The Journey Home Part 2

Hi everyone!

It's much easier to write weekly emails when you only have one day to write because now I feel like I can do it at any point so it never happens =)

When I left off, I had just gotten home. That Sunday I gave my "welcome home" talk in church which was a special treat because I had my grandparents and great grandpa with me. I had planned to talk about my mission and what I had learned, but what I felt prompted to do instead was the message of the Restoration. It was a powerful moment for me because even though it wasn't the same, I could still feel the truthfulness of that message. I was particularly grateful because my great grandpa isn't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and he was able to hear my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. My prayer and hope is that one day he'll accept what the Spirit tells him, but that talk was another stepping stone for him.

After church we went as a family to a national park that is famous for its alligators. We had a great time walking together and spotting alligators! When we were tired we went home, all the way singing songs together and enjoying one another's company. We had a great afternoon together and then finished the evening with amazing BBQ that my dad smoked himself. Utah has many beautiful and awesome things, but its BBQ is not up to par =)

That Monday my great grandpa, grandparents, mom, and I went to Galveston island to sight see the older homes there, in particular the Bishop's Palace. The thought I had while there was how resilient this little island has been. It had its dark times, such as the Great Storm (a hurricane that killed many thousands of people and nearly destroyed the entire island) but today it's a thriving city with a rich history. How resilient am I against the adversary's attacks? In Helaman 5:12 we learn that he will fight, it's not a possibility but rather a surety, so we need to fortify ourselves. We need to build upon the rock, the great cornerstone, even Christ.

The rest of the trip was really good and my family went home Tuesday; I had really missed them so I'm glad that I had that time with them. It wasn't how I imagined coming home but it surpassed my expectations and it was amazing. The following couple of weeks have been spent readjusting to "normal" life.

I have applied to volunteer at a hospital downtown, been called and set apart as a temple worker, prepared to enter school, and other needy things. I have played board games with my siblings, gone outside and played catch, and met up with some old friends. 

The first time driving by myself was nerve racking; I think I spent a couple of minutes praying before I left the driveway asking for help and calm nerves. I then laughed at myself as I realized that only RMs would understand this feeling as most people drive by themselves everyday.

I cried for a good 10 minutes one day, letting myself feel homesickness for my mission.

I received a father's blessing from my dad for the first time in a year and a half a week after I was released.

I'm working out every day for nearly an hour, some days more, trying to loose the weight I gained (who likes feeling fat in their jeans?).

Goodwill became my BFF as I needed new clothes (see point above haha).

I've been able to keep up my personal study albeit it's shorter now (I'm spending about 15 minutes each day rather than an hour) and my prayers every morning and night.

I have watched about 10 movies and still have more to see.

I went and saw Moana and cried my heart out at nearly every crucial point.

Dr. Strange was the first movie I watched with my family and I nearly passed out in the first 5 minutes from how intense it was.

I have laughed until my sides hurt with my family while we sat around a fire to roast s'mores.

I'm applying for the nursing school at BYU Provo and trying to "sell" myself to people now. "Why should we have you with us?" "Because.....I'm awesome?" =D

I have gone to institute.

There is so much good in my life! Returning is hard, I'm not going to lie, but I take the hard moments as they come and then I remember how much good there is. The Lord has truly blessed me in my life and I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to serve. I'm excited to see how He'll lead me in my life and I'm excited to see what life has in store. All of us have the potential to be like Him, that's why we are here so trust that He'll help you. He'll weep with you, comfort you when you need it, and help you stand up again. What He asks of us in our baptismal covenant He already does with us.

I love you all. You helped make a difference in my mission and I hope that you stay with me for the rest of the ride. Know that I'm always here for you whenever you need someone.

Be good and remember who you are!

Love,

Rachel

The Journey Home Part 1

Hi! I'm alive!! :)

Since I've been home, I've had the feeling/prompting to keep up the weekly emails. I didn't send one out last week because I had family in town and we went on some adventures. My hope in writing these emails is to show my missionary friends what RM (or returned missionary for those who don't know) life is like, to keep a "journal" of my life going, and to share spiritual experiences with my friends and family.

So, to play catch up, my parents came to Utah to pick me up from my mission on Feb. 5th. They met up with me at my ward, the Ellison Park ward, which was so amazing. I was able to introduce them to my family there, the members I have come to love, and they were able to see what a Spanish ward is like. My mom speaks pretty good Spanish but my dad doesn't speak it at all, so it was fun translating for them and for the members we saw. Church went really well and I was super happy; what's better than having your parents with you after a year and a half without them? To make it even better, I had some of my close friends with me, so I was slightly overwhelmed by the feeling of love and joy I felt.

