My Last Email!!🫶

HEY!! this is my last time writing as a missionary!! On Thursday I get to see my family and go home🥰 It's crazy to think that my time as a full time missionary is up. My last week was a lot of fun and so many miracles as always!!

❄️had our first snow in missouri and listening to Christmas music is always a highlight

🏚idk if any of you have seen that Sister missionary movie but we almost had a real life situation lol but it wasn't that bad. First off this guy we met weeks ago kept sending us to different addresses for our lesson. Then once we found the right one we made sure a woman was inside because safety yk. Then he proceeded to open the basement door and was like "ok let's go down and play uno" like what?!? We straight up told him our missionary purpose again and told him we can't go downstairs unless another woman is there and he was like "but it's chill yk it's chill" no it was not chill. Then he called us after we left and apologized because his friends called him out for being weird and pressuring us to go into the creepy basement. So anyways that was interesting but I promise we weren't in danger we just think he was high or something. You never know out here in Missouri 😐

🌯had my last Missouri Costa Vida😭 I've successfully had Costa Vida every week for the past 4-5 months and I'll miss it!

🍯our friend Jennifer gave us some Amish jalapeños peach jelly so that was sweet

🌊went to a baptism for someone Sister Campbell taught previously and I got to see some of my fav missionaries there 🥰

😭had to say bye to all my favorite Missouri friends and members. Its ok though bro. Davis (he's like 75 years old) promised he would go skiing with my dad and I in January lol⛷️

💒Irwin and Pilar and their kids came to church again!! We talked all about faith and they truly have shown faith by coming to church the past 5 weeks in a row!! That takes a lot of faith to just go to a new church when two random girls invite you while you're literally biking haha

🦃Thanksgiving at the Hammackers!! Then we met up with the zone and played games at the church

Ok now for the spiritual part. I can't even put into words how I'm feeling right now!! My testimony in Jesus Christ has grown so much on my mission. One of the biggest things I've learned on my mission is that the Holy Ghost really does testify of truth!! I love this quote by president M. Russell Ballard:

"True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals … feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word [see Alma 32:27]. This is how we come to feel the gospel is true"

I have FELT it!!! The spirit has testified to me that all of this is true. That the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that this is the Church of Jesus Christ restored on the earth today and that this is truly the Lord's work. I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had on my mission and the people I have met. I have never felt a greater joy than I have while being an instrument in the Lord's hands to help others come unto Him!! And I know the joy I have felt is the spirit continually testifying to me the truthfulness of these things. 

GOD LOVES YOU!!!!! And is in relentless pursuit of you!!!

see ya'll in a couple days🥰🥰

Also come to my homecoming this Sunday!! (Dec. 8) 

time: 9 am

address: 10975 S. Prescott Dr., Sandy UT 84092

and ya'll can come to my house after for food!! 10665 S. Dielsdorf Road, Sandy UT 84092

My last full week as a Missionary🤯

HEY!!

It's actually crazy to think about how this upcoming week is my last full week on the mission!! This past week was so good! Our friend Pilar and Irwin brought their kids to church again so that was sweet. 

BOBBY!! our friend bobby also came to church!! He is really going through it and in our last lesson we invited him to start a gratitude journal and to look for the Lord's hand throughout the day. Then at church the day after all the talks were focused on gratitude (probably because of Thanksgiving) but it really spoke to Bobby. It was so sweet after church he was like "how did they know...we were just talking about that yesterday" he has such a sincere desire to grow closer to God so it's been sweet to be a part of his journey!

Sometimes when it's dark we go to a Walmart parking lot to do phone work and talk to everyone we see lol. I was eating bread we got from a member and saw this guy putting his cart away but my mouth was full of bread .... but no excuses so I ran up and invited him to church and proceeded to literally choke down bread as I taught him about the Book of Mormon. The Lord magnifies our efforts🙌 even when you've stuffed your face with bread🥖 I promise it wasn't as gross as it sounds but we thought it was funny!

Anyways love and miss you all!!

Last Interview

Hey!!

So many cool miracles this week!! Started the week off so good by going to the temple last Tuesday 🥰 We found 22 people this week and it amazes me still how God is playing ultimate chess haha. He places us where we need to be and as we try to talk to literally every single soul he magnifies our efforts!! Our friends Irwin and Pilar and their kids came to church again so that was awesome!!

I had my last interview with president this week🫠 We talked about the future and how I can keep good habits I've developed on the mission! It's honestly hard to put into words how much I've loved my mission. I feel like I've grown so much and come to truly know that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. I've loved the experiences I've had out here but I'm also so excited to see my family in a couple weeks. 

I don't really know what else happened this week haha so I'll just leave it at that! God is good and miracles still happen!!

