Drop-kicking The Bucket - December 15, 2014

Howdy Howdy my Family and Friends!!

This is my last e-mail as a set apart missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! It is SO crazy! AH! I'm not going to lie though, I had one heck of a last week, and the most non and less-active members of my entire MISSION show up to church on my last Sunday! :D

God is IN the details, and tenacity really pays off! Sister Clark and I were able to accomplish all of our goals for the transfer, and one of them (which we have been praying about for the last 6 weeks!!!) was to find a family to teach, and we met them this past Tuesday! :D It was AMAZING! They literally JUST moved into town, and they are so sweet. A young couple (younger than me! ...my missionary 'death' is making me feel old, and... man, I'm just feeling old haha) with 2 beautiful little girls! Anyway, they are wonderful, and I'm sad I won't get to teach them much, but I'm really grateful that God knows each of us and His timing is perfect! :D  

Saying "goodbye"/ "see you later" has been surprisingly not too difficult! I mean, I've definitely shed a few tears, bearing my testimony last week, during my talk this week, and talking with some of the members about occasions that will unite us again. But, it's nice to be confident in God and His timing and to know that there are many ways to keep in touch in the world today.

I am just so incredibly grateful for the time I've been able to spend here in Childress! On a member's wall this week I saw a cute little sign that said:
"Home is having a place to stay, Family is having someone to love, and having both is a blessing."

I loved that so much, and something that I've really been able to experience here on my mission is the truth of those few words! In a lot of ways I feel like I'm leaving "home" just because my heart has just grown so much here! And, these amazing people really have become family to me...

Through a lot of tearful goodbyes I've been reflecting on the pros and cons of loving people... just because it's so darn hard when you leave them, and agh... there has to be something easier right? haha, well, you all know that John is my favorite, so this came to my mind:

John 15: 9-10 "As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

I know that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and loving God allows us to grow in love for one another. President Uctdorf taught: "There are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings." And I really believe that, our time is short here on this earth, shorter than any of us can imagine, and I am just so eternally grateful for the hope and joy and love that we get to experience! And that these experiences prepare us for the even greater things to come.

I love God, I love my family, and I love having more than just one place to call home. I love the opportunities we get to grow with each other, and I'm grateful for God's perfect timing!

I'm sad to leave my home in Texas, but I'm grateful, so, so, soooo grateful to have my family to go home to also. :)

With all my heart,

Sister Heather Ann Lagrosa

Pictures:

1- My last basketball with my lady bobcats this morning!

2- This is where the Texas Chain Saw Massacre happened!

3- Gas is OVER a dollar less than when I got here 4 1/2 months ago!

4- Sister Clark and I in our matching sweaters with our best friend necklaces!

5- Me and 'Lil Wayne (he thinks he could beat me up if he wanted to)

6- Hospital burritos!

7- You know you're in Texas when...

8- Nothing says comp unity like PINEAPPLE PANTS! #ilovesisterclark!!!!!

"Life is hard, that's the POINT, not the problem!" - December 8, 2014

Howdy howdy family and friends!

So, it's been an exciting week! So, I found this quote (the title of this e-mail) in my notes earlier, and it kind of went with the week. :P

So as y'all know, from last week's e-mail we were a little sick start to the week, but we rallied it up, and we got to work, and it. was. FANTASTIC! God KNOWS exactly what we need, and He definitely answers our prayers. :)

One Wednesday, we finally got to work the entire day, and we went to a little bitty town, Estelliene, where Danny met someone he said that we should go see, and we went out there and met a woman named Charley! She's so sweet, 83 years old, and full of energy! We found out on Friday (when we saw her again!) that she even cuts her own lawn, in the summer time... she's waiting on someone to help her with her roof, but I have no doubt she'd be up there herself if she could make it up a ladder! :P Anyway, we went over there, and at first she thought that Sister Clark was my MOM, and then thought that we were Jehovah Witnesses, haha, but we got to talking with her some more, and found a framed pass-along card in her living room lol! But it was good, we talked with her about Christ, and #HeIsTheGift, and then answered some of her questions about what we believe. On our way out, she cried with gratitude because she knew that we were truly sent from God to see her that day, and she felt the Spirit that we carry with us... that was amazing to me, just another witness that God is truly mindful of His children, we are all of such great importance to Him!

This week was highlighted a lot on Estelliene, because we went back on Friday (to see Charley) and we also met with a man named Mark (and his two neighbors Joe, and Jaime)... we got to bring Danny with us, and it was perfect, because he actually graduated high school there, and KNEW the men that we saw! haha, they played ball, and beat each other up back in the day, it was an amazing reunion, and seeing Danny glow as he was reunited with old friends was amazing to me!

On a sorrowful note, the baptism we were supposed to have this week has been postponed until after I leave Childress. :( Nevertheless, God is good, and I know that His will is being done... it lightens my heart to know that the trials we go through truly are for our benefit and God looks forward to our successes, rather than back on our transgressions, we just need to do the same. We are given obstacles to grow and become strengthened! :) I LOVE IT! (though, not always in the moment :P)

We got to go to the temple on Saturday, and I felt very blessed to be able to go and learn more, and, as usual, I got to see some of my Hobbs family there! :) It was AMAZINGGGG!!!! :D :D :D As hard as it is going to be to leave, I am looking forward to being able to attend the temple more often, and learning there, I really do feel that everything just comes together so much better in there. :)

Also, it was the BEST Sunday ever this Sunday, fast and testimony meeting, and I felt like I needed to get up there, especially after Sister Wyatt bore such a strong testimony of the blessings of the gospel and reflected on a lesson we took her with us to this week, and then spoke of the lasts she is having with her son, as he is leaving for his mission after the school year is over. The Spirit was making me cry a little! :P But they were happy tears, it was good to get up there, I feel I've learned a lot of the doctrine of conversion my entire mission, but I've really seen and experienced conversion the most here in Childress with the close tight-knit family they do have here, even though a lot of the members are spread out over a vast area. I got a little choked up there, it was good, and I was just so filled with gratitude. I know I'm the set-apart teacher, but I've been learning so much and it's all coming together at the end of my mission.

