Week 58, September 12, 2016

What a great week!

We have been seeing a lot of miracles recently in the way of our members. We have been praying and fasting for our ward because they have been struggling to be unified and we are starting to see the fruits of our labors. While we don't need that to be good missionaries or to keep working hard, it's kinda nice to see how our efforts have been received. For example, we try to find people and introduce them to members as soon as possible so that they have a friend in church. What's even better though is having members invite us over to meet their friends/families so that instead of us trying to start a relationship, the investigators already have one. This past week we have been introduced to investigators by members and we now have more people to teach who will be fellowshipped into the ward. That's the way missionary work should work and how it works best, when members and missionaries work together to help our brothers and sisters without the gospel of Christ to come unto Him.

One of the families we have met is a husband and wife, Francisco and Elizabeth and Elizabeth is going to have a baby in about a month. We shared part of the plan of Salvation with them and they were both really happy to hear it. We'll be going back this Tuesday to provide service for this mom so that she doesn't need to worry about keeping her home maintained while feeling so tired; pregnancy can be hard! =) I really love them both so much and I just feel this really strong and sweet spirit with them, so we are hoping to help them be baptized on Sep. 30th, or the following week.

We are still visiting Judith but she's struggling to feel/accept her answer from God saying to join this church. For those who are not members, yes, we are hoping that she'll hear that answer because we know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ's church on the earth again. I know that this is the only true church and that we teach the plenitude of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am here as a missionary to help people come unto Christ by having faith in Him, repenting (which is to change), being baptized by proper authority, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the same authority, and enduring to the end. I know who I represent, that this is His church, and that all those who pray in faith will come to know the same truth I have received. I love you all and I love all those who I teach out here and that's why I share what I do.

For Judith, we're still working with her and we'll be trying something new. A letter from my dad sparked this revelation and we had recently received a training on how to teach with the Spirit using music, so now we are singing with everyone! We try to start with a hymn, explaining to them that the Spirit will teach of the truth in the song and that that's how they'll feel when they pray later to know the truth from God. We also try to sing a hymn in the lesson itself to once again have the presence of the Spirit be very strong. I don't know if we have seen any direct results yet, but I believe that it helps people and it helps us teach better.

On a more fun note, we haven't had a lot of activities this week, but today for P-Day, we and our district went bowling and to play lazer tag! =D The first round of lazer tag, we had 3 teams made of the 3 different companionships and Hna. Miranda and I didn't do too shabby! The second time around, it was 2 teams made up of Junior vs. Senior companions. (In a companionship, there is a senior and junior companion; usually the senior companion is the one who has served longer and can kinda guide the companionship by using their experience. In my companionship, I am currently the senior companion. This can change every transfer) The senior companions one and we were all wiped by the end of it. I had the highest accuracy (66% in comparison with 2nd place with 25%) and the most amount of points (meaning I "shot" the most amount of people and/or stuff); wouldn't my family be proud? =D

I think that that's all for this week! =) This coming Thursday we have interviews with President Jaggi so we'll receive some training as well. I'm really excited for that because when Elder Ortiz went home, we combined the 2 spanish zones into 1, so all 30 spanish missionaries will be together; I'm so excited!

I love you all! Be good and remember who you are!