Love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4f

James' Baptism🌊🫶 

SO MANY MIRACLES THIS WEEK🙌

James got baptized on Saturday!! He never shows any expression and it just makes everything funnier haha we love James🫶 

Highlights of some cool people we met:

-Taijha!! we saw her walking into her apartment right when we were driving away so we stopped and ran to her and yelled to get her attention and invited her to church!! She knows nothing about God but said she's been wanting to start this journey and learn more. crazy miracle and the Spirit was so strong as we taught her about Jesus Christ on the steps outside🥰

-Cruz!! the Elders passed him to us because he lives in our area and we invited him to the baptism!! He loved it🤗 He said he could see himself getting baptized in the future!! He got in a crash a week ago, car totaled and all, and yet he walked away perfectly fine. He said after that he realized he wanted to learn more about God!! He came to church and we had such a powerful lesson after!! 

-Pilar and Irwin brought their kids to church too!! Low key the kids weren't enjoying it but the parents love it! 

Also had exchanges with Sister Johnson!! Ahh I love her and this was SO GOOD. So many tender mercies. We found 9 people that day!! The more we talked to each of them we realized how the Lord had prepared them and allowed our paths to cross! there's no such thing as a coincidence!!!

Anyways love and miss you all!

Last Zone Conference and Halloween🥲🎃

Hey!!

First off, we found a really cool couple last week and they're from Peru!! The wife only speaks Spanish so we told them about the Spanish ward but then on Sunday they showed up to our church! We grabbed all the members that spoke Spanish and Erwin and Pilar (the couple) were swarmed by members greeting them in Spanish haha. At the end they said they want to keep coming back because they felt so comfortable and welcomed🥰 plus they both want to stay because they want to improve on their English. It was so sweet to see all the members so excited to meet this family and be so welcoming!! I just love the members here and how involved they are!!

We got to watch a movie Halloween night as a mission over zoom and that was so much fun. Everyone should go watch "The Fighting Preacher" because it had me in tears. I had my last Zone Conference on Thursday and gave my departing testimony🥲 bittersweet. I'm SO excited to see my family and everyone but also sad because I love my mission. I'm also just really tired though. When I think I'm too tired though and ready to be done I think of this quote from Elder Erying:

"From the cross on Calvary, the Savior announced, “It is finished.” Then His spirit left His body, and His mortal remains were placed lovingly in a tomb. He taught us a lesson by what He did in three days in the spirit world, before His Resurrection, which I remember whenever I am tempted to feel that I have finished some hard task in His service and deserve a rest.

The Savior’s example gives me courage to press on. His labors in mortality were finished, but He entered the spirit world determined to continue His glorious work to save souls. He organized the work of the faithful spirits to rescue those who could still be made partakers of the mercy made possible by His atoning sacrifice"

This work is SO GOOD and it's the Lord's work. I'm grateful to be a part of it and that I get to witness how he touches everyone's lives everyday!! There is so much joy to be found in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ!!

Love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9

ELDER GONG👩‍🏫🤗

Hey!!!

Transfers happened this week and my new companion is Sister Campbell!! She's kinda like my "granddaughter" because I trained her trainer lol. She's cute and I'm excited for this last transfer!! I can't believe I have 5 weeks left... actually insane but we're still working hard here in Missouri😤 

Highlight of the week was for sure meeting Elder Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles!! I can't even write down everything he said but trust me when I tell you it was so good and so spiritually uplifting!! He talked about how we're "messengers of joy" and need to be urgent as we assist Heavenly Father in this work! 

Also Sister Gong talked all about faith in Jesus Christ and it was so powerful. We need to be humble and faithful- she said "you don't have to be perfect for the Lord to use you" and I just loved that. The Lord truly magnifies our efforts and we're simply instruments in His hands to help His children come home. This is HIS work🫶

Anyways love and miss you all!!

Transfer News🪅🌟

Transfer news!! I'm staying in Lees Summit for my last transfer!! Sister Winn is leaving though so RIP, but glad we got two together🫶

Highlights:

-Phillip showed up to church and we totally weren't expecting him💒

-Monday we played volleyball ALL DAY LONG🏐

-Costa Vida AGAIN

-blitz with Sister Carter and another blitz with Miles

-literally cried after being fed too much on Tuesday😭🤮 then I threw up

-cleaned a house and met Luiz who's writing a science fiction book about Mormons??

-David made us steak🥩

-Primary program in Fleming Park was so presh and a kid kept screaming lol

Also I've been studying Elder Gong's talks because he's coming to the mission this week! I loved this quote:

"The scriptures describe resurrection as “every limb and joint shall be restored to … their proper and perfect frame,” and “even a hair of the head shall not be lost.” That being so, please consider how it is that our Savior’s perfect, resurrected body still bears the wounds in His side and the nail prints in His hands and feet.

At times in history, mortal men have been executed by crucifixion. But only our Savior, Jesus Christ, embraces us still carrying the marks of His pure love. Only He fulfills the prophecy of being lifted up upon the cross that He might draw each of us, by name, to Him. 

Our Savior declares: “Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” 

He testifies: “I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.”

Jesus Christ always remembers us💗

Love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9