My Tahitian Sunset

This is the last email I'll be sending out as a full-time missionary. There are a lot of things that I could say and would like to share, but I feel the best theme for this letter is my testimony. 

I testify that God loves us. I know that we are His children. I know He has a specific plan for each one of us, and like fingerprints, no two plans are alike. 

I testify that He is a God of miracles. He weaves us in and out of one another's lives, weaving sorrow, weaving joy, until little by little, we step back and begin to see a masterpiece unfold and realize that that masterpiece is us. 

I testify that God breaks us, He trims us, He sands us, He applies almost unbearable heat and pressure so that we can be purified, pure enough to return into His presence. But I've learned this with surety: The will of God will not take us where the grace of God does not protect us. 

I testify that Jesus is the Christ. I am grateful for Him. He is LIFE. I am grateful for every step taken through my own personal Gethsemane these past few months so that I could come to know His Gethsemane. Through trials, we come to understand what He did there and also, why He did it. 

I am grateful for His infinite sacrifice, but also the often overlooked sacrifice of His Father, who allowed such pain and suffering to happen because He knew that we could be saved. I testify, knowing it is again such a great sacrifice for Him, He allows us to pass through such pain and suffering because it will give us the faith in Jesus Christ so that we will be saved. 

Of the many things I've learned, these are some of the most important:

Cherish our prophet, cleave unto His counsel, and always pray for him.

Each soul has great worth in the sight of God and He loves us equally. 

The plan of salvation is a plan of progression, there is no right way to go but up. 

The commandments are not boundaries of restriction, they are boundaries of protection.

The Sacrament is the most important moment of our week. 

Thank you for the prayers and thank you for your faith. I'll see you soon.

Love, 

Sister Spackman

Love In the Little Things

I wanted to share things I love about my mission this week!

28 Sept. Realize the need for daily repentance and yearn for forgiveness.

29 Sept. Companions become true and cherished friends.

30 Sept.  Learn to pray for a stronger back instead of a lighter load.

01 Oct. Even if you fall on your face, at least you move forward.

02 Oct.  (Grandma Evie will appreciate this) Savor the occasions where you become in tune with your ancestry. This was done while making some Mexican food and rejoicing over finding tortillas in the grocery store.

03 Oct. Go ham over General Conference (also, you start to take sayings from your companions, like "going ham").

04 Oct. Those you teach become as dear to you as your own family members--you anguish and plead that they will accept the gospel and have mighty changes of heart.

The work of the Lord changes us and we learn so much. Let us all press on!

Soeur Spackman