couldn't even keep my eyes open at the mission home. i bet president mcarthur and the assistants thought i was dead. we took them back to the mission home and then did the training! there were two other elders from idaho that were just getting to the mission !! IDAHO PRIDE. We got done with that and then i took elder mcgee all the way down to pichilemu (his new sector). it was like a two and a half hour drive there and the same back so i got back pretty late. we got back at about 12:30 in the morning. very long day but its also a good feeling.

wednesday we started with interviews down in san fernando. all day just talking to missionaries while president does the real interviews. it is awesome to get to know them and know their stories. we got back to the office and had stuff to get ready for leadership council friday. same schedule thursday. 

and then friday in the morning we headed to the mission home for the council. president and hermana warne made me share my last testimony with the leaders of the mission. it was cool to share my last testimony in the mission home and with a lot of people i served with the most.

elder harding!