Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Everyone’s Thirsty – April 28, 2014

 
I just got my trunky papers this week. For those of you who don´t know, trunky papers are what you get when you have to start making arrangements to go home from the missions. I was pretty upset. One phrase really just killed me inside it said “In preparation for the arrival of the end of your mission service.” That one sentence was like a dagger in the heart. I’ve just decided that I’m going to enjoy every second that I have left and not really think about it because there´s still plenty of time in life.
 
This area is still the hardest one I’ve worked in yet but in truly do just love it. About 9 of the 10 people we talk to are completely atheist and don´t hold back in letting us know what they think of us and our missions ;) Haha but the Lord has definitely placed some of his choice children here in the pueblo. Things are getting better every day! I feel very blessed to be able to be here and see the Lord perform some incredible miracles here. I have no doubt that there are many more prepared people waiting here for us and no amount of heat is gonna stop me from finding them.
 
The mission has completely changed me well not quite. I was trying to figure out why and how this week when it hit me. The mission itself hasn´t changed me. Just because I have a nametag on and have worn a skirt for the past year hasn´t meant that I’ve changed. It´s the atonement that has changed me inside and out. My mission has helped me see the infinite power of the atonement in my own life and in the lives of those I love. My mission has pushed me to my very limits and made me use the atonement in ways that I never had thought of before. My mission has expanded my understanding of the atonement and of the gospel. It´s the atonement and the gospel that changes us. The atonement has carried me every single day of my mission and will continue to carry me for the rest of eternity. I’m sorry that this email is so short because I so dearly wish I had the time to express my thoughts about the atonement. My mission has changed my focus from being on myself, to others, and finally on the Savior.
 
Come what may and love it!
Hermana Israelsen.
 

 


Sunday Will Come – April 21, 2104

 
Because Easter was just yesterday I have been thinking a lot about an old talk by Elder Wirthlin. So these have been my thoughts during the week. I think we all have many moments in our lives, and they may even happen frequently, when we look forward and question if we can go any further. We may wonder when the challenges will end or when we´ll find relief. We might question how this could possibly be for our good or in the most desperate of moments we might even wonder if the Lord really has a plan for us.
 
 As we all know this weekend was Easter weekend. On Thursday Christ went to Gethsemane and suffered for every one of us. On Friday the Savior was crucified. I´m sure Thursday, Friday and Saturday were filled with challenges, pains, and struggles for everyone. It was Sunday however that the Savior fulfilled his promises and rose again. He broke the chains of death and made it possible that we could all live again. That beautiful Sunday morning was what gave all of that pain and suffering a purpose. That Sunday morning gave us all hope and purpose. So for those of you who feel like you´re at the end of your rope, who feel like you´re too weak and tired to move on, or feel as if your load is too heavy just remember that just like for the Savior it didn´t last forever. Thursday and Friday were more difficult than we can begin to comprehend but Sunday came. That glorious Sunday came and brought us all new life. I add my testimony to Elder WirthlĂ­n´s as I say that for any of you that are struggling, burdened, or discouraged - Sunday will come. There will be relief to your suffering and an end to your trial. I don´t know when but I do know that Sunday will come. The Lord will fulfill his promises to you and will give you all of the blessings he has promised you if you´ll just hang on for a little longer and be faithful. Sunday will always come. Like it was for Joseph Smith your trials, problems, worries, and struggles will only last for ¨a small moment and then if thou endure it well, god shall exalt thee on high.¨ ¨peace be unto thy soul¨. I testify that Christ lives. He lives so that we can live too. Because of him, Sunday will come for us all. I love the Lord and I am his representative. Sunday will always come.
 
Love, 
Hermana Israelsen 
 

Huele – April 14, 2014


 
 This new area is probably the hardest area I’ve had the whole mission which is just fine. These last few months will be my biggest challenge yet but it is only fitting because I´ve grown a lot stronger on the mission so the challenges have to continue getting harder as well.

We´ve got a lot of work ahead of us over the next few months. Right now we don´t have a single person to teach. We are starting from nothing -absolutely nothing - but it´s really cool because any progress we make will be miraculous and we´ll be able to see the work of the Lord move forward. In a few weeks we´ll be able to look back and see how much the lord prepared our way. I know that there are people there waiting for us. I know it. The Lord has people prepared to receive the gospel there. I´ve seen it a million times before in my mission and I know I’ll see it again here. All we need is faith, hard work, and time. The Lord will help us find those prepared people after he has tried our faith a little. We´ll find them soon.
 
