Para Siempre Dios Este Con Voz (God Be With You Till We Meet Again)
Hola,
So I think (like 99% sure) this will be the last time I write you all as Hermana Andrews. Oh my goodness! My heart is so full!
First of all, why don't we start out with a run down of this week.
On Monday night we had an amazing Family Home Evening at out branch mission leaders home with him and his mother. We talked about the importance of service. Then we played a really fun game. I am not sure what it is called but you have a bowl of skittles in the middle of the table and then everyone has a straw and a cup. You roll dice and whenever you roll a 7 or a 11 you get to use your straw to suck skittles up and move them over to your cup. You do that until someone else rolls a 7 or a 11. We had so much fun!
Tuesday we taught an awesome lesson to one of the members that we are working with. Her name is Esther and she is 22 and has an 8 month old son named Milo. She is not married to Milo's father and she is going through a rough time with all of that. It is so fun to teach her because it is just like hanging out with one of my friends. We talked about how she is starting to date and again. She has prayed about it and feels that it is time. She also talked about how she really wants to go to the temple to do baptisms again. So this week we are going to help her prepare to go to the temple! She came to all 3 hours of church on Sunday and she came to the Branch Activity on Saturday with a date! It is so fun to see her progress.
Wednesday was my last trip to the Oakland temple (as a missionary). It was wonderful! We went with three women in our branch, the four of us and the 2 fairfield hermanas. I received so much amazing revelation and I was overwhelmed with the Spirit and with love from my Father in Heaven.
Thursday we taught Spanish class. We taught our students how to pray which was a lot of fun. Learning to pray in a second language is kind of like praying as a little kid. It is tender.
Saturday was our Branch Family Fun Night (FFN). We played Family Feud. It was such a fun idea!
Church was wonderful! The one Spanish family in the branch, the Sanchez, have five boys and their oldest son spoke in sacrament meeting on honoring thy father and thy mother. We helped him write his talk and he did so good. He was so sweet! We had an amazing dinner with President and Sister Chandler. They made us steak and it was so good. I love them like family.
This week was really great! Everyone teases me about going home but I am not trunky (or ready to go home). I am just so grateful for these last 18 months.My mission means everything to me! I have truly enjoyed every single second of it! I have grown leaps and bounds and I will truly never be the same person ever again. My life has been changed for the rest of my life. This week I hit my 18 month mark which is amazing to me. I do not feel that it is possible, time flies by so quickly. As I have thought about all that I have learned and all of the moments of missionary work that I have enjoyed I came up with 18 joys of missionary work.
1.Being able to love so quickly and so deeply
2. Having the spirit with me always.
3. Developing friendships with those that I serve with.
4. Helping people develop their personal relationship with their Father in Heaven.
5. Coming closer to Christ and truly applying the atonement to my life.
6. Inviting others to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority.
7. Serving always.
8. Seeing people walk into church and partake of the sacrament for the first time.
9. Helping families center their lives on the gospel.
10. Learning a second language and being able to teach others about the gospel in their first language.
11. Being a part of the hastening of the work.
12. Working with local leaders to help members be involved in missionary work.
13. Eating dinner with faithful members of the church.
14. Testifying and promising blessings in the name of Jesus Christ.
15. Teaching the truths of the restored gospel.
16. Reciting the first vision.
17. Communicating with people all over the world using modern technology.
18. introducing myself as a servant of Jesus Christ.
These are the things that define missionary work. They are the things that have brought me so much joy over these last 18 months but as I wrote this list I realized that most of these things will be easy to carry over to my new role as a member missionary. I am determined to let my time in the California Santa Rosa Mission, the greatest mission in the world, always be a part of my life. Mesa Arizona missionaries better get ready because they got the greatest member present coming their way.
I am so thankful for the time that I have had to serve as a servant of Jesus Christ. I know that this church is true. I know that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and that He died for us. I know that we have a living prophet who leads and guide us. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that anyone who reads it can know that it is true by asking our Heavenly Father through prayer. I am so thankful for the power of the priesthood. I am so thankful for all of those that I have met on my mission and for all that I have learned from them. I am thankful for President and Sister Alba and I know that they have been called of God.I am thankful for each of my companions and each of my areas. I am thankful for the sacrifices of my family members and for everyone who has supported me, loved me, and prayed for me.
Para Siempre Dios Este Con Voz!
Love,
Hermana Hillary Andrews
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