Forever Changed

Hi family!!!!

Well, the final week on my mission has already had one earthquake, one tarantula, I’m sure lots of caroling, looking for opportunities to serve and this weekend we have a baptism. A few letters ago I talked about the Mendez Family. I also sent a picture with them last week. We’ve been working with them for quite awhile... part of them were less actives and part of them weren’t members. Well, they’ve been coming to church for a while now, they’re reading their scriptures, doing family night, and this Saturday the daughter is getting baptized :) Truly a white Christmas. The best present I could ask for. Although I’m coming down to the end, it still doesn’t feel real. I feel like Hermana Yorgason will be me forever and it certainly hasn’t hit me yet that I’ll have to leave these indigenous people soon... truly my new family. People I care about so much.

Mendez Family

This week was really a great one. We went back to Betti and her family and they accepted to come to church this week and be baptized when they receive an answer that this is the true church. Kati (the one that had the dream) is coming to church and loving it. Oscar and Edgar are also progressing and said that they received their answer. They know its the true church <3. It was a spiritual week because we’ve been focusing on Christmas and studying about Christ. Fun because we’ve gotten pretty creative with our "iluminar el mundo" services... everything from doing laundry in big round buckets, sweeping people’s grass (yes, they do that here), and helping with English. It’s interesting how when you’re serving others, you’re really doing a service for yourself… I've never been happier. 

I think the highlight of the whole week for me was something small... but that meant a lot. Yesterday our zone went to a park to carol for a few hours and to hand out pamphlets and contact. I noticed a single lady sitting on a bench and paying attention to our little choir thing that we tried to attempt :) I introduced myself, sat down next to her and didn’t realize how much our 20 minute conversation would impact me. She just got divorced, doesn’t have a lot of money and started expressing to me how she feels completely alone and separated from God. She doesn’t know where to turn... and said that everyday she wakes up with a weight in her chest. I was able to bear my testimony of the love that God has for her, how perfect and complete it is. How un-alone she is and how much Christ understands her. As I was sitting there, in the middle of a big park, I was completely filled with love for this Hermana. Her situation hit my heart. Her humbleness. Her desire to become better. I could just see in my mind how bright her future is going to be (especially because the elders in that sector are going to go visit her:)) It was sad when she had to leave because I hadn’t heard her whole story or shared even 1/4 of what I wanted to say. I know that no matter the past, the gospel truly is the answer to have a faith filled, meaningful and happy future. Who knows what her future will hold, who knows why she came to that park and decided to sit down... but something that I do know is that I needed to meet her. For me. To help me see someone a little more like how God sees them and realize how much the gospel has blessed ME... not just in these 18 months, but my whole entire life.

Singing Christmas Carols at the park

Faith in the gospel has carried me during this year and a half. If you have read some of my letters, you may know that the mission hasn’t been all smooth sailing. In fact, its been a lot of a bumpier ride than I thought it was going to be. I’ve had many nights on my knees pleading with the Lord wondering why it WAS so hard. (I can imagine that every single person reading this has experienced something similar) I’ve felt weak, I’ve been dirty, bug bites, dog bites (oh I forgot to tell you about that. same dog, but it was real this time. I’ve recovered :)), dirty bathrooms, mistakes in Spanish, loads and loads of rice, and sickness... Through that all, I have come to know who my Savior is. I have come to know that the mission isn’t easy for me because it wasn’t easy for Him. I have come to know that TRUE faith in Him and his promises can’t come when life’s circumstances are easy, with good food, and parents to call and cars to drive. It comes when you feel like you have no more and HAVE to put it in His hands. I can now say that trials truly are blessings in disguise. "Joy isn’t the absence of pain but the presence of God."

It’s interesting as you go throughout your mission and one by one, see other missionaries go home. As I have continued to try and walk and come to love this work, I have seen how coming to the end of the mission is not the goal. We don’t come just to say we finished, but we come to change. We come to be more like Christ and help save souls. Just as in the mission, the goal of this LIFE is to help God in this amazing work of salvation... "that we may become the sons and daughters of God that when He shall appear we shall be like Him." and we will be able to look to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands, having the image of God ENGRAVEN upon our countenances.

I know without a doubt that He loves us. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. He has so much more prepared for us than we could ever believe. But he asks US this question. "Do you love me more than everything else? More than what you have and more than what you do?" It’s a hard question. It’s hard because we’re human and we have flaws and selfish desires. But I hope to be like Peter and tell the Lord with my words and my actions, "Yes Lord. I do. I do love you. More than all of this". And what he will say to us in response is "Then feed my sheep. Leave your nets and follow me forever. I asked you to be a missionary and a disciple of Jesus Christ forever." He doesn’t just ask us to feed His sheep as a missionary. But the rest of our life. 

I love my Savior. I would not have been able to do these 18 months without him. Because my strength alone isn’t enough. And my words alone couldn’t convert children of God. But through Him, I know I am strong. And I know that every single one of you is and can be strong because we have the Lord on our team. He is everything to me. I love being a missionary. 

... And I can’t wait to do it for the rest of my life. 

Merry Christmas and I’ll see you on Wednesday!! Love you all!

Con amor, Hermana Yorgason