After church we went to a member's home for a lunch/dessert thing; other missionaries who were going home with me came over too, so it was a mini party. My parents got to see one of my favorite parts of Hispanic culture, the food! We had a great time chatting and eating before we needed to head back to Hna. Felix's and my apartment to finish packing up. Just to say, Hna. Felix was so patient with us the entire day and I love her for it. I finished packing so that we could head up to the mission office where Hna. Felix would meet up with her temporary companion and all the departing missionaries did some final touches to be ready to leave. 

We left for the mission home, President and Sis. Jaggi's home, where we had dinner with them, other departing missionaries, and the mission presidency. After dinner, we had a testimony meeting where all of us who were leaving bore our testimonies; the Spirit was extremely powerful. Each of us testified of the love of our Savior and the reality of His Atonement. Our missions changed us, and it was possible because of the grace afford by Christ and His sacrifice. It was a very tender moment for each of us, and for those who were with us, and it ended with a humble prayer. I wouldn't have wanted to end my mission in any other way. 

We all said our goodbyes, then my parents and I left to stay with the Mowers, members of the mission presidency whom I consider close friends. Monday was spent visiting people who I had met and served (or served with) and introducing my parents. I was very proud to show off my parents to all my friends :) Tuesday morning we did an early session in the temple because I had really wanted my parents to see my, now, favorite temple. I had missed going to the temple with them; in the temple, you feel such a closeness with heaven and it is made even better when you have family there. When I had gone with my mission, I had felt some of that love for I love my mission, but it was nice to feel it again with my mom and dad. 

After seeing one or two more people, we started for Lehi, UT to see an old family friend. We stayed there for a while before heading down to Provo to have dinner with a RM who had served in our home ward. We had a great time with her then went to see my trainer, Hna. Lewis. We chatted for a bit before she needed to leave, which was really nice (I have missed her), then we checked into our hotel for the night. We were right next to a Dairy Queen so we ended the night with some soft served ice cream.

Wednesday morning I had an interview with the school of nursing because I'll be trying to go there in the fall and needed some information. We visited the different buildings on campus, to get a feel for the layout and to see where my classes are going to be. We spoke with different departments and learned more about what BYU is going to be like. It wasn't my first choice of college, I actually resented BYU and didn't want to go originally, but I felt the Spirit tell me that that's where I need to go. As we were on campus, I felt that same feeling again; I'm going to BYU for the Lord because I know that He loves me and wants the best for me.

That's all I'm going to share this week, the more "factual" things, sorry about that. A lot has happened since that Sunday, so I'll write about it in parts. I love you all and I'm so grateful for all that you've done. I hope you continue to enjoy these letters. :) 

Have a great week and remember who you are! 

Love,

Rachel 

Week 74, January 2, 2017

Hey! What's up? :D

This week has been awesome! 

So, if you haven't seen my Facebook page, I have been transferred. I am now serving down on the west side of Layton with a ward called Ellison Park. 

On Wednesday, Hna. Felix and I had wanted to work right up until 9pm and it was 8:58pm when we felt we should go see someone who lives close to our home. We knocked the door, knowing it was late, not sure if we were going to get an answer, and gen it opened! The woman we were there to see let us in and we were able to share a message with her and her family. It went really well; we focused on how a new year brings us opportunities to change and they all said they wanted to get closer to God. We promised them we would help with that, and any other goals they have, and invited them to read a pamphlet before we came back. We then left and got home just before 9:30pm. I later learned that the first time the sisters had spoken with this family, they hadn't been receptive at all. Goes to show that miracles happen, even in the 11th hour, as we dedicate our all to God and trust that He'll provide.

Then, on Thursday, we had 2 or 3 set lessons and even had a member come out with us, but then the lessons fell through. It was a bit disappointing but we decided to try a part member/less active family nearby to see if they were home. A woman answered the door and we started talking with her. She really opened up as we spoke about families and then we tied it into the plan of salvation. The Spirit was very strong and she looked really happy, so we invited her to be baptized. She said yes! We then invited her for the 21st of January but she said no because she has a set appointment for that day and the following. We left her with the promise that this message will truly bless her and her family and we left with a return appointment. 