Love,

Hermana Lindh

Week 57, September 5, 2016

Hello everyone!
I'm going to start with a funny story because those are the best! So,
when Hna. Wi Repa was with us, we found an empty grocery cart and so
we decided to play a little bit. Hna. Miranda got in and Hna. Wi Repa
pushed her; at one point, they nearly fell over and so I said, being
the caring person that I am, "Alguien va a morir!" which means that
someone's going to die. Hna. Miranda thought that that was so funny!
Now, I say it fairly regularly to get her to laugh.
Ok, for the funny story, so last night we were trying to get to our
church building pretty quickly and so we were moving really fast on
our bikes. At one point, we crossed the street and heard a car moving
behind us so we moved closer to the curb. At that point in the curb
was a driveway and car was backing out. My companion was able to stop
because she had more reaction time, but I was going fast enough with
not enough time to react that I kept going forward. The car stopped to
let us by, but before it had stopped completely, I said again "Alguien
va a morir."
Hna. Miranda was busting up laughing when we arrived at the church! We
were both laughing super hard because I had been so calm! My last
words would've been "someone's going to die" and I was totally fine
with that. It wasn't scary because nothing bad happened or would've
happened, so we were just laughing for a good 5 minutes.
We also saw some miracles this week. On Tuesday, Hna. Miranda and I
were biking along 20th street trying to find the best way down to the
river because we had an appointment with a member along that road. As
we were debating on using Monroe or Washington to get there, I felt
like we should pass through the cemetery because a couple of months
earlier Hna. Felix and I had helped a woman carry her things to a path
through there. I didn't know why I had remembered that out of the
blue, but we went for it. As we were passing through the cemetery, we
saw a woman standing next to a fairly new grave by herself. We almost
didn't stop, but both Hna. Miranda and I felt prompted to speak to
her.
We biked up to her and started up a conversation where we learned that
she lost her brother just back in March and that she's still
struggling with the loss. We started asking her questions about how
she's handling this and how's she's doing until we gradually shared
the plan of salvation. We testified that God loves her and that that's
why He had sent us; she said that she was really grateful we had come
and that she had recently felt like she needs to go back to church and
that she liked what we shared. We then invited her to listen to the
missionaries down where she lives in Salt Lake City and she said she
would really like that; we then felt like we should ask her who else
needs the message we shared with her and she said that her mom does,
who lives up here in Ogden. Actually, she lives within the
Buenaventura ward boundaries so we will get to work with her!
After our conversation we offered to say a prayer with her and she
gladly accepted, so we prayed and asked for a blessing upon her and
her family. It was a strong spiritually moment for me; no one could
deny that God was pouring out His love for His daughter who really
needs Him right now. We then left her, with a hug of course, continued
through the cemetery, and found the path I had remembered. Overall, an
amazing experience that showed us, once again, that God has His hand
in everything. I really do know that He loves us and is watching over
us in every moment.
Another miracle we saw is week was that our progressing investigator,
Judith, came to church yesterday! We had tried to see her Saturday and
Sunday morning to invite her again to come to church but she wasn't
there. We got really anxious because she wasn't there when sacrament
meeting had started at 12:30 but then, SHE CAME!!! She was a bit late,
but she came in time for the sacrament and hen she stayed for all of
the meetings. We had been fasting for her, that she might come and
receive her answer and all of the talks where people testifying of
Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and of this church. It was
amazing! We'll be seeing her again this week to confirm that she
received her answer and is still ready to be baptized on the 24th.
This week really was amazing, but there was one point where it was a
bit hard. So, this transfer my friend, Elder Ortiz, had come back into
the north zone (there are two zones, the north and the south; he had
previously been in the south for a transfer). I was so excited to see
him again and it was his last transfer so I was really excited to work
with him and other friends. This last Friday, the zone leaders, Elder
Barfuss and Elder Ortiz, called us and asked if they could meet with
us. We thought we were in trouble because they usually don't meet up
with us. When we met them, Elder Ortiz told us that he was going home.
I was kinda shocked at first but then I saw his face and he was
serious, so naturally I started to cry. Hna. Miranda had just met him
about 1 1/2 week ago, so she said goodbye first. Then I said goodbye
and we were both crying and we all said goodbye and they left. He went
back home Saturday morning.
He had helped me a lot in Washington Terrace and we have a lot in
common so we had become pretty good friends. I really miss him but I
know that he made the decision using the Spirit and with help from
President Jaggi. It's hard when a missionary leaves at a time that's
not expected but we keep working and moving forward. We'll all miss
him, and others who have gone home as well, but that's part of the
mission life and we learn and grow. He served an amazing mission and
he helped a lot of people; now, he's continuing to serve and help
others, just in a different way. That's how it is with every returned
missionary! We keep being missionaries, using what we learned to help
those around us come unto Christ because that's what we covenanted at
baptism.
I'm good now, I had some mourning time but I'm back and ready to work.
Saturday we worked hard and we'll keep up like that. =)

I love you all! I hope that you have a great week and always remember
that you have the power/ability to affect those around you positively.
Remember who you are and be good!

