This week was the greatest! Definitely the best way to end my mission was to work hard to the finish! This week we finally caught more people at home, but for the most part summers are super busy for our investigators. This is the only time where they have to work their hardest and earn as much money as they can.
Monday was Hermana Nichols’ birthday, and we celebrated it by going to dinner since we didn't have anybody signed up. Almost every time that happens somebody always catches us and asks to pay for our meal. I am going to miss that benefit for sure. hahaha! The Lord takes care of his servants, especially when they are hungry!
Tuesday we had dinner with the Palominos family, yum! I am really going to miss that family, I have been through so much with them. But the most surprising part was that no tears were shed!! And actually I didn't cry this whole week when I was saying goodbye to people!! Weird, right? I am usually such a crybaby! I am exercising my faith that I will be seeing them when I come back for Thanksgiving so much so that I won’t have to feel the pain of saying goodbye to them, it just hurts too much!!
Wednesday was my last district meeting! Elder Elliott, our district leader, gave me some time to share my last thoughts on what I learned from my mission, and that was my tear-fest for the whole week. Then we went to Tango’s afterwards, one of my favorite places to eat. Then we had an amazing lesson with Jorge, Candi’s husband. He is a good guy, but he struggles to make decisions conducive to getting baptized. He even told us that he wants to be baptized, but he fears that he will go back to his old ways once the temptations come, and he was worried about some other things too. But we talked with him about goal making and the first steps to bring him closer to his Savior, so hopefully he will put that into practice. Then we had dinner with the Websters at Applebees, and Tata came too even though he was in bad shape!! I really love them, and they have also played a big role in helping me during some hard times back in Ontario. The whole faith thing that I will see them again doesn't even come into question because I WILL see them again! hahaha no doubts there.
Thursday was my last day to do weekly planning. I am not sure I will miss that haha! I like the paper work but using the power of discernment to know what to teach somebody next when it comes to their salvation is really difficult and stressful. Then we went out and taught some new investigators, Leo and Leslie, that we found tracting a couple weeks ago. I can see them taking the lessons and living the gospel to the fullest, they are super cool! Afterwards we had cena with the Fishers from Caldwell at Burnt Lemon. Unfortunately, only Sister Fisher and Annabelle could make it, but it turned out great because she gave me some great advise and counsel to ease my mind when I go home and get released. I don't know what sort of gift God gave her, but she has the ability to just see right through me and tell me the exact things that I needed to hear, plus she cracks me up!!
Friday was the best day by far because I got special permission, aka my dying wish, to go to Caldwell and see Juan and Nora get married!!!!! Nancy showed up with Gideon too!! That day was really special for me. I was very blessed to have the chance to see some of my favorite people that day look forward to the eternities as they were married civilly. This time next year, they will be going through the temple to get sealed, and that makes me so happy for them!!
Saturday we had a set appointment in the evening, so we took the opportunity to see everyone from the area book that Smith and Nichols hadn't met yet, and thankfully most of them were home!. I have confidence that they will take good care of the area and more importantly the people in it, they are great missionaries!! That night we had an amazing lesson with Christina and taught her the plan of salvation, and she is also progressing very well. She had her own little miracle this week and was gifted a car by some people she knew from the homeless shelter. I love her so much and I hope she will continue to feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost and desire to be baptized by the right priesthood authority. That was my last full lesson of my whole mission, and it was spent so well:) Sunday after church we went by the Fishers so I could say goodbye to Bro Fisher, because he was jealous that he didn’t get to see me when this week haha. Then we had a posole dinner with the Paniaguas, my last dinner in my mission, also spent well haha:) The Paniaguas are such a wonderful family, and I just connected with them so well, they have a special place in my heart!
Well.. I guess this is the part where I share my share my testimony, huh? Where do I even begin? How did I even start to share the most wonderful experience of my entire life? How do I even explain to y'all how much this has meant to me? How do I even express my gratitude to my Savior who has spent everyday with me shoulder to shoulder during the hardest yet most rewarding times I've ever had? I can't and I think that is the whole point. My mission has been the greatest opportunity to grow in the gospel and learn at the feet of my Redeemer. I have never felt Him so close and at the same time so far away. Every trial and miracle that I have seen has strengthened me and I can attribute it all to Him! The message that I carry has not just enriched the lives of the people that I have met and taught, but it has done the same and maybe even more for me. The gospel has been restored by a true prophet who was called of God to carry out this sacred work, and this same prophet, Joseph Smith, was the one who translated a record of scripture that I hold very close to my heart, the Book of Mormon. This book alone has allowed me to feel the spirit of God and has changed me from the inside out, I have been converted to this gospel and will continue to have experiences that will testify of its divinity. I have had a lot of time to ponder and ask my Heavenly Father in prayer if my mission was acceptable in His eyes, and he has given me the answer YES! He loves me and cherishes me, my work here on my mission was directed by Him the whole time and He has lead me to chose righteously through my agency. One of my greatest moments was willingly giving myself to Him so that He could use me to touch the lives of His children one by one, I am forever indebted to Him. It has been and honor to represent Jesus Christ for the last 18 months, but this does not mean that I will take this badge from my heart. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I will be for the rest of my eternity. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, my friend, and my hero, Amen.
Welp familia, I can say so much more, but mere written words won't do it justice. I will see you tomorrow, but never forget- there is an herman a misionera praying for y'all from the sacred mission field of Nampa, Idaho.
Con mucho amor, Hermana Chelsea Moss:)
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