Week 31

This week was a turning point in my mission! I have never felt the spirit so strong or felt such a desire to work hard. As everyone knows this week we got to see the apostle Elder Holland. This experience strengthened my testimony more than anything has in my whole life! Elder Holland truly is an apostle of God and he speaks for the savior. I thought for sure that we were going to walk in there and he was going to bring down fire, and chastise us! Because its Elder Holland and he can be known for that hahah! But instead, he made me feel so loved, and feel the spirit sooo strong! We started out the meeting by having the opportunity to shake his hand, and he asked us for our name and where we were from! You could feel the spirit around him like a bubble and as soon as you walked up to him you would be moved to tears! It was unreal! Then we got to hear from President and sister Gifford. I am soo thankful for them and there love and support in this mission! They truly are called from god and I know that what they do in this mission truly is inspired! Then we got the opportunity to hear from Elder Soares of the 70! Something that he said that I really loved is to listen closely tonight because Elder holland is going to be speaking for the Savior. Then Elder Holland got up, and the first thing he said was that while he was shaking our hands he was interviewing us!!! Which is extremely scary, hahah I felt like he could see my soul!  But he said that based on those handshakes he knows if he needs to bring the fire hhahaha! But he said that he didn't feel that in this mission. 

     So instead he continued to tell us how much he loves us and how proud he is of us and our decision to serve. And I remembered what Elder Soares said about how Elder Holland would speak for the savior. The biggest thing that I heard during that meeting and that was personally testified to me through the spirit is that the Savior loves me, and he is proud of me! That is all that I needed to hear! I was literally just dripping buckets of tears from my face hahah! I think Elder Holland thought that I had some disease...... But its okay!!! He told us that he knows it is hard and that he knows that everyone has a perfect idea of what a missionary should be. But he told us we don't have to be perfect but we do have to protect the perfect idea of a missionary! He said that there are many missionaries that have gone before us, and suffered and bled and labored, and we have to protect that LEGACY!!! That really put a lot of things into perspective for me! About how much bigger this is than me, how much bigger this is than Steamboat, and how much bigger this is than the Colorado Denver South mission! 

    Then he said some things that really made me think of Sam. He said he wanted to talk about when we go home for a while, and normally he doesn't like to do this, because he doesn't want missionaries to get "TRUNKY" (which means ready to pack their suitcase and go home). He said that we are like gods investigators, and that he cares about our success so deeply. So like we don't want our investigators to get baptized and go to church for 2 weeks and quit. He said that God wants us in it FOREVER!!!! We need to commit to do this forever, we need to love it so deeply that it is in every part of us FOREVER!!! He said plan right now what you are going to tell your kids when they ask about your mission! And that he himself has thought about his mission for every day in the last 54 years. SO Samuel!!!!! Remember that you are still a missionary and that god wants you forever! I have no doubt that you already know that and are doing that, thank you for being amazing! 

    My favorite part of his whole talk was at the end! He said that We can not miss one minute of the greatest privilege on the face of the earth, which is to be called of god, to have him help us and walk by our side! God truly does say Come as you are but also don't plan on staying that way for a second hahah! I know that when we come to him he makes us better. He then said that the gospel is for everyone and that every time that we walk by somebody, we decide that they AREN'T ready for the blessings of god! And that is not our call or judgment! Then he said the best line in all of history hahah!!! He said I know it isn't easy but truly you guys don't even know what rejection is, you don't know what rejection is until you have a crown of thorns on your head, or until you are crucified on a cross and have nails in your hands and side. He said the road to salvation ALWAYS goes through the Garden Of Gethsemane. It is ALWAYS hard, and we are going to have to feel a little of what he felt a lot!!!! And do a little of what he did a lot!!! 

      Sorry I spoke a lot about Elder Holland, but really I am not sorry IT WAS AMAZING!!! And I promised my parents I would give them all the info so that they felt like they were there!!! I truly have gained a stronger testimony this week on what a mission is, and on why I am here! I know that every single moment in my mission is strengthening me into the person I need to become, so that I can commit FOREVER!!! I know that the apostles and the prophet are called of god! I know with all of my heart that Joseph Smith restored this church, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my savior lives and that he loves each of us! Ever since I have applied the things we learned from Elder Holland I have seen soo much success! This week we haven't let a person go by and every time that we opened our mouths a miracle came out of it. Some amazing miracles this week have been that we got to have dinner with the Gray family! He is a member and his whole family isn't! He went less active at 17, and I know that they felt gods love when they knelt down as a family to pray! We also got some amazing new potential people to teach, and the ward has been AMAZING! They are the best missionaries I have ever seen, always inviting and loving others! And to top it all off we got to help people this week! WE MUCKED A BARN AND FED CHICKENS!!!! And we cleaned houses! I love feeling like I am making a difference, and when I can show Christs love to others by service! I am going to commit to be a missionary FOREVER!!!!!! I love this mission! He aprendido muchas cosas de este mision. Yo se que Dios es ayudando me cada dia para ser mejor y llegar a ser mas como jesuCristo su hijo! Yo se que los profetas tienen autoridad y revelacion de Dios! Estoy agradecida por mis muchas bendiciones y por ustedes! LOS QUIERO CON TODO MI CORAZON!!!!! Have a great week and remember to be committed FOREVER!!!❤💞💚💙💜