Friday was also really good! We taught a family that the sisters had found a little while ago and all of the family was there (so, mom and dad, 2 daughters, and an aunt). We taught them the Restoration, having started with a pretty in depth "get to know you". They were all involved in the lesson and agreeing with the things we shared. Towards the end, the dad wasn't really that excited to change or to commit to anything, but he was honest and sincere, so we feel that he will be able to progress once we find him some fellowshippers. The mom and daughters all love this and really want to come to church, read the Book of Mormon, and pray. They have told us that they can feel a difference between this message and other churches and they like it. I'm really excited to have a family to teach and they are all amazing!

Saturday was a bit rough, due to parties and all, but we will recover.

The best part of the week was the party we had as a mission. The whole mission got together at 7:30-10:30pm to celebrate the new year. We started with a testimony session then started to play. There was one room for crafts (...I didn't go to that one...), one for board games (I went towards the end), and the gym was used for sports. We played speedball and dodgeball, zone against zone so I got a little competitive :) Spanish won all the games we had (because we are AWESOME like that :D ) and it was a lot of fun to see how horrified and shocked people were to see me play hard. As many of you know, I am fairly nice, and I make sure people have their turns and all that good stuff, but I also love to play hard! I love giving my all to a game, to ensure my team wins, and it was kinda fun to see the faces of people who haven't seen that side of me before. Haha, I really enjoyed myself with the sports. Towards the end I went into the game room and played a game called "What Did You Say?" where you put a piece of plastic in your mouth to make it difficult to say anything, then try to say hard phrases. It was very entertaining to watch and guess! :D I love being with my mission family and we ended the night with a devotional.

Sunday was amazing! We met 4 new people, though we didn't have long lessons with them, for various reasons. One of them we feel is a tender mercy for us; his name is Armando. He is recently divorced and works a lot, so it may be difficult to teach him, but he accepted a Book of Mormon and was really interested. He gave us his phone number and said we could come back next Sunday, his only day off. I was really excited to see how many different people are in my area and I can't wait to find more! I know that this week we didn't hit our goals, but we saw miracles and we'll apply what we have learned to make this next week amazing. We have the goal of 5 baptisms this month and we have about 8 investigators as of right now that we feel will progress this month. 

I love you all! Thank you for a great 2016 and I'm so excited to see what 2017 brings. I hope you all have made some good goals and are ready for a great year! Have a great week! Remember who you are!

Love,

Hermana Lindh

Hermana Lindh

Week 73, December 26, 2016

Friends and family, I have gathered you here today to......

Wish you a Merry Christmas! :D And. Happy New Year!

I hope that you all had a great Christmas with your family. It was such a treat to speak with my family yesterday; we managed to have my brother FaceTime in while I Skype in, so I got to see him for a few minutes before he had to get off. I miss him, but he's a great missionary and I'm so happy for him, that he gets to participate in this great work the same way I do.

These past two transfers have been amazing. I love Sis. Soakai so much; I truly feel that she is my sister and that she loves me. I haven't had too many female friends before so I'm very grateful for her. She's an amazing missionary and I know that she's going to keep making miracles happen here. Whoever she gets as a companion is going to be very blessed. I'll miss her, but we'll keep in touch for sure.

I love this area; I'm grateful for everyone here who loves us and we them. There are very special people here who, from what I can see, need a little more time and attention than some investigators, but who are progressing. We have seen miracles, I've even shared a few, and that's amazing. The Lord is working here in this area and I love working with Him. I hope that future missionaries don't give up on the people we have found and are teaching just because they aren't progressing as fast as we'd like. The wards have mentioned multiple times that we have made progress where no one else has, so I trust that the Lord will keep that progress going. 

I'm so happy and grateful that I was sent here. The sacrifice I had originally felt I was making has been dwarfed in comparison with the blessings. I thought that this was going to be hard, and yes I did have some rough patches, but I needed these people, and I think they needed me. My faith has grown, and that in of itself is a great blessing for now I can move mountains. :) That's how sacrifice works; we give something and we are given something even better. When God asks us to give up something (whether it's a job, a house we live in, or even family members sometimes, etc.), He promises to not only compensate for what was lost but also to give us more. Every sacrifice me, or my family, have made has resulted in great blessings.

Many of you know that my family and I moved around a lot, and to some that seems like a hard thing. Well, it is. But, i am grateful we have because I have met so many people that I love, I have learned so many important lessons, and I've grown into who I am today due to our sacrifices. Sacrifice requires faith; you need to trust that the Lord will uphold His promises and that He'll support you in your sacrifice. A new year brings many opportunities to sacrifice and change and grow (in that order :) ); what will you give up this year, keep doing, and start doing?

