HE LIVES

I hope you all had a great week. I am so grateful for this Easter season and the chance we have to once again, turn our thoughts to the Savior. After three days, He rose from the dead; and because of Him, we will ALL have the amazing opportunity to be resurrected as He was.

This video is new from our church. It is absolutely beautiful and so touching; I love it.

http://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_FR_3-27-2015_dMIS_fMRMN_xLIDyL1-A_

I also love this hymn:

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives"

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

If you want to really know what we believe and what this gospel is all about, read “The Living Christ”, which is a simple, but powerful, one-page testimony from our modern day apostles. https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/36035_000_25_livingchrist.pdf

Some great Mormon Messages you just have to watch:

http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/none-were-with-him-2

http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/his-sacred-name-an-easter-declaration-3

http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/he-lives-testimonies-of-jesus-christ-1

I want to invite you all to remember what this week is REALLY about. Our Savior loves each and every one of you. He wants you to be happy. He came to earth to show the perfect way; that we may follow Him. He lived, suffered and died for us … and He lives again! He is with us every day. This is the greatest news there is! I love my Savior and His gospel!

Happy Easter,

Hermana Vance

Lighthouse In The Night

Hello family and friends! I hope everyone is doing great and ready for some warm weather to come around the corner! I know I sure am, as it is still very cold up here in Bilbao! The rain will get ya’, haha!

This week was another great one. I honestly can never complain. We were able to have our zone conference with a member of the Seventy, Elder Olsson from Sweden! Wow, he was just incredible. The Spirit was so strong when he spoke and he bore a powerful testimony of the gospel. I was able to sing a duet with another sister missionary. We sang "Lighthouse in the Night", by Jenny Phillips

"Through the rain

Through the fog

Your light reaches to the lost

You are a believer

Built on the one sure rock

Full of the flame of God

In your life

[Chorus:]

You stand tall above the seas

Spreading light for all to see

There are so many who can see your life

So many searching that will see you shine

Your example steers them to Christ

Like a lighthouse in the night

Full of hope

Full of peace

How bright your faithfulness beams

You make the way clearer

Leading souls home again

You are reminding men

Of the way

[Chorus]

Through the rain and through the fog

We're reaching out to all the lost

Through the rain and through the fog

We're reaching out to all the lost

We are disciples of Christ

And He is our light

We stand tall above the seas

Spreading light for all to see

There are so many who can see our lives

So many searching that will see us shine

May our examples steer them to Christ

Like a light house in the night"

It went really well. We chose that song because our mission, the Spain Barcelona Mission, is the El Faro (Lighthouse) Mission. That is our "nickname" and I just love it! Our mission song is, "Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KchNq0M9N1k

After the conference, Elder Olsson wanted to talk to about 5 missionaries. He asked if he could talk with me, one on one, and I was first. We talked for about 10 minutes or so and it was a remarkable experience that I will never forget. He asked me where I was from, about my family and so on. At the end he just looked at me and said, "We need more young women like you in this world. We are going to need you to step up and not be afraid. We need you to be an example to your family and friends now, but also for your future children and husband. We need strong mothers and wives for this next generation. You live the gospel of Jesus Christ and are one of His true disciples. I know I can trust you. Be that beacon for Christ, who is our greatest light." Wow, what a remarkable experience.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much a LOVE water analogies when it comes to the gospel. I thought about the ocean and how I absolutely love the beach. It is always so beautiful and is always mesmerizing. But I also have a very big fear of the ocean as well, mostly because I am not a very good swimmer (my family can testify of that, haha). Honestly, I pretty much plug my nose and kind of doggy paddle in the water. I also don´t like the thought of sharks swimming around or not knowing what is below me. It kind of freaks me out!

Below are few examples of some favorite stories or parables associated with the sea:

-Peter walking on water

-The thought of Christ being our lighthouse and our examples shining

-The Parable of the Starfish

-Being "anchored" in the truth

In The Book of Mormon it reads:

"For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?" -Ether 2:24-25

I know that God will bring us out of the depths of our own personal seas, especially when it is something hard (or something we fear). Yes, the floods will come; no one is exempt. But through the frightening storms and threatening waves, He is preparing us. He has given us this great LIGHT to steer us home. Our Savior is always there. He always provides a way. We are in His hands.

I also love these quotes:

"God sometimes takes us into troubled waters. Not to DROWN us, but to CLEANSE us." 

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor".

He gives us these storms because He loves us. He lets us go through challenges to refine us and to purify us. It is these trials that make us who we are. He lets us learn. He lets us grow. It is not easy, but that is why He has given us this great LIGHT, which is Christ, to lead us home.

There are many people around us who may be lost, scared or maybe even feeling like they are drowning. We can help them. Be that lighthouse. Rescue the lost and struggling seamen. The downhearted. Shine your light. Guide others to the truth. Lead souls home again. May YOUR example steer them to Christ.

Steadfast in Christ,

Hermana Lydia Pamela Vance

Trust in Him … He Will Carry Us

Hello everyone! I am doing great and I hope you all are too! Hermana Manotas and I are just loving every day more and more together! But this past week I also had the opportunity to work with Hermana Salvador. She is currently working in Santander, which is in my zone, and she is so sweet.

She and I had many wonderful experiences together. We were planning on teaching Maira, one of our recent converts, the “new member lessons" again. We planned to teach her about the Restoration, but when we walked in she had one of her aunts (Fabiola) in her house. We decided to teach the Restoration anyway, with the help of our recent convert. It was so cute. Maira was helping us along, and the Spirit was so strong. It went very well and we were able to explain things clearly, and also answer many of the questions she had. As we were finishing with our testimonies of The Book of Mormon, how this gospel can and will bless her life, and about the power of prayer, Fabiola just broke down. She said that she had been going through some really hard things in her life, that she feels like she has just been lost and that she hasn´t known what to do. She said that this is something she really wants. What a special moment. We later found out that she lives in the area of the hermanas in Santander! What a miracle! She is golden for sure! Hermana Salvador was SO excited!

This past weekend we had the opportunity to have Stake Conference, and President Pace and many of the leaders spoke. President Pace was sharing different missionary experiences and stories that were just amazing and said, "They call this (missionary work/service) a sacrifice? To have experiences like that and to meet and teach people like this? To see miracles in people´s lives and in our own … right before your eyes? This is the greatest and most important work there is. I wouldn´t trade it for anything."

He is SO right. If YOU want to see miracles, I´m telling you … go out and meet with the missionaries. Visit people with them. Serve with them; even if it is for one hour to meet someone they are teaching, it will change your life (and theirs). It is our responsibility and great privilege to help in the work of the Lord. We are ALL his children. Our brothers and sisters need our help.

The other night we watched this video with a little 9-year-old girl we are teaching named Dana.

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/daytons-legs?lang=eng

Out of love, a 13-year-old boy in Arizona pushed himself to the limit, so that his friend, who has cerebral palsy, could participate with him in a triathlon. I finished the video in tears, as did my companion.  Dana said she liked the video because Spencer was a good friend to Dayton. He loved and served his friend as Christ would. It made me think that I want to be a better friend like that. We can help those within our reach and bless their lives.

I also thought that there are many times in our lives when WE can´t walk. When, in a spiritual sense, we need someone to carry us. I know that we always have our best friend there for us; our Savior. We can put our faith and trust in Christ and lean on Him. He will carry us; always and forever.

Love,

Hermana Vance