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I am serving a mission as a sister missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for a period of 18 months. I am serving in the Spain Barcelona Mission and I am speaking Spanish. I reported to the Madrid Missionary Training Center on May 13th, 2014, and I will return home November of 2015. I love each of you with all my heart and I hope to hear from you throughout this life-changing experience and journey.


Saturday, April 18, 2015

I Will Give You Rest



I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend. Easter traditions here are a little different, but we still had a great time! I absolutely loved General Conference; it was so inspirational! I know these men and women that lead our church are called by Almighty God. You just cannot deny it when you hear them speak! If you were unable to watch conference, here is the link:


I personally loved Elder Holland´s talk. You have to watch it!


Time just flies here, as next week is transfer week again! I cannot believe I have been with Hermana Manotas for an incredible five weeks! I wonder what will happen, and whether or not I´ll be leaving the Bilbao. Wherever I am, I know that I will be where the Lord needs me to be.

I love this place, and I know my heart is going to break when I have to leave, BUT this is the Lord´s work, and we do it in HIS way and in HIS time.

I want to share an experience that happened this past week. We were at a restaurant with a member (Darwin), when a man who was sitting behind us asked, "Are you two missionaries?". We explained that we were and he told us that his named was Juan Carlos and he was from Columbia. He told us he had heard about the church and had some friends that were members in Columbia, but never looked into it much. Now he knows that there was something different about his friends, and that he wants what we have. He said "You two just have a great light about you as I heard you talking and laughing. You just seemed to be filled with joy. Then I saw your name tags and knew why you were so happy." We talked for a little longer, and after that invited him to attend the General Conference broadcast with us. He said he really wanted to come and that he knows he needs the gospel in his life. We saw him that weekend at General Conference and he loved it. After we were talking for a little bit, we bore powerful testimony of The Restoration of the Gospel, and about Jesus Christ and His infinite love, mercy and atonement. The spirit was so strong  and he said, "You know, I have been having some really tough moments in my life these past few months, and I have just been searching for relief. I have been yearning for this peace and rest. And … I think I have found it. I know that I need to do what God wants me to do, to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized." We were both in shock. We are going to be meeting with him next week to talk and teach more.

There are people everywhere waiting and really searching for this refuge, this peace and this safe haven that we can find through the principles and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Eyring said:
"Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear. Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs. He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help. In the New Testament, in Matthew 11, Jesus Christ gave this sweet promise: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest … Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’”

He will give us all rest, if we come unto Him. I know that the Lord is always there to lift us up, but we too can help in this great cause. We know that charity is the pure love of Christ. Can you even imagine that type of love? We can help by being the Lord´s hands for all of those around us.

His love never fails, and we never will cease to feel in our hearts the urge “to mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort”. Nor will the peace He promises ever leave us as we serve others for Him. We are here to strengthen feeble knees and lift up hands that hang down. Someone could be waiting to meet you, so that you can help them meet the Savior. Lift one another´s burdens. Be an answer to someone else´s prayer. Look for opportunities to bless and love those around you.

Love,

Hermana Vance

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