[hold tight, ride on]

This is the first post from an awesome outside contributor named Rachel Roy. She recently returned from the Massachusetts Boston Mission. Rachel has always been an amazing example of perseverance and trust in the Lord amiss various health complications and, well, life!  

"My mission President, President Packard in the Massachusetts Boston Mission shared with us, "A mission is the training wheels for an unselfish, consecrated life." This always stuck with me from the moment I heard it. The mission is only the training wheels, but once the mission comes to a close, the training wheels come off as we can ride the journey that is set before us. We were given the tools and experiences to know how to give all that we have to the Lord. I wouldn't necessarily say that coming home from a mission has made me question my purpose by not feeling like I have one. Instead, I feel my focus has been adjusted as I now realize how the Lord has given me everything--literally everything--every breath, every capacity, every blessing--and so it's up to me to give everything I can back to Him. It comes with discomfort many times as we constantly seek His will for us. A lot of times it's up to us to figure out what resources he's given us and how we can utilize them to bless and strengthen those around us.

Coming home has most certainly been far from easy for me. In a comical yet serious sense, the quote that best seems to fit: "Coming home from a  mission is like riding a bike…except your bike is on fire, and you're on fire, and you're riding through hell." Change has definitely played its role, some I never imagined would have taken place as soon as I stepped off of the air plane. Yet, through all this, I know change is a part of life. We just have to hold onto the faith that we obtained. We have to stay true to our covenants and all that we have treasured on the mission as it can continue to be our  treasure. I know God has a plan for each of us. Sometimes it really is just a matter of holding on, yet we can hold onto the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can rely on the Atonement as it carries the ability to continually change, learn, and grow. I know that as long as we depend on Him, He provides every wit of faith, hope, comfort, and true joy that we can obtain as we will eventually obtain all that He has as He has given His all to us."