The Missionary Life of: Week 61- San Rafael

Querido todos,

Well. Transfers are happening. And everyone.... ITS FINALLY HAPPENING!! I'm leaving Novato and will be going to Fairfield with none other than.... HERMANA BENNETT!!! Yep nobody truly understands how excited I am so this will be great.

We had a pretty good week this week! The last week of the transfer which is super crazy to think about. We had a lot happening this week. First off, we got to go to the temple in Oakland which is pretty much my favorite place on the earth. I can testify that the temples are literally the house of the Lord because the spirit, peace, and love that one can feel there is amazing. I wanted to sit in there all day and just feel of the spirit that surrounded it. As missionaries, we only get to go about every 6 months here and I've never been more excited to attend the temple. It was refreshing and rejuvenating to go, I felt ready to run a marathon after. :)

Sam and Sister Jeffrey (they will be room mates at BYU-Idaho in the fall)

We of course got to do some finding this week but we took it easier because Hermana Mendez’s back has been hurting her but we had a cool experience on Tuesday. We went to an apartment complex to try someone and they were busy. A random number popped into my head so we went to try that number to find that it didn't exist. We turned around and there was a man standing by his truck. So we walked right on over and started talking to him. We showed him a video and gave him a Book of Mormon. He told us how grateful he was that we were out doing this and that we stopped to talk to him because he knew the path of god and knew that sometimes he wasn't quiet on it. We really testified of Christ and his atonement and how we literally can do all things through him. He thanked us again and said he could feel the spirit and we left him with our information. We only had 40 min to do some finding and the Lord really blessed us and put this nice man in our way. You could see his desire to come closer to Christ and it was so awesome I was very thankful for Hermana Mendez’s motivation and the blessings we can always see.

To end off I want to invite you all to read a scripture (and all scriptures :) haha the scriptures are great things I love being able to read them every day) that was shared in our district meeting this week. Alma: 28: 8.

"This is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy."

We all have afflictions as we are going throughout this life and we experience hard things. But that is why we are here, to learn, experience, and grow. This scripture talks of people who were missionaries for years. They were thrown in prison, mocking, hit, stoned, along with other things. They of course felt these afflictions and trials as we all do while going throughout life. But we must pay attention to the last words in the verse, "incomprehensible joy." After sufferings, sorrows, and afflictions came incomprehensible joy. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge we have that if we endure to the end in this life we can receive incomprehensible joy in heaven as we live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.

I testify that this gospel is true, that Joseph smith was a prophet called by God who translated the Book of Mormon that is the most correct book of any on this earth. I testify that God loves each and every single one of you because you are his child, he knows you more than you know yourself and would do anything to help guide you back to him. As a missionary I've definitely experienced some sufferings, sorrows, and afflictions, everybody does in life. We don't talk about those low moments as much because focusing on the good is the best thing to do but it doesn't mean the hardships aren't there. We cannot feel joy if we haven't felt sorrows I've experienced lows but also definitely experienced maybe just a piece of all the incomprehensible joy we can feel in Christ.

I hope that you all are doing so good! I invite you to find the things that give you a piece of incomprehensible joy in your life, because there are so many blessings that Lords blesses us with each day.

Love you all lots and hope you have a good week!

Many Pictures this week as she said goodbye to some families and people that she loves very much!