At first it was frustrating to get put here because this is my last area and we´re starting from zero. It kind of felt like I was starting completely over but as the week went on I realized what a blessing it is that the Lord gave me the chance to start again. He is giving me the chance to take everything I have learned over the past year and put it into action here. He´s giving me the opportunity to work with this area and these people from start to a point where it´s all progressing. I can´t wait. What a blessing that is for me. This will be a big challenge but that´s exactly what I want and need. I want to be pushed even harder to come to know the Lord more deeply. There are still so many things that the Lord needs me to learn so come what may and love it. I am so happy to be starting this new adventure and I am positive that the Lord has so many blessings waiting. Even though I can´t see what the Lord has planned I have faith that it will all be for my good. I have faith that he knows what he´s doing and this is all for a divine purpose. I´m super happy here and really excited to get working this week. I know we´re going to see so many miracles and that next weeks email will just be telling you all of them. Well, it´s time to go but know that I have faith. I have faith in the Savior and that faith will never fail me.
 
Love you all!
Come what may and love it! 
Hermana Israelsen
 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Change Just Might Be the Best Thing For You – April 7, 2014





This last week was crazy, wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. My new companion was working on some residency stuff for Spain during the week so I had to stick around Malaga until Friday but I’m not complaining because it gave me a little more time to spend with my sweet companion. Saying goodbye to her was incredibly painful. It was heart wrenching to say goodbye because these last 2 transfers with her have been heaven.

I know that that Lord has other challenges and people prepared for us though so that´s the only way I could say goodbye to her and to Malaga. My companion has truly blessed my life so much. She taught me to lose myself in caring for others. She is so full of charity that it just spills over to all those around her. She taught me how to listen to others and care about them the way the Savior would. She Works hard, is incredibly humble, and loves the work so much. I couldn´t ask for a better example of love and pureness. She´s one of the best missionaries I know! I couldn´t be more blessed to have been her companion for 3 months. After 3 months of pure joy though I guess it´s time for another challenge.

 Conference was absolutely incredible this weekend. I think that was the best conference I’ve been too, mainly because I think I was the most prepared I’ve ever been. I had a list of questions that I wrote down before the conference and every single one of them was answered. Every single one. The Lord is so aware of us! I really asked for the Lord to let me know that he was aware of me during the conference and he definitely answered that prayer loud and clear. This last week I have been sharing my favorite scripture, Helaman 5:12, with everyone to say goodbye and have been thinking about that scripture a lot.  This scripture was quoted in MULTIPLE talks during the conference and I know that the lord inspired his servants to say it. I know it was meant for so many purposes but one of the purposes was to let me know that he knows my situation and loves me.

This weekend has been rough because of the change I went through this last week. Changing areas and companions is never easy and never will be easy but it´s necessary. Change.  I have a love/hate relationship with that word. Change can hurt and continue hurting for a little bit but change can also be the best thing for us. When we get comfortable we are no longer progressing so sometimes change has to come into our lives to ¨stir us up unto a rememberance of the Lord¨. As much as change can hurt it is so incredibly helpful and brings so many blessings. The scriptures even talk about change like having a change of heart, repentance, a change of belief, a change of attitude...etc.  Like my trainer taught me, change is the Lord´s opportunity to mold, prepare, strengthen, and bless us. It´s so important and necessary to our progression and ultimate happiness. To those of you still trying to adjust to a recent change and feel like you have a heavy heart, don´t feel like you´re alone. You´re far from alone. Just remember that it always gets better and that change makes us better and helps bring us to the Savior. Things will get better I promise! I know it because I’ve gone through it a million times on my mission. I am going through it right now with the change of being in a new area.  I just miss my last area so much but I know that the Lord needs me here. It´s not that I don´t like my new area, it´s actually quite the opposite, I love it here, it still doesn´t mean that I don´t miss my comfortable little bubble I formed in Malaga. My heart has been broken since leaving Malaga but the Lord is healing it. I KNOW that things will get so much better and that I will absolutely love it here. I´m here to sacrifice my time and concern into the service of others so that´s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to do just as president Uchtdorf said and be grateful for all of this change and for the challenges that lay ahead. They´re making me better. I love this work and I love the Lord!

So just a quick little shout out to my trainer. This girl is amazing! She taught me to lose myself in the work and give it everything you have. Her´s has always been the little voice in the back of my head pushing me to work a little harder and become better. 

Come what may and love it!
Hermana Israelsen