Coming home...

Wow. I cant even believe that this time next week I will be sitting in my own home. Weird. I still havent really come to terms with the fact that I wont stay here forever. This place has been my home for the last 18 months and I have become accustomed to it. I love it here. I love the people like my own family. I feel like they would do anything for me, just as my family would. I would do anything for them, also. The ward here threw me a party wednesday night. I had no idea. They told us that they were having an activity and that there would be investigators there. I was not really all that excited to go. When I arrived they were all there already waiting and started singing and I started crying. I went around the room hugging everyone. After they finished singing, each person that I taught got up and thanked me for sharing the gospel with them. It was really cool. This was my favorite part.
Anyone who already served a mission knows that at the end, things always enter into your mind like, Did I do everything I could? Did I find all the people I promised in the pre-existence that I would find? Was a diligent enough? Did I give my all? Can I go home in peace? Well, this had already passed in my head. Anyone who knows me, knows that I often think down on myself. I never think I did enough...so I was feeling that. But seeing all these people get up and tell me how I changed their lives, I realized, it was THEM that changed my life. All of a sudden it didnt matter any more. I came here to help the people here in Pernambuco Brasil, but they ended up helping me. I am a better person. I am different. Dont get me wrong, I am still the same crazy Melissa Ortolani that everyone remembers, but I have learned so much in these last 18 months that I didnt learn in the last 24 years of my life. Anyone who is thinking about going on a mission, I say JUST DO IT. You wont regret it. It is the best thing in the whole world. It is the best decision that I have made thus far. I am SO happy that I came and SO grateful for all the people that supported me and helped me through this time. It wasnt easy...but the good things in life are usually hard, but it was SO worth it. Thanks to everyone who wrote me, prayed for me, or even thought about me while I have been gone. I appreciate everything. I am so grateful that the Lord was so good to me and allowed me to be here serving. I am so grateful for this opportunity and it will be something that I carry with me for the rest of my life. The people of Brasil changed me. I will be eternally grateful for that.

Ingrydd, Mércia and Mônica...some of the girls that I taught.


Cybelly and Iara


Marcos, Célia, and Neto. A family that I taught that is preparing to be sealed! woohoo!

Denny and I...and the food. :)