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| That is not her hand. :) |
well
This week was another really hard week here in the mission field. Pretty much all of our appointments failed, half the ward moved away, and an unusual amount of people yelled at us in the street, but you know what?
(imagine me crying because I'm crying)
I love being a missionary. I love the gospel. I know that it is true and I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know these things and I hope that somebody that I've talked with has been able to gain a testimony of these things as well because it is more important than any other knowledge we can gain in our lives. I am so very grateful to have the gospel in my life; I am immensely grateful to have been able to serve a full time mission of a year and a half here in Chile. I am grateful for all the people I have met, for the things I have been able to do, that I have been able to learn; I am grateful for the understanding of the gospel that the Lord has provided me with and to know who I am and who I serve. I am a child of God and my loyalty is to the Lord.
'Sí, yo sé que nada soy; en cuanto a mi fuerza, soy débil; por tanto, no me jactaré de mí mismo, sino que me gloriaré en mi Dios, porque con su fuerza puedo hacer todas las cosas; sí, he aquí que hemos obrado muchos grandes milagros en esta tierra, por los cuales alabaremos su nombre para siempre jamás.' Alma 26:12 (sorry i couldnt remember how it started in english so i searched it in spanish)
["Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.' Alma 26:12]
Maybe the scripture is really cliche to use, but it is the truth. I know that nothing I have done here has been with my own strength, but with the strength that the Lord has given me. There have been really great days and there have been really terrible days, but there has not been a single day that I didn't plead and receive the strength necessary to go where the Lord wanted me to go, do what he wanted me to do, say what he wanted me to say, and be who he wanted me to be. I testify of the power of prayer. I testify that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants to bless us and never ever leaves us alone. We are his children; we are his most important creation; 'Pues he aquí, te tengo grabada en las palmas de mis manos' 1 Nephi 21:16. We are IMMENSELY important to him.
["Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 1 Nephi 21:16]
I have made plenty of mistakes here on the mission, but because of that I have also learned more than I could ever have imagined about the atonement. I know that Jesus Christ died for me, but more than that, I know that he also lives for me now. I testify of the resurrection and that through the sacrifice that our older brother made for us, we all have the opportunity to vencer la muerte [overcome death].
I think we're going to have a change of plan and I'm going to start doing this thing in Spanish because I feel it in Spanish (hope Andrew's okay with translating hahaha)
Sé que por medio de Jesucristo, tenemos la posibilidad de vivir eternamente con nuestro Padre Celestial y con nuestras familias. Testifico de las bendiciones del templo; estoy demasiado agradecida que mi familia se ha sellado en el templo. Sé que cada uno de nosotros podemos alcanzar esas bendiciones. Las familias realmente pueden ser eternas; lo sé.
Yo sé que Jesus es el Cristo; sé que el evangelio es verdadero; sé que José Smith fue un profeta del Señor para restaurar la iglesia original de Jesucristo y que tenemos el gran privilegio de ser parte de esa misma iglesia hoy en día. Sé que Thomas S. Monson es el profeta que Dios ha escogido para guiarnos hoy en día.
Yo sé estas cosas sin duda y con todo mi corazón. Amo el evangelio. Amo la misión. Amo Chile y las personas acá. Amo a mi familia, y más que todo, amo a mi Salvador Jesucristo.
Entonces, para la última vez de aquí en Chile, les dejo mi testimonio de estas cosas con la esperanza de que alguno de ustedes lo lea en el sagrado nombre de mi Salvador y Redentor, aun Jesucristo el Señor, amén.
[I know that through Jesus Christ, we are able to live forever with our Heavenly Father and with our families. I testify of the blessings of the temple; I'm too thankful that my family has been sealed in the temple. I know that each of us can achieve those blessings. Families can really be eternal; I know.
I know that Jesus is the Christ; I know the gospel is true; I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord to restore the original church of Jesus Christ and we have the great privilege of being part of the same church today. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet chosen by God to guide us today.
I know these things without hesitation and with all my heart. I love the gospel. I love the mission. Chile love and people here. I love my family, and most of all, love my Savior Jesus Christ.
Then, for the last time here in Chile, I leave my testimony of these things with the hope that any of you read in the sacred name of my Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ the Lord, amen.]
Seriously though, I love Chile so much and I am going to miss it more than I can express. It hurts my heart to have to leave here and leave these people and this calling, but I know that they are in the Lord's hands and that one day we will meet again and until then, I bid you all a very fond farewell.
I want you all to know that I really and truly do love you and thank you for being a part of my mission by reading my letters.
The next time we meet, I'll be in my own house, in my own country, with my own family, and probably still crying, but it's okay.
I love you all and hope you have a FANTASTIC week :)
CCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAA
[Because Hermana Schomburg's camera is no longer working, all photos are courtesy Hna Garcia. They have been cropped for the privacy of the members and investigators in them.]
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