Love,
Hermana Lindh

P.S. National holiday means the FHC is closed so I'm writing from my
iPad. Sorry that's a response from last week's email, but thank you
for your patience!

Week 56, August 29, 2016

Wake me up when September ends ....or starts, both work

Okay, so as you all know, we had transfers this week. I am still here in Buenaventura and my companion is still Hna. Miranda. The only major change for us was that Hna. Wi Repa left and is now serving with the Jefferson 2nd ward, one of our neighboring wards. She is serving with Hna. Reynolds, one of the most amazing missionaries I know, and they're going to help J2 grow! Also, we had the surprise of moving apartments! Where we used to be living now is the home for four elders who serve in the J2 ward. We now live in the apartment that used to be home for one set of J2 elders. It's a bit weird for me because this is the first time that I'm not living in a member's home, but it's a cozy apartment. We moved in last Wednesday so I'm still adjusting to it but it has a lot of perks for us. For example, where we used to live was up a fairly large hill and further away from where most of our investigators live. Now, we live right in the middle of where most of the people are and it's a lot flatter so my knees are happier! :) Oh, and we are also back on bike because Hna. Wi Repa and Reynolds need the car as their area is much larger than ours.

This has been a great week! I mean, as long as we are choosing to have a great time, we're usually okay, but this week has had us seeing miracles. Something new that we are doing is that we are working more with the Elders who cover our area as well and with the other Elders in our district. (I think I forgot to mention, the district I'm in has 6 missionaries in total; me and my companion, the other set of Buenaventura Elders, and a set of Elders out in Roy). We are now praying every night as a district -we have a list of people that need prayers and we all pray for every person every day- and each of us are improving in our obedience. Hna. Miranda and I have been working on being more exactly obedient, trying our best to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and be more positive and we are starting to see the results.

As a mission, we have the goal that each companionship teaches 3 lessons a day; we managed to teach 5 lessons one day and 7 lessons another, with our average minimum being 4 lessons a day. We have found new people and are continuing to find new people and we both have this strong feeling that we are going to see a large miracle this transfer. We have talked a lot in learning the balance between doing all that you can do and being obedient, and also allowing others their agency. As we've been striving to find that balance, we have struggled and had some hard days, but now we are moving forward again. Our district leaders have been really helpful with that too; they keep telling us and our Elders that they feel like we are going to see miracles and they have promised that the Lord is pleased with our work and will bless us as we continue to learn and grow.

I want to testify again that I know that we can choose our attitudes and how we react to situations. It can be hard seeing yourself not reach goals that you had set or being told, again, something that you already know you're struggling in, but these things can't control us. We have been given agency and we have the ability to use it for he positive; God will ALWAYS help us choose the better path is we will listen to Him and His soft Spirit.

One of the people that we have found this week is called Hna. Rodriguez (neither Hna. Miranda nor I can remember her first name..... Sorry :) ). We shared the Restoration in 4 minutes and the Spirit was really strong. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes; we then invited her to be baptized on September 17th and she said yes! This was amazing for us! She is a really nice woman who we are really excited to start teaching. We have tried her daughters before and haven't had a tone of luck and one day we found her. We'll see how she does these next few weeks as we are praying and working hard for her.

We are also a still working with Judith. She's an amazing woman who really knows how to stay firm to her beliefs as she feels they have come from God. When I first met her she was really set against reading the Book of Mormon, she didn't even want to talk about, but now she's reading from it fairly regularly! She's really working hard to come closer to receiving her answer  changing. I love this woman, she's really special to me, so we're praying and hoping that everything works out for her soon.

I love you all. Life is going well, we keep working hard and hopefully smarter :) and the mission keeps bringing new miracles. I hope that you're all doing well and have a great week. Be good and remember who you are!


