This first day that I arrived in San Antonio...an October day in 1995...I was greeted at the airport around 11am, it seems, by the mission President, and his assistants. There were about 6 or 7 of us newbies. We went to the office for some terribly boring training and I felt it my duty to try my best to stay awake, although I was completely physically and emotionally exhausted. Finally near evening time we left the office and headed downtown to the Alamo. We were given a bit of history of the alamo and told about when Davy Crockett drew a line in the ground and told his men that they might likely day if they stayed but that he would stay and fight. If they wanted to join the fight, the would cross that line or leave in peace. Some emotional words were shared by Pres West as we were invited to cross that line ourselves to join the good fight. I heartily jumped across, anxious to begin. And begin I did. I was immediately sent out to start contacting tourists and homeless people right there. It was exhilarating and scary. Luckily I only had the Spirit whispering to me that many treasures and amazing experiences were in store for me (and not an inkling of all the difficult ones), or I may have ran right back across that line and not stopped until I found a bus station to take me back home. But...I stayed and am forever grateful. The road I began to travel...well...you know...Robert Frost...it made all the difference.
Anywho...so, it is (was) now June of 2013. Almost EIGHTEEN years later. And here I am, standing in front of this same national treasure with all of these people. A big person I hoped and prayed to be able to find on this earth. And little people whom I often felt were by my side during the difficult times of my mission saying, "Keep going. It will be worth it." One particularly difficult morning, struggling with anxiety and depression yet working to be exactly obedient and fighting to fake everybody else out so they'd think I was happy and wonderful and fine, I was reading my scriptures on the couch in Austin and suddenly...there they were. "How many? Really? My children? You know what's going on now? You care? There are 6 of you right? I think I feel 6." I was completely renewed and rejuvenated. I could do anything knowing that they were there and that the decisions I was making at that time would keep me on the path that would lead me to...a day like this.
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