Hello family and friends!
Sorry no pictures this week! (the USB port isn't working on this computer)... buuuut, big news!
Transfer calls came in, and I'll be staying here in Hobbs for another transfer- so I get to enjoy another 6 weeks in the Land of Enchantment! Which is very exciting! My new companion will be Sister Muaina- she is half Samoan/Hawaiian, and like me, a lot of people think that she speaks Spanish. We have already had the opportunity of working together before, (since our previous companions were the Sister Training Leaders over here), so now we are just switching companions and my dearly beloved Sister Plante is going to be in Roswell (with the aliens! :P).
It's an exciting new chapter of the mission... and it's still the beginning of the new year! I've really loved lately the topics of the sacrament talks and the lessons in Relief Society and Gospel Principles. It seems that at the beginning of the year we are all starting over back to the basics, and it really does bring me so much joy how simple the gospel is, and how simple the message is that we are able to share as missionaries! God truly is our loving Father in Heaven. And we may not understand Him perfectly, but we can have complete confidence that His purpose and motivation is love.
Isaiah 55:8-11 are some of my favorite verses:
(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
(9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and retunreth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
(11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Knowing that Heavenly Father loves us each individually as His son or daughter is so key in recognizing His hand in our lives, when we understand this simple concept, of how great and reaching His love is, we are able to find more joy and gratitude through the good times, and comfort through the many trials that we face. We can really know for ourselves that He wants us to prosper, and His motivation is love.
We actually had an amazing lesson last night where we were talking about miracles, and how we are able to see them in our lives. We talked about two ways of looking at something amazing- like the conception of a child, and how cells split, and create a little human. Dace (the son) explained how while it could be considered a miracle, there is a lot of scientific evidence behind it, and his mom Naomi described that it is a miracle because of the science, and how perfect it is. We read from the Bible Dictionary under Miracles, and talked about how it really is how it effects us each individually, how we can interpret miracles... and discussed the Isaiah verses (above) about how God's logic, and science aren't different things... and we do have a better understanding of the details (like cell meiosis and mitosis), but it is still amazing because of the profound effect a tiny developing child has on us individually.
God's love is so great (both in the "awesome" and "huge" meanings :D). I feel really blessed to be reminded every day of it as a missionary, preparing to speak with my amazing bothers and sisters here in Hobbs, and the reminder we have at the beginning of each year (right after the amazing time for us to remember the birth of our Savior), to look to the Lord to set our goals, and remember the reason of the great gift of our savior, is because "God so loved the world..." and He so loves each and every one of us beyond what we could possibly understand.
I'm grateful for the simple restored truths that the restoration of the fullness of the gospel has brought to the earth again today. I feel humbled every day as I'm out here, gaining a better understanding of who I am as Sister Heather Ann Lagrosa, and who the people I have the privilege of talking to are as beloved sons and daughters of an incredible Heavenly Father. I'm grateful to be able to go directly to my Father in Heaven in prayer, and to be able to receive guidance, comfort, and confirmation of truth from the Holy Ghost. I know that my Savior stands at the head of my church, and speaks to us today through the mouth of a living prophet, President Monson. I'm especially grateful that I'm able to have the opportunity to share this great message, that all that was lost when Jesus Christ was taken from the earth in all the confusion and spiritual darkness that followed, has been restored, and we are being prepared for His return again to the earth.
I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, I am comforted to know my loving Heavenly Father, and I am grateful to be learning even more how to listen to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.
I love you all at home! Thank you for everything you do for me, and all your love, support and prayers.
Love,
Sister Lagrosa
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