Love,
Hermana Lindh

Week 55, August 22, 2016

Here Comes Goodbye

The second and last week as a trio was really good! I love working with both of my companions and we have been learning a lot together. I won't say that trios are easy, but they definitely are greats means of teaching you Christlike attributes. What you learn with one companion is amplified as you learn to balance the needs of another person. For this week, I was able to make another step forward emotionally and spiritually as I have been compromising. Last transfer I learned the importance of accepting my limitations, permitting myself to feel my negative emotions, and accepting that I'm not okay. Now, I'm learning how to accept those feelings but controlling them as well. I used to need an hour a day to compartmentalize my feelings, we called it "de-stress", and now I don't have that. I need to be able to recognize that I'm feeling something negative, take a deep breath, and hold on till a more reasonable time to relax. 
Before my mission, I didn't enjoy showing my emotions unless they were positive because I didn't want anyone to feel bad just because I was. I kept my emotions inside and didn't vent until I was at home, in a safe place. The problem with that was that I was prone to emotional explosions where things that had been bugging me over a period of time all came out at once. Out here in my mission, I have been pushed emotionally and spiritually and the system I had no longer works. I started by learning the difference between my emotions and learning their causes. Next, I learned the importance of accepting that I have negative emotions. And now, I'm learning the next step and that's how to control your emotions in a healthy way. 
Balance is a tricky thing, and sometimes we fall, but there always the Atonement of Jesus Christ to help us. He knows everything we feel and knows how to help us (Alma 7:11-13). I have felt His love and support for me as I have been reaching out to my Father and accepting His Son's sacrifice. My companions have also been using the Atonement as they have been forgiving me and helping me. I am so grateful for my companions and the example they have given me; I was with the right woman at the right time.
Now, while we have each been growing on our own, our area has been pushing us as well. Something that our mission president teaches us is that if we aren't having success (in this case, that means baptisms), it's because we need to improve our obedience/faith or we are being tried in our faith. I'm not sure which one it is for us, but as long as we work on the first, we don't need to worry. As we increase our obedience and our faith, we will see miracles; whether that will be in this month or the next few months, the timing doesn't really matter. God has promised that He'll provide miracles and He always keeps His word (D&C 82:10). I know that we'll find people to teach and help those who are prepared to be baptized. 
Someone that we are teaching who is progressing amazingly! She's not moving forward super fast, but she's taking steps in faith. Her name is Judith and when I first met her,mane blatantly said "I have no interested in reading the Book of Mormon, the Bible is enough for me." Since then, she has changed and is more open now. She is reading daily from the Book of Mormon and we have felt a change in her heart. I think she will still need some more time, but she's so close! We feel that she has already received her answer but hasn't fully accepted it yet. We're praying a lot and fasting to help this woman. Her sons would be so happy if she joined; nothing is better than helping a whole family come unto Christ.
Life is good out here in the vineyard :) We continue to grow, we keep meeting different people, and seeing new things. Sorry I don't have any funny stories this week, but I'll include photos this time so that should make up the difference. I love you all! Be good and remember who you are!

Love,
Hermana Lindh

Hnas Martin, Felix, Lindh, WiRepa and Miranda

The cutest baby ever!

They make the best waffles in the world, I'm not kidding!

Week 54, August 15, 2016

First Week as a Trio!

What a week! Every time that something changes, there's an adjustment period. As missionaries, this period needs to be shorter than what would be considered normal because we could potentially change every 6 weeks. We don't have the luxury of waiting a week to find "normal" in our companionships and so we work really hard, using stress techniques and relying heavily upon the Lord, to become one. That's my mission's moto, "Be One"; be one with your companion, be one with the Spirit, be one with the Lord, be one with your investigator(s), be one with your leaders, BE ONE! This is not an easy skill, it takes a lot of practice and charity, but it's possible and necessary. It's what allows us to do the Lord's work.

Anyway, this week was spent becoming one as a trio and it was surprisingly easy. =) Hna. Miranda and I already had the advantage of working together some time before we were put into a trio and Hna. Wi Repa and I had already served together. Hna. Wi Repa has the amazing ability of going with the flow and so she's very good at adjusting with change and working with different types of people. Hna. Miranda is similar in that regard; she is able to put people at ease really well and she does it by being gentle-hearted, meek, and funny. I love both of my companions and we are all working really well together. I'm actually pretty sad to see our trio end next week, but we will be together for the right amount of time.

