Final Chapter: Make It Count

Transfers this week … and this is my last transfer! Hermana Gutoff is leaving Badalona … so sad, I love that girl so much! She is headed to Catarroja and she is going to do an incredible job there! I'm so proud of her and how much she has grown. She's a champ and she has taught me so much. My new companion is Hermana Ward from Blanding, Utah. She is adorable and super-fun; I know she and I are going to have a blast. Badalona has miracles around every corner, nook and cranny! We're here to find ‘em … I’m so excited!

This weekend is General Conference for the church, both Saturday and Sunday. It's going to be amazing … I always try to go into it with questions on my mind and in my heart. We are promised that we will receive answers and revelation from God. I know our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles are called of God and are inspired. You will hear and feel things in conference that will be applied specifically to your life. It's the best! Listen to their words and to the spirit. God will help you make decisions in your life and show you what to do. Be humble and prayerful, and you’ll love it. All of the sessions can be found on www.lds.org.

I just want to share something with you. I want to give this last month and a half of my mission literally everything I've got! My sister had an experience during one of her last interviews in the mission, and she sent me this:

"Soeur Vance, you have been running a marathon. You have been giving it your all. But, what happens at the end of a marathon?" I went on to explain that the runners, completely deflated and exhausted and dragging, just trying to keep going. She then told me of a story of two brothers in her family who ran a marathon together. They stayed in close range with one another the entire time. Soeur Poznanski stood near the finish line with about 100m to go, and just saw these men pale in the face, looking sickly and heaving from exhaustion. She was worried that they were even going to collapse before they made it to the finish line! Then she saw something that has yet to leave her mind or heart. As these two brothers hit the 50m line, they turned to each other, smiled, and set off sprinting. In spite of their extreme fatigue and failing muscles, these two brothers sprinted through the finish line. They claimed their personal victory of giving it their all, up until the end!!! All I could think of at that point was Soeur Wynn and me, and our efforts to do EVERYTHING we can, to give it our all, up until the day we step on that plane."

I feel the exact same Madeline. I know this is the Lord's work and we are so very blessed to be a part of it. I love this gospel and I love my mission with all my heart. I wouldn't trade it for anything! Let us move forward with faith and change lives!

Hermana Vance

I Have Charity For My People

Another week in Badalona, and everything is just going great! The work is amazing, and I love it every day more and more! My companion, Hermana Gutoff, is the best and we really have become so close. We have transfers next week! Yikes! Hermana Gutoff has been here in Badalona for 4 ½ months, so who knows what is going to happen.

I hope all is going well with each and every one of you. I know all of your lives are crazy with church, family, friends, school, work, etc., but just know that I love you all so much. I think of you often and you are in my prayers. I'm sorry that I'm not always the best at getting back to you all. We really are meeting so many amazing people, and they are so prepared! They are waiting to find that peace and happiness in their lives. It is the greatest feeling in the world … I love it!

My friend shared a scripture with me in 2 Nephi, and I want to share them with you:

"But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught.

But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people (OR THE PEOPLE OF SPAIN). For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.

And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat." (2 Nephi 33:2-4,7)

We really have to put our WHOLE heart into this great work and into these amazing, wonderful people. They need us and they need our prayers. We have to give our all! They should be on our minds and in our hearts always. We should cry and rejoice with them, show them our love as we invite them to come unto Christ. We all need this gospel, each and every one of us. There are people around you all the time; they may be searching for your outstretched hand to help lift them up and bear their burdens. We need to search and seek for the opportunities to be there for them, to be true disciples of Christ.

Love forever,

Hermana Vance

Blessed, Spiritually and Temporally

I recently hit my 16 month mark … and it is freaking me out! I JUST WANT TO BE A MISSIONARY FOREVER! My companion is amazing; I love Hermana Gutoff! I am learning so much from her and these past two weeks have been so great. We are really starting to click and I am so grateful that she is my companion.

Yubelkis! I don´t know if I have ever mentioned her, but she is from Nicaragua and is about 22 years old. We have been teaching her for quite some time now, and she wants to be baptized so badly! She has a job where she has to work on Saturdays and Sundays, so she hasn’t been able to come to church yet. She has been really bummed about it, but this past week she just got a new job. Woohoo! We are so excited for her, as she thinks she will finally be able to come to church this week. Yes! Please pray for her!

The other day we met this man named Manuel. It was about 9:00pm and he was just sitting on a bench, and it was sprinkling with a little bit of rain. I saw him from a distance as we were coming up from behind to walk past him. I could tell that he looked very run down. His clothes were a bit torn, he had long hair and a long beard, and he had his face cupped in his hands. We were about to walk past him, but a voice came into my head saying, "Don´t you dare keep walking without stopping to talk to this man. Don´t think for one second that you can just pick and choose who needs and doesn´t need this gospel. This message is for everyone, and this man is a child of God. Go and talk to him."

This prompting literally stopped me mid-step, in that very moment. Immediately, words of peace, love and comfort starting coming out of my mouth, that I knew weren´t my own. What a powerful experience, and honestly a spiritual smack in the face of humility and gratitude. I am so blessed to be a vessel of the Master, Jesus Christ. I have tried remember on my mission to, "See people as God sees them. Through His eyes. To picture everyone I see, as if they were in white. To really see their potential and great worth."  Miracles happen and lives are changed forever as we see others as our brothers and sisters, children of God … coming back and coming home. We are merely the instruments, but it´s the best feeling in the world!

We also met Jorge last week. He is about 21 years old, from Guinea in Africa. He came to Spain about 7 months ago to get a major operation. He had some type of cancer that left huge tumors all over his body … his arms, legs, head, inside his mouth, you name it. He showed us all sorts of pictures, and he is a miracle. He told us his story and how he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that God is very, very real. God exists and so do miracles. Jorge is healed from all of it. The doctors said his recovery was indescribable. I am a personal witness to his story. He has so much faith and wants to continue to strengthen it. He came to church on Sunday! I will keep you all posted on Jorge and how he is doing!

One of the biggest, most visible miracles I have seen on my mission involves our investigator, Miguel. He has been investigating the church for about 2 years. Over time, his faith and desire to follow God has grown immensely. He used to be a hardcore alcoholic, but these past few months, he has given up drinking completely. This past week he gave up coffee, as he normally drinks about 5 cups a day! He also has a girlfriend who was in an accident a while back, and hasn't been able to walk or leave her wheelchair in about 3 years. He told us that she has been gradually getting better and that she started to stand the other day! As we were sitting in church waiting for Miguel to show up, he walked into the chapel … with his girlfriend! She was walking! Miracles exist, both spirituality and physically! It was such a blessing. Things are ready to take off here in Badalona! We are excited!

"And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive." - Alma 7:23

“And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." Mosiah 2:41

We are blessed in all forms as we follow God and His commandments. As we move forward with faith, and simply believe … all things are possible!

Have a great week everyone! See the miracles (and be the miracles)!

Hermana Vance

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