Reunited Again

Hermana Crockett was my first trainee. It was seriously such a blessing to be her companion. I think I learned more from her than she ever learned from me. One of my favorite things about her is that she was a spirit FIREBALL! I have never met and worked with anyone who is closer to the spirit and more in-tune with its promptings and more willing to obey him than Melissa Crockett. She is amazing! She taught me the power of relying completely on the Spirit; she taught me about the blessings that come from following through with the impressions we feel; she showed me how influential the Spirit can be in our daily lives and especially in our personal decisions. In addition to Hna Crockett's amazingly close relationship with the Spirit, she has such a great capacity to love and care for people. I was a recipient of that love and care, at times when I desperately needed it, and will forever be grateful for friendship. She is one of those people that has changed my life for the better.

Hermana Beecher was my second to last companion. She is one of the sweetest, most genuinely kind people I know. I remember the very first day we were together: I had been transferred into her area and, after picking me up, we went to a park to eat lunch--a lunch that she had prepared and packed for the both of us, just because she thought I might be hungry. That's how sweet and thoughtful she is! From the very beginning, I knew that Hna Beecher had a huge heart. We only served together for six weeks but I learned some valuable lessons with her. She taught me what it means to be compassionate and to love others unconditionally. She allowed me to be her friend and accepted me for who I was, quirks and all! She was a great example to me of what it means to endure to the end, no matter what your trials and struggles may be. She helped me learn how to open up and express my feelings in ways that encouraged companionship unity. Her humility, kindness, and ability to love are traits that I have come to admire and hope to one day develop.

This past week, both of these girls came home and I was able to go to each of their homecomings. It was so great to see them again and to hear them speak of their missions. Missionary homecomings always bring back fond memories of my own mission and inspire me to be better.