Besides adjusting to having another companion, we had a couple of major things happen this week. On Monday evening, us and our district had a district family home evening with the Mower Family (they are members of the mission presidency). I love this family! Brother and Sister Mower are two people that I just love deeply; they started their missions just a little bit after I did, so we've been working together for almost a year now. I was really excited to go and see them, and to be with my district, and what made it even better was that a recent convert came with us! Her name is Maria Ortiz and she is an amazing woman. I met her, as I came into Buenaventura the first time around, about a week after her baptism. 

When we got to the Mower's home, they told us that they had a friend there who spoke mainly Spanish, but that she wasn't really interested in being taught herself but that she wanted her daughter to know about the Mormon beliefs. We started the Family Home Evening where we had a great conversation about charity and how to choose to be happy and the Spirit was very strong with us. This woman, Maria (different from the recent convert that we brought), made some great comments, along with Maria Ortiz and other recent converts from different areas. It was a tremendous evening where we were all spiritually edified and built. 

Maria, the friend of the Mowers, asked if we would be doing this again soon because she had loved the feelings she had. I will say, we were probably a bit too excited when we offered to come and teach her because she looked a little bit startled, but then she gave us her information and told us that we could come see her and teach her. It was a miracle, and a beautiful one at that. 

Then next day, Tuesday, we went to have a lesson with an investigator of ours, Emerson. I can't remember if I've already talked about him, so as a bit of background, he is the son of a very strong woman in our ward. He is a member of a different church and is very knowledgeable about the Bible. I have loved speaking with this young man and I was really excited to see him again, to follow up and see how he's feeling with the Book of Mormon. We had a pretty long conversation where we ended up telling him that he needed to humble himself before he'll receive the answer from God and he told us that he is never going to change. We could all feel that he was quite upset, and so we finished the lesson by inviting him to keep praying and reading. Part way through the lesson I hurt so much for this man that I almost started crying, so I didn't contribute much after that (who wants to cry in front of a lot of people?). By the time we reached the car (Oh! Sorry, I forgot to mention. With Hna. Wi Repa joining us, we have a car until the end of the transfer. It has been a nice break from the heat =) but I've missed my bike ), I was sobbing. 

It kills me when people reject this gospel; I physically ache and all that helps me is to cry for a while. My companions and I had a good, fairly long, chat in the car on the way home about agency, doing all that we can, and accepting God's will. By the time we had gotten home, gone inside, and had some milk and chocolate, I was feeling better. I love this young man, as I love all of my investigators, and feeling the pain and anger he was going through broke my heart. We are here as missionaries to help people know to whom they can turn for relieve. We know that what is going to help them, as it has helped us, to feel better is to fully live the gospel of Christ. No other way can we find true and lasting peace and joy. 

When an investigator says no, no matter if they're someone I just met or someone I've been teaching for a while, they are choosing to not accept Christ completely. When they don't keep commitments, they are denying themselves blessings. When they choose not to be baptized, they are keeping themselves in a state of sadness and darkness. That's not to say that everyone who isn't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints doesn't know what happiness or joy is, but rather they are living in a room lit by a small campfire when they could be in a room filled with the light of the son (Son). We aren't here to tell people that they aren't happy or that they don't know Christ, but rather that they can find MORE happiness, know Christ MORE, and receive MORE blessings from our Father. 

We have been working hard this week to find people to teach, so I don't have any other stories about specific people. I feel sad that we don't have many people to teach, but that means that we have another week to go and find more people. We have been receiving instruction/training on how we can improve, we have been changing and growing, and we have been accessing the Atonement of Christ so as to be worthy of divine guidance. I'll let you know when I make some more friends =)

I love you all and I hope that you have had a great week. I pray that you have an even better one and that you find a way to serve those around you. Be good and remember who you are!

Love,

Hermana Lindh

Week 53, August 8, 2016

Surprise!!

There is no such thing as normal in a mission, but there are things that are weirder than what we usually see. A missionary choosing to go home early is not something that usually happens, but it happened this week. On Wednesday, we had a Zone training instead of our normal district meeting and so we were with the rest of the zone, including the other sisters. At one point, something was said that caused me a small stress emergency (aka, when I no longer have the resources needed to handle a stressful situation) and so my companion and I left the training to go to the bathroom so that I could cool down. A little while later the other sisters joined us to see how I was and we ended up going outside for a walk.

