God be with You till we Meet Again

I wanted a good last painting, to sit here on my deviantart profile until I return.

I'm very grateful to all of you, for supporting me and my silly little stories, and enjoying them so much. I've had a wonderful few years here on DA. It's been a grand journey.

And now, a new journey is about to begin.

I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early, for one of the biggest adventures of my life yet. I'm excited and nervous, but mostly, I feel very peaceful. I know that this is the next season of my life, and I know that this is what God wants for me, and that makes me happy. I'll miss you all, but I'll also be learning so much, and meeting many wonderful people, and being a tool in the hands of the Lord, so that through me He can bless His children. It's a very humbling calling.

If any of you want to know what I'll be doing and teaching on my mission, you can go here - mormon.org. You can also check back on DA, as my Mom will be updating it with blog posts of how I'm doing, and my many adventures on my mission.

And as I go, I'd like to bear my testimony to you guys. I'm not looking for a debate, I'd just like to tell you what it is I believe - why the heck I'm putting my life on hold for a year and a half. XD

Everyone, there is hope in the world. There is hope, and joy, and clarity. I know that God is real - and not just that He is there, that He lives, but He loves us! We are His children, and His loves us so much, he provided a way for us to live our lives to our fullest possible happiness. A way that teaches us to love each other and serve one another. A way that teaches hope, that there is more to this life than just existing - there is life, and it is beautiful and incredible.

I know that there are dark things in this beautiful world, of course. But I also know that there is so much light, and that there is hope. The dark things exist because we need to learn. We need to learn of grief, so that joy is so much sweeter. We learn. We grow. And through that, we draw closer to Him. And even in the darkest, times, there is always hope. I know that He is with us, all of us, even you, no matter what you are going through - and I know that things will get better. That's the beauty of it. God loves us, and things will get better.

I love this truth so much. I love this gospel, and I love the Lord. When all the world is going crazy, when I feel so helpless sometimes, I never feel completely lost. Because I have this truth, and it shines like a beacon through it all. God lives. He loves us. And there is a plan.

Everything I have, I have because of God, and because of his son, Jesus Christ. My talents, my stories, my hope and my joy. And because I have so much joy, I just want to share it with everyone. I want to shout it on the rooftops to all who will listen, because it is so wonderful! I have this, and I want everyone to share in that joy, that hope, that peace!

This is the closest I think I'll get to any rooftops, though. I'm scared of heights. XD

Everyone, that is what I believe. That is what I know. And I'm going for a year and a half, to share this with everyone who will listen. And there are thousands of other missionaries who are heading out, all over the world, to do the same exact thing. We are sharing a message of joy.

I will miss all of you, and I hope many of you keep in contact with me through letters while I am on my mission. God bless, everyone. And God be with you till we meet again.

-Rooke