Our Father, Mighty King!

HELLO! I hope you all had a great week! Hermana Gillette and I are starting off great and things are going fantastic here! It’s the beginning of autumn, but it’s still pretty toasty here. I feel like I am really starting to get a hang of the language, yet when people go off telling long stories, I still usually get SUPER lost, but I just keep on smiling and nodding my head, haha. I love the people here so much, they really have become another family away from home! I love my companion Hna. Gillette … we have a lot of fun together, and we have already seen so many miracles! 

Matilde is getting baptized this Saturday! I can’t believe it and I can’t wait! This will be my first and the feeling is so incredible! Please keep her in your prayers.  Everyone else is doing great. Monday and Loveth were able to find a really cheap apartment, but they will have to wait two weeks to see if they can officially rent it, so please keep them in your prayers as well.

Right now we are teaching about 10 African men. They are just the greatest! Whether they are from Nigeria, Cameroon, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, or Liberia; they are just incredible. Something about the way all Africans talk about God is just mesmerizing to me! Every time they wake up in the morning and take  in their first breath of air, they praise God, their Father, Lord Jehovah, Almighty King … for giving them the chance to live another day. It´s the little things that they are SO grateful for, and it is so humbling for me! I had really wanted to serve in Africa, but I have been so blessed to be able to get a taste of that here in Spain. They are the happiest people I have ever met!

It makes me reflect on how mighty and gracious God really is. Notice His hand in your life every day, and it will bring you EVERLASTING happiness!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! PRAISE HIM!

"All Creatures Of Our God And King"

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong

Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice

Ye lights of evening find a voice

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Let all things their creator bless

And worship Him in humbleness

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father praise the Son

And praise the Spirit three in one

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father praise the Son

And praise the Spirit three in one

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAXv8mGM4cQ

Mountains To Climb

¡Hola familia y amigos! ¿Como fue la semana? Today was transfer day! I am staying in Valencia for at least 6 more weeks! I am so happy, but sadly, Hermana Reid left today for Badalona. I am so grateful for her and the example she has been in my life. She has taught me SO much over the past 3 months that I will never forget. I don´t think she will ever truly understand all that she has taught me and her great influence on me. She taught me to serve always with my whole heart and work hard; and that some days we just have to go out and sweat. She taught me to be humble, exactly obedient, and to give my will over to the Lord. We have created some incredible memories together and have had some GREAT laughs! She will go on to do AMAZING things! She is the best trainer EVER! I will now be serving with Hermana Gillette! I came into Barcelona with Hermana Stott, and HER trainer was Hermana Gillette! CRAZY! It will be a blast! She is just the sweetest and always has a smile on her face! I am so excited to see how we work together, and once again I have a blonde companion! Round 2, I love it! Don´t forget that no matter where I go, you can ALWAYS send mail to the mission office at this address:

Hermana Lydia Vance

SPAIN BARCELONA MISSION

C/ Calatrava N 10-12, 1

08017 Barcelona

ESPAÑA

This week was a great one! We are teaching some INCREDIBLE people right now; one of them is a guy named Frank from Liberia. He is doing amazing and loved church last week, and he can´t wait to learn more! He is precious.

I thought a lot this week about sacrifice and about hard times in our lives, especially with September 11^th being this past week and us having difficulties with different people this week. Frank is just the best, but he was telling us the other day how he hasn´t seen his family in 11 years and how he was stuck in Morocco for 5 years and was finally able to make it to Spain.

Monday and Loveth, the African couple from Nigeria, and their 6 month old baby Cristian are having more problems in their life than I have ever seen. They live in a terrible place right now, with really horrible people and they are just suffering. I cry every time I talk to Loveth. She is SO strong, and has been through more than I can even imagine, and every time we see her she continues to smile. We tell her to continue to have faith and continue to pray, because everything will be okay. We tell her that sometimes we don´t know why these difficult and terrible things are happening to us, but we know that something good will come out of those difficulties. Sometimes we have these seemingly endless mountains to climb in our lives, but we just have to take it one step at a time, and know that God is with us every step of the way.

I love you all so much! Don´t EVER give up! 

Hermana Vance

Mormon Message: “Mountains to Climb”

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?im=true&v=2176618422001

Talk by: President Henry B. Eyring

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/mountains-to-climb?lang=eng