Hola de Hermana, 22/11/11

Hola mi familia! 

I head out to the field tomorrow!  So many mixed emotions.  All but one elder from my district left at 1 pm today for their respective missions, and I feel a bit like I just got separated from my family.  When my latina companera came back to give me hug before she left, I had one of those heart-crack moments where I just started sobbing.  I’ve felt very tender since then.  I’ve grown to love and respect my district so much, and my latina companera (Hermana H).  What has been comforting has been the thought that I can always increase in love!  I’ve grown to love much in just these six weeks--I can hardly imagine what 16 more months of service and learning and saving will do! 

On Friday we had all day training to prepare us to go to the field.  At the very end, our teacher talked to us about raising our vision.  He had a numerical sequence for how if every missionary contacted 10 people a day, with something like a 5 % conversion rate, about half a million people would be gathered in every year!  I felt the Spirit testify that this is truly the Lords work, and is of the utmost importance, and I felt the thrill of catching a glimpse of His work filling the earth.   If I could, I would shout from the mountain tops for young people to prepare themselves to serve in the Lords army starting NOW.  I would plead for married couples to evaluate and plan NOW for how they can prepare to serve as senior missionaries.  There is SO much work to be done, and there is so much that I wish I had done before coming!  Can you imagine how powerful entering missionaries would be if they had grown up practicing being missionaries in Family Home Evening, like teaching five minute lessons from Preach my Gospel, or practicing how to contact in FHE?  I invite you to evaluate how you can be a missionary now, and also prepare for service later, whether as a young elder or sister or as a couple! 

Finally, today we had a departure devotional from President and Sister Steimle (of the CCM).  I recommend you Youtube search a video by Nolans cheddar, about a rat trap and their motto "seriously strong".  It is so funny.  :) 

(here is the link, included by Ivy's brother:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqlQS5CCmwI)

They also should us a clip from the movie Facing the Giants called the Death Crawl.  It was so moving!  The Atonement of our Savior was an act of perfect love.  He has asked us to give him our hearts, and it is when we do so that He is able to work miracles through us!  I testify that Jesus Christ LIVES!  He is our SAVIOR!  He reestablished His church, as was on the earth anciently, through the prophet Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet: you can read it and pray to God to know that it is true, and I promise that as you seek to know with a sincere heart with the intention to ACT on the witness you receive, you will receive an answer.  I testify that we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, who is the Lords watchmen on the tower.  I testify that you are a son or daughter of God, and He knows and loves you.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve.  I testify that the work of bringing others to Christ and enabling them to be saved and exalted through Gods ordinances and covenants is of crucial importance, and that we may participate in this work no matter what stage of life we are in.  I am grateful for my relationship with my Savior, and I am grateful that this Thanksgiving, I will be working to bring others to the same Tree of Life.

I love you!  I love you TONS! 

--Hermana Ivy [-]