AN INFINITE LOVE – May 9, 2014

So news first.  I got a call last Saturday from President  and he asked me if I would train a new missionary. So looks like I will be finishing my mission training a new missionary. I’m really excited and that´s exactly what I need. I need the boost that comes from a new missionary because they are just so full of faith, energy, optimism, and excitement. I´m nervous but I know that it´s going to be fun.

This week was full of little tender mercies from the Lord. I was having a Little bit of a tougher week and asked the lord for a Little push to keep me going so that if could do his work. I just needed a little reminder that he knows my situation and is providing a path for me. That answer came very quickly. Today we were at la Fería where there are thousands and thousands of people gathered and someone grabbed my arm, flipped me around, and just hugged me. I was so confused as to what was going on and could only hug them back just hoping that I knew them. haha. As I pulled back I realized who it was. It was one of the members in my Ward in Elche that had taken care of me in my most difficult moments. Her family is from here and she just happened to be visiting here this week and felt like she should go to the fería that day. Out of all of the Thousands and thousands of people there we just happened to run into each other. Obviously it wasn´t just coincidence and that there was divine help there. I was absolutely overcome with joy. I could hardly speak as I just hugged her again and screamed. That was the second witness for me that the Lord is so very aware of what I am doing right now. I could not be any more grateful to the Lord for his mercy and love. I know that he is very aware of me right this very second. I can´t deny that.

I’ve found again and again that the Lord will never pass up an opportunity to show his children that he loves them. If you wonder if the Lord truly loves you and is aware of you please go ahead and just ask him. He will be more than willing and joyous to show you just how much he loves and cares for you. He´s done it for me a million times over and I know that he´ll continue to show me his love for me if I’ll just look for it.

As it says in the scriptures there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of the Lord. Don´t ever think that you have lost the Lord´s love and that he has forgotten of you because that is frankly impossible. ¨the Lord´s love is there for you whether you deserve it or not.¨ He loves you so dearly and knows who you are. He knows your situation right now and what you´re praying for. Don´t forget how much you mean to him and if you don´t believe me why don´t you just ask him yourself.

Also, don´t forget

Come what may and love it

Hermana Israelsen

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 Wirthlín´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

 

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

Feeling Hot Hot Hot – March 31, 2014

 

These last 3 months have been the greatest 3 months of my mission. I have been in a great area with my best friend, I finally can speak and understand the language without problem, I finally know how to do missionary work even though I’m still learning every day, and I finally learned how to fully depend on the Lord. I have learned and grown SO much in the past 3 months. I feel like I did everything that the Lord asked me to do here and that it´s time to move on. The hardest part about moving on will be saying goodbye to my companion.

 

I was feeling really nervous and anxious this morning for this week and couldn´t seem to find any peace. I prayed to find peace and continued getting ready to leave our piso. About 2 weeks ago I lost some of my memory cards and I had been looking everywhere for them but couldn´t seem to find them. I prayed to find them but they still didn´t show up. This morning as I prayed for peace I also prayed to know that the Lord was aware of me and my situation and that he loved me. About 5 minutes after I prayed I was grabbing a jacket from my closet when the memory cards fell to the floor. I immediately fell to my knees and cried. That may seem like a really small and insignificant thing to you but to me it was everything. It was a CLEAR and DIRECT answer to my prayer to know that the Lord was indeed aware of me and that he loves me. He waited to answer my prayer about finding my memory cards until a moment when it would have more meaning and power to me. He waited to answer my prayer until the moment that I needed it most. He knows! After finding the cards I fell to my knees to pray as tears of gratitude and joy fell into my lap. An incredibly peace swept over me and I knew that everything would be ok. I testify that the Lord is aware of you and that he loves you dearly. He´ll show you too if you just ask. 

 

Looking back over the past year I realize that I am not the same person. I have grown so much. The Lord has been sculpting me and will continue to do so. As hard as the mission has been, I wouldn´t trade it for anything in the whole world because it opened my eyes to the magnitude of the atonement and how much I truly love my Savior and this gospel. 

 

Yes, change isn´t fun but it´s necessary. I´m ready to step into another challenge and let the Lord mold me some more. I know it´s going to be hard but I also know that the Lord will be with me every step of the way! Love you all! 

 

Come what may and love it!

Hermana Israelsen

 

Stand As Witness of God – March 24, 2014

This week we were talking to some people who have lost their faith in God because of all of the trials they have had. They asked why God wouldn´t just take away all of their struggles right when they prayed because they were doing everything that he asked of them. We used the example of Mosiah 24:14-16 to answer their question. In that scripture the Lord says that he doesn´t always take away our trial so that we can show forth our faith in him and later be able to be witnesses of God and say that we know that it was God that helped us through our trial. It allows us to see the hand of God in our lives.

 

God does promise us that during our trials, if we will just turn to him, pray, read the scriptures, worthily take the sacrament each week and keep the commandments that he will help us carry our load. That He will strengthen us and lift the burden with us so that we can´t feel of the stress and sorrow it brings into our lives. He can literally bring us peace, happiness, comfort, joy, and hope in moments of absolute darkness. I have felt that. I know that it´s true. I, personally, have felt of that relieving power that comes through Christ and his atonement. He has helped me get through every challenge that has come my way and has actually helped me have peace and joy through them even though some of them nearly pushed me over the edge. He has NEVER ever left me alone, not even for a second. He has always been there for me and I can stand as a personal witness that I know that his power is real. It works for us today. It works for everyone and I know that it can work for you. Have faith and keep moving forward. Don´t try to do it alone. Why would you try to do it alone when you don´t have to. The Savior walked alone so that we would never have to. I promise you that it is SO much easier and SO much more enjoyable to go through hard times with the savior at our side. Mosiah 24:14-16 aren´t just words on a page but are promises from a loving heavenly father to us. They work and they´re true. I have felt it. I love you all and I want you all to feel of it too! 

 

Have such an amazing week and do something nice for someone today! 

Come what may and love it

Hermana Israelsen