Some time life gives us surprises.
Lately it seems like I am getting my fair share of surprises.
It all began in may of this year. While serving my mission in Jacksonville Florida I began to have intense back pain, which progressively got worse and affected my ability to walk. After many inconclusive doctors visits and countless prayers it was decided that I would need to go home to recover.
This was a very hard thing for me. I felt as though I was leaving a big piece of my heart in Florida. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew I was going to trust my heavenly father.
At first the plan was to determine what the cause of my pain was and fix it so I could finish my mission.
This was the reason I was not jumping into social media, or society in general. But I still had a few close friends that I wanted to see.
One of them being my good friend of nearly 10 yrs, Brandon Taylor.
After an MRI we discovered that I have a bulging disc in my lower back. And they are un sure of how long it will take to heal.
This was hard news.
But still trusting, I knew there was more to the picture than meets the eye.
I am so lucky to have an amazing group of friends that is there for me and supports me in my decisions.
And yes, Brandon is apart of that group.
I began to pray and ask if I was supposed to go back out on my mission. I was becoming a bit conflicted and knew that in order to find peace, I needed to make a choice.
I recieve some wonderful council from a missionary friend. They said that I should be where I am. That I knew I couldn't automatically fix my back and that I should keep progressing in life.
This just made sense.
So I am going to continue to progress.
This week I have my official homecoming talk.
This week I also got engaged.
I know it's a surprise to you.
It was a surprise to us too.
Think about it, we had been friends for years never suspecting that one day we would end up even dating.
But we did, and it all seems to work exactly the way it should.
Being home 8 weeks and being engaged is kind of crazy. But hey I'm kind of crazy too! I guess it just fits in with the rest it my life.
So SURPRISE!
I'm home
And I'm engaged.
Love,
Afton Michelle
