Sister in Spain: He Is with Us‏!

17 November 2014

Its been a great week! The days sure are blurring together lately and I am doing my best to continue to be 100% diligent and obedient. It can be strange and stressful thinking of classes and housing and plans that need to be thought out for when I return home -- and still balancing everything here in the mission. I am doing the best I can. I LOVED zone conference and it helped me a lot. Hermana Orrego is a great missionary. We laugh a lot together, that is a great need for me, and I feel so blessed to be her companion. We like to sing together and make cool raps, we set up our "Christmas tree", haha its seems to be missing a very key part in the middle. Oh well, its special! hehe.

This week we attended Zone Conference with President and Hermana Jackson (my last one!) and it was incredible. I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts as we felt the Spirit very strongly and I felt strongly of God's love. The night we arrived, we had a devotional and watched "The Lamb of God" and talked and reflected a lot about Christ and what He has done for us. We each personally answered the question "What has Christ done for you in your life that has brought you to this point?" (what a great question that we should each think about often)

I wrote: "1.5 years in His service has changed me. Christ has been so patient with me. I know that He paid the price for all of my weaknesses, faults, sins, and lack of faith, charity, and strength. I know this because I can feel inner peace despite each of my weaknesses and struggles. I can feel that I am not alone and that He is there, supporting me. He supported me in moments when I didn't even realize He was the one by my side. Christ has given me so many second and third chances, patiently waiting for me to recognize His power, and realize that HE has been there all along. He gave me my family, the gospel in my life, and has lifted me up countless times and shown me many paths that I should not take in life, and shows me those paths that will truly make me more happy, and the happiness I find always has to do with reaching out to others and showing them the love the Christ has for them. He is the power that I have felt push me when I didn't think I could go any further. I owe him EVERYTHING because he has made me who I am.

I am so grateful for and love my Savior. I know that He has made all of this possible. I know that He is always blessing us, even when we don't realize that it has been Him all along :) In the beginning of my mission, I didn't think I could do it. I even thought about going home a couple of times, but then I realized that I truly am not alone... in these moments of weakness the Lord wants me to recognize His power, and there really is no other way to create this relationship with Him. Whatever price I have had to pay to come to know My God has been worth it because I know it was really the only way to come to comprehend at least a little bit of what He did for us. We all need the love of Christ, and I can't deny those times I have felt of His love, everyday! When he sent exactly the people I needed in my path or when I have felt exhausted and He gave me strength. If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't be here today! (Romans 8:38) If God is with is, who shall be against us!!!? God has filled me with His love and I know that our goal is to get to the celestial kingdom ALL TOGETHER. That will be so beautiful :) I know that there are always people to serve, and the best expression of love is sharing the gospel with them.

I read in our call letter we receive as missionaries: "Greater blessings than you have ever experienced in your life await you as you serve the Lord with a humble heart and prayer in this LABOR OF LOVE."

This is so true. I always want to be involved in a labor of LOVE. Love for God, and love for His children :)

I few scriptures to remind you that The Lord is always with us:
D&C 100:12
Luke 24:48-49
Romans 8:31,38-39
Mosiah 26:20
How Firm a Foundation
D&C 84:88
D&C 38:7
D&C 6:32
D&C 29:5
Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 41:10

I know He is with us, and the veil sure is a lot thinner than we know, I pray that you can feel His love and recognize his power everyday :) I love you and pray for you EVERYDAY!

Love, Hermana Mather

PS. I just wanted to share one more story with you that touched me. Hermana Jackson talked about an elder they knew who learned the importance of returning and reporting. I will share it next week :)

Our deformed Christmas tree, hehehe. Hot chocolate and scarves :)
Oh, and pass along cards and little copies of the Book of Mormon to decorate!

These are the missionaries of Gijon.
Mom, you will probably ask why I am wearing these glasses...
Lost a contact and didn't bring extras to Oviedo.
...but the other sister had to same prescription! Tender mercies!