Part way through the walk, the other sisters, Hnas. Wi Repa and Pecjak, stopped us and said they had something to tell us. Hna. Pecjak then told us that she would be going home. My initial reaction was "No way......you're joking." It just didn't make sense to me that she could be leaving, but then she explained how she had reached that point. As she was sharing the past few weeks with us and explaining how she had decided to go home, I was sad but I was swept over with peace. We kept talking with them to see how they were doing and what we could do to help and eventually we went back inside to finish the training.

The rest of the week was a bit funky as we changed plans to go and help the sisters (we HAD offered it, so it wasn't something bad, just a rearranging of plans) and finally yesterday we said our goodbyes. It was a bit surreal for me, because this was a former companion of mine, my mission sister (we were trained by the same trainer, Hna. Lewis), and a friend leaving for her home. We took pictures together and then we left her with the Jaggis. 

Hna. Pecjak was an amazing missionary and this mission, which includes all the leaders, missionaries, investigators, and members, will miss her. She has touched all of us in one way or another and she did a fantastic job here. I know that she served the right amount of time at the right time in her life because she is someone who listens to the Spirit. This amazing sister has taught me a lot and I know that she'll continue to help people, just in a different way now. 

I am now serving with Hna. Miranda and Hna. Wi Repa and we cover both the Washington Terrace and Buenaventura areas. This is definitely outside the norm as there are no other Spanish missionaries covering 2 Spanish areas, but all things are possible with our Father. We will need to be excellent planners, depend more upon members (which is another opportunity to learn humility), and be a strong and united companionship. This will, at the very least, be for the next 2 weeks as we finish the transfer. At the very least we have a car =) but I'll miss the bikes; they've grown on me, jajaja! 

Tomorrow we'll go to the temple as a mission (inspired timing! Heavenly Father really is good to us) and we'll be able to find the needed guidance and peace to finish these last 2 weeks with some grace and style. I know that all things are possible with our Heavenly Father and that they can be more than possible but also beautiful. As we choose to put our Father and our Savior first in our lives, we will be able to better endure and enjoy enduring. That isn't to say that we will always be happy or that everything will always be beautiful, but rather we'll have the eye of faith that allows us to be happier than without. Why would you look at the cracks or brush strokes in a stained glass window when you could enjoy the beautiful colors and the way the light falls through to create a beautiful image? Heavenly Father can help us change our perspective and see the joy amidst the pain, even if the pain remains. 

I love you all and I hope that you're doing well. If you ever feel unloved, lost, forgotten, depressed, or just sad, please let me know. There is always someone there reaching out for you; I know that God has placed certain people in our lives for a reason. I am more than willing to love you and hold you, even if I can't do that physically right now. Even better, I will remind you of your Heavenly Father who is yearning to hold you, to help you. He wants to cradle you in His hands, just as our daddies do here on earth, to help take away the pain and to support you. Please turn to Him and trust Him. YOU ARE HIS CHILD!!! HE LOVES YOU.

When I say "Remember who you are", I am asking you to remember your divine nature and that you have a loving Father in Heaven. I know this is true. I know we can reach out to our Father and that He will help us; He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for us. Reach out to Christ, accept His atonement, and keep that eye of faith.

Be good. Remember who you are. Please reach out for help when you need it (whether you feel like you need it or not). Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Lindh

Hna WiRepa, Hna Miranda, Hna Pecjak, Hna Lindh

 

Week 52, August 1, 2016

One Year!

What's up, my people?

This week marks another milestone for me; I have been out in the mission field for a year now. 

The halfway mark was really big for me, because that means less time to work than I have already spent, but this is kinda scaring me. I have spent a year of my life, a year of my family's life, serving the Lord. It's been hard, it's been beautiful, and it's all been worth it. In this past year, I have met so many of my brothers and sisters that I can't even count! I love meeting these people and spending time with them, helping them change their lives by applying the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I have learned (I am learning) Spanish, a completely different language, in a year so that I could serve my new-found family. I love the Latin culture! I love the food (menos que mole.....yuck....), the music (yes, I still dance around quite a bit =) it's more reserved now, and mostly at home ), and the people. They are so friendly, they will always welcome you into their homes and offer you food or a drink. I feel at home with these people and I was given the chance to know them, and their culture, by sacrificing my time and energy to learn another language. 

