You're gonna miss this...

NOTE: Friends and Family, Mason will be speaking on Sunday 12/18/2016 at 9:00am

*****************************  Here is his final letter! ***********

Y'allll..... It's really here. I can't believe it.

This week was literally AMAZING! I loved it, despite all the emotions of having to go home, I enjoyed myself.The beginning of the week started with my last exchange with the Ruston Elders. I had a blast up in Ruston with Elder Crouch. We got to teach a lot of powerful lessons together, they are doing good work up there. We tried to find Karl Malone, no luck though.

Wednesday we did lots of service. We ended up going to a retirement home and spending sometime with all the ole' folk there. We sang Christmas songs to them and played bingo. It was so fun joking around this all the Grandma's! They kept asking if I had a girlfriend and told me that I could go on a date with their granddaughters.  It was so funny! Plus I beat them all in Bingo which turned out to be hilarious as they kept seeing me win. :)

Thursday was one of the most spiritual days of my entire life. Elder Arnold of the Seventy came to our zone conference and it was absolutely amazing. We got to have a mini-MLC with him and Elder Eggimann and I both got to have a personal interview with him during lunch. It was just so powerful talking to him. There is no doubt in my mind that he was called of God, such a powerful man and speaker. I think what I reflected on most while he spoke is how we can change and become better. I am going to continue to align my will with God's after my mission. I can't just stop. The spirit was so powerful that day, great highlight to the awesome week! :)

Friday we had an amazing lesson with D____, she is T___'s Aunt that live with him. We taught her the Restoration and set her with a baptismal date of Feb 24th. She felt the spirit and got a little emotional in the lesson. She said "I feel like I am shivering on the inside and I feel blessed!" It was a tender experience to witness and feel that same spirit of warmth and love. She is a young single parent of a baby girl so this Gospel is way needed for her. "Bless her heart." Like for her, it gives us all support, no matter what we are going through within this life. It is real.

There were too many highlight from the weekend... from working with members, finding new people to teach meeting with the Campbell family one more time and even a surprise at church to Angel and the Pickett Family showing up! I was smiling all weekend and I felt the spirit a lot. I am truly blessed in being able to serve here.

Just some final thoughts before I get back to packing and such...

"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." (2 Cor 13:11)

What a blessed 2+ years it has been. There have definitely been those ups and down, but I have enjoyed it. Ya know I never thought I would say "these have been the best 2 years.." but really they have been. My testimony has grown, my confidence in God has strengthened and I have become "new." I am so grateful for the mission, I am so grateful for all those I have had the blessing of serving, teaching and loving. The South has a special place in my heart. I love it. I know that my Savior lives and that the Gospel has been Restored. I know that because I have felt him and I have lived what I teach. May we each continue to be a "light to the world" this Christmas season. Farewell my Southern Family, see you soon Idahome. I love each of you and can't thank you enough for the support you have given me. Have a blessed day!

With much love and lot of hugs,
Elder Mason Rankin :)

"You're gonna miss this... you're gonna want this back... you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.. these are some good time... so take a good look around.. you may not know it know... but you're gonna miss this..."