The most important thing though that stood out to me was that earlier that day I had this feeling that I could not be any happier or more content. And I know that that was true, but I know I've felt it before and it was true as well! I know that as I continue to follow the path the Lord wants me to take that I will continue to just be happier and happier, to be filled to a point where I feel I can't be filled anymore, and that I'll become exactly who I was intended to become since I chose to be here on the earth.

I love each of you! It's weird to think I'll be in Florida next week! I'm giving a talk on Sunday, and it feels like it's more of a farewell than the one I gave before my mission, haha but, I know that God's timing is perfect, and we're always blessed as we do His work. Just like He doesn't stop, neither does His work!

With all my heart,

Sister Heather Ann Lagrosa

Pictures!

1- Christmas Lights in Texas hahahaha! :D

2- We sealed our hardwood floor! :) I've learned all kinds of home construction out here! from wiring to hanging walls to painting to flooring! Watch out!!

3- Amber and I, with my new hat she gave me for my birthday! :D

4- Everyone at the temple!

5- Brother White, and his favorite Sisters!

6- Best. District. EVER!

7- LOVE this nativity!

8- My favorite redneck :)

The Struggle Bus is Real! ...and it Broke Down in Childress! - December 1, 2014

Howdy howdy family and friends!

So, at a recent Zone Conference our wonderful Mission Mom (Sister Heap) started a new phrase (the Struggle Bus) when she said that President got on it that morning. haha, so this week has been a rollercoaster, and it ended with the struggle bus breaking down in Childress, so get excited to hear about that haha.

But we'll start with the good stuff! Sister Clark (along with some awesome neighbors and help) succeeded in making the celebration of the completion of 23 years of life the BEST ever! I think my birthdays that fall on Thanksgiving end up being the most memorable :P

But, yeah, last Monday our neighbor started off the week with making me a 3 tier birthday cake! And delicious Mexican casserole, we had cake again on Tuesday at our district meeting, crazyness on exchanges following that, the STL's helped make Wednesday the be Birthday-eve ever, then my actual birthday was just filled with SO much Thanksgiving fun (I got sung to by a lot of strangers, we had Thanksgiving with the Keys clan, 4 generations of them! (and one generation has 10 kids in one family!), we played football and someone even pulled over to take a picture for Me and Sister Clark, when we were taking a picture near a Childress sign!) and then the struggle bus pulled up and I was just kind of knocked out Friday and Saturday with the flu, and then Sister Clark got it yesterday... 

I have honestly never been so sick in my life, as I was on Friday, I felt like a little kid, because it just hurt to move, open my eyes, or even lay there, I didn't even have enough strength to open a bottle of water and y'all know I"m not a wimp! :P haha, when Sister Clark made me eat 2 bites of banana with the medicine she gave me, we were both surprised that I just burst into tears! :(

I finally got feeling well enough Saturday to go out for a couple hours, but by Sunday everything except my stomach was pretty functionable! :)

Anyways, the missionary work this week went great too! Even better than birthday festivities. We had one of the BEST district meetings of my mission, and we were able to really see Heavenly Father's PERFECT timing at work during exchanges!! :D Also, Scottie, our wonderful recent convert, Danny's nephew is going to be baptized this coming week!

So, so soooo much goodness. Since I can't talk about everything, because time is really running out, I just want to talk about the 2 highlights of the week: 1- Heavenly Father's timing and 2- Service in Quanah!

First, Heavenly Father's timing, so we had my last exchanges this week with Sisters Plante and McFarland, and we had surprise construction on our house start haha, so literally EVERYTHING was moved around in our house, and we couldn't cook for almost 2 days because they were sanding the floor, and part of our front wall to our house was missing hahaha! But it all worked out sooooo perfectly, because, we really needed an extra set of missionaries with the appointments we had set up, and we taught literally every hour we were out! Heavenly Father knows what's up! And later that night when I was a little anxious, becasue the house was a wreck, y'all know I like things organized right... anyway, he answered a really simple prayer, and I woke up, in the same disorganized house the next morning with no anxiety! :) 

Second, SERVICE IN QUANAH! this overlaps a little with Heavenly Father's timing, because having the other sisters here was sorely needed for help in the kitchen on Wednesday (good thing we were all Sister Missionaries!!) Then we got up early and spent 4 hours thanksgiving morning in Quanah and made over 200 meals for people in town and in some of the surrounding areas too! It was probably my favorite service activity that I've ever done, I'm excited to try and top it next year! :P

Ah! Well, my time is far spent, but I love, love, LOOOOVEEEEE you! and my scripture for the week is:
Alma 34:38 "That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yoursleves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."

Keep looking for truth, searching for the spirit, and living in gratitude! I'll do the same!

With all my heart,

Sister Heather Ann lagrosa

Pictures:

1- Football on Thanksgiving!

2- Struggle Bus Day 1

3- Sunday Night :(

4- The front wall of our house kind of missing!

5- Our Quanah Crew on Thanksgiving day!

6- Birthday Flowers from my Mommy and Pops :D

7- Making sure those teeth sparkle!

8- Awk district pic, we made the elders try to look like they love each other :P

9- Yep, I'm a 23 year old woman, and we took a picture next to "Butts" road

10- Our Thanksgiving assembly line!