In a years time, I have lived with 9 different woman, who were complete strangers before my mission, but are now some of my closest friends. They have each taught me something really important, and a lot of little life skills, and each has changed my life. 

I have served in 3 different wards, learning and growing in leadership positions (I never understood how organized the Church is until I served a mission; everyone is always doing something that then needs to be reported in a meeting.). I have seen the way different councils and groups work, learned how to best communicate with different leaders, and how to balance the needs of many within a short amount of time. 

People have come to me with problems, exciting news, challenges, and sometimes even confessions even though I'm basically a complete stranger with only 20 years of life under my belt! I have seen some of the hardest emotional struggles and even helped make better some of those struggles. I have seen broken people become whole and I've seen kind people become ugly over a misconception. 

This past year I have learned so many different lessons, applied most of them, and grown a lot. I have heard of so many miracles, been part of a few, and stood witness to others. I have seen angels protect those I love, felt the Holy Spirit guide me in this work, and felt the healing power of the Atonement. Only in a mission can you see and do so many things. Only here can you be shaped in such a powerful and lasting way. However long you're out, whether it's a few weeks, months, or years, God uses this short amount of time to make you a powerful warrior, if you let Him.

I only have 6 months left! While my parents probably think that that's a long time, I'm crying at the thought that I only get 6 months left to do what I've been doing for a year. The time we, as missionaries, are called to serve is so brief that it goes by in the blink of an eye. But, what we learn and do doesn't need to end after the mission. This work will change form as we leave the field and become "normal" members again, but it's still the same glorious work. If we press forward and keep the same habits we are establishing here, that is daily prayer and scripture study and reaching out to God, we will still be a great tool for the Lord to use to help His children reach eternal life. 

I love my mission.

Now, on a less "reminiscent" note, this week was AWESOME! Well, every week can be, but this one was especially awesome! A dear friend of mine returned to Utah about 1 1/2 weeks ago and she brought her son, who is not a member. She invited us over to come and meet him and he is such an amazing guy! He's name is Emerson and he's spent a lot of time searching for God. We would start quoting a scripture from the Bible and he would complete it. He understands basic gospel principles and has a deep faith in Christ that he exercises regularly. The one hiccup he has with being a member, with being baptized, is the Book of Mormon.

Really, when anyone ever has a problem with doctrine, whether it be living day prophets or the word of wisdom, the issue can be resolved with the Book of Mormon. This is because God loves us and wants us to be happy, so He gave us clear evidence of the restoration with the Book of Mormon. If this book is not true, everything we stand for as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is false! But, the flip side is true too; if this book is true, everything we teach is true. So, we are helping Emerson read the Book of Mormon daily and we're inviting him to pray every day so that he can know if it's true. The only way he'll know is by the Spirit, which is God's way of answering our prayers.

I know Emerson is going to receive his answer if he asks in faith and acts on the answer. He's really ready to accept the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He's ready and I love this kid; I can't wait to see where his journey leads.

This week was also pretty awesome because we had Zone Conference; all of the missionaries serving in Spanish in my mission got together to be trained and strengthened. It was amazing what we learned and I've been able to see the blessings already. I know, without a doubt, obedience brings happiness. It was also really good to see my friends and to be with them for a time. We have the blessing of being in a small mission which means we actually see other missionaries quite frequently, and I know that that's part of why I was called here. I need this love and friendship, this closeness with my family, so it was another moment of testimony building for me; God knows me and loves me!

All is good here in Ogden! I love being a missionary, I'm getting a bit more tan (that's a nice plus in the Spanish program, I'm not the whitest anymore!), and the work keeps moving on. 

I love you all and I'm so grateful for the support you have given me so far; it means a lot to me. Remember who you are and have a great week! 

Love,

Hermana Lindh