I'd like to take a moment to express some feelings about finishing your mission. There are so many different emotions that come as you think about this part of your life ending. I have personally felt a bit of regret (I'm haunted by the question "what could I have done better, differently?") but also joy (on thinking of all the people I've met, things I've done, and experiences I've had). I have felt excitement to go home to my family, but sadness to leave my family here. There are some fears about the future that come from uncertainties and naturally I shared them with my parents. I expressed worry about my first 3 months home because I don't start school until May, and my dad bore his testimony on how much I've grown and that I'll just be taking another step forward in God's plan for me. That the mission doesn't define me, but rather refines me so that I can take the tools I've learned to go and serve afterwards. It was a very sweet moment for me and I could feel his love for me and His love for me. My parents are very supportive in my ministry -they want me focusing on serving well and hard right up to the last minute- and they have expressed how they are going to help me when I get home. I'm grateful for them and for having an eternal perspective.

I still have 6 weeks to work and to work hard. I don't mean to share this as a "I'm almost home!" type of feeling but rather to be transparent about what a mission is like. Very few people speak about their experience of going home, because it's hard, but like all hard things God helps us. I love my mission and I'm so happy to have another 6 weeks! I wish it were more, but I know that the Lord will help me to still see miracles in this time frame. Now, I'm off to work! 

I hope you all have a great week! Remember who you are, be good, and take joy in life. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Lindh

I love you President! I hope you have a great week! Please let me know if I can ever do something for you or your family.

Love,

Sister Lindh

Hermana Lindh

Week 72, December 19, 2016

Hi Everyone! 

To be honest, this week has been fairly difficult. When the cold weather hits, colds start spreading and we weren't exempt. Sis. Soakai had a hard time with the temperature change and it caused her asthma to act up, so there were many nights where we came home early because she wasn't feeling well. Despite our physical weakness, the Lord was still able to work miracles. For example, I had a split on Saturday and so I was able to get out and work! The other half of that miracle is that the Coates where able to take care of Sis. Soakai for me; she spent most of the day sleeping. I'm also very grateful for modern medicine because it's what helped Sis. Soakai heal quickly. She now has the medicine and help she needs to work despite the cold. 

So, while the week was slow, we still saw miracles. As a testament to prayer, one day my split and I were walking outside of a member's home and they opened the door to speak with us. We spoke briefly, planning to go see someone else, when they mentioned that their dog had escaped the yard. I asked if they had prayed yet and they said no, so they invited us in to pray. They asked me to offer the prayer so I did, asking the Lord to protect this dog until we could find him and to help us find him. As we closed the prayer, we got up to leave and standing outside of the door was their dog! I quipped "I believe God hears us, I just didn't realize we were on speed dial." =D It's really nice to see such instant answers to prayers, it just confirms what I already know; God loves us! He hears our prayers! 

Another miracle we saw was finding a less active woman whom we've been trying to see multiple weeks. We had felt prompted to go to the apartment complex she lives in even though it was fairly late. To our surprise, we saw lights on in her home! We knocked on the door and she yelled out "who is it?" I responded "the missionaries!" as happily as I could. She opened the door to us and let us in. We got to know her a bit and shared a message with her. She ended up crying after it, saying that she had been praying for a friend to come and she felt we were answering her prayer. It was a great time with her and we were able to find out some of her needs.

Something else that was kinda fun for me this week was that I got to sing in Sacrament meeting. I haven't really done that my whole mission because I don't put myself out as a singer, but we've joined the choirs in our wards so they know. I got to sing "What Child is This?" and it was so powerful for me. I could feel my spirit joining in with the Spirit to testify if Christ, that He truly came to earth as a babe for us. I am so grateful to use my talents to share my testimony and next week I'll get to do it again! I'll be singing with the choir to proclaim Jesus's birth. 

I can't wait for Christmas!!! I'll be going to 3 wards, one a deaf branch, to celebrate Christmas. Then, in the evening we'll be joining with families we love and make lasting memories. I love being a missionary for Christmas!

I hope that you are all doing well! I also hope that you've been participating in the #Lighttheworld campaign the Church has going; it's a great way to give thanks to Christ for all that He did. Have a great week, remember who you are, and be awesome! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Lindh

Hermana Lindh