The Last Letter

Dear Family,

I thought this day would never come. My last letter I will write as a missionary. I have a million emotions running through my mind right now, I think my mind has just kind of shut down, from all the emotion...ha its so weird!! I don´t even know where to begin.

So this last Saturday we had Alex´s baptism, and he was so excited! He came like 45 minutes early and couldn´t sit still. He kept getting up and pacing and saying its almost time, its almost time. He was so cute!! It made me so happy to see him happy! It was a really special day for him and for all of the ward members. He´s going to change this ward, I´m sure of it!!

Another miracle I want to share. This last Tuesday we met Ana, who is 16 years old, in the first lesson, we felt the spirit, but SUPER strong!!! She accepted baptism and a date on the FIRST LESSON!!! She had the date for this next Saturday, but she had a change of heart at the baptism of Alex, and she will now be baptised TOMORROW!!! Exactly one week later. She felt the spirit super strong in Alex´s baptism, and after we finished she came up to us and said she wanted to be baptised as soon as possible, because she knew that all of it was true. And the Bishop...who is AWESOME, looks at her and says...well, what do you think about Tuesday, as a going away gift to Hermana Pasley. I literally almost cried!!! So tomorrow, we will have Ana´s baptism as well. God is good!!! And Ana is the miracle we had been praying for!!!!! I love the mission!!!!! I can´t believe that it is all coming to an end.

As I thought of what to write in my last letter home, I wanted to write some powerful poem or some amazing, intricate words that would touch all of your hearts, but if there is one thing I have learned on the mission, is that God keeps it simple. He doesn´t care that I can´t write powerful words, he doesn´t care that I´m not the best at expressing myself. Because he has sent his Son Jesus Christ to make it all up. What I have learned is that is is okay to be weak. We all have weaknesses, we all make mistakes, and we always seem to fall short, but that is where and when we learn to be humble. It is when we learn to trust completely and fully in our Savior. I have learned to lean on him in every moment, to trust in his promise, that weak things shall become strong. I have learned to accept that I´m not the best and I never will be the best. But that I am enough, Christ made me enough through his atoning sacrifice. And how proud I am to be his missionary. How proud I am to bear his name on my chest. How proud I am to walk down the streets and help all I see come to know him. To know that he lives and that he is here with us. How proud I am to be able to work shoulder to shoulder with him, and invite all to come unto him. 

I know that Jesus Christ lives, I know that he is my Savior. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it the one and only true church, it is Christ´s church. I know that I am doing His work. I know He lives.

I love each and everyone of you SO much! I want to thank you all for your support, your prayers and your love. You have no idea how much your love has blessed me and the impact you have had in my life. I cannot express my gratitud, nor my love well enough, but I am truly grateful for each and every one of you! 

I cannot wait to see you all!!! Don´t be scared if you see my crying like baby :) I love you all so much!! ¡Hasta la vista baby!

con muchísimo amor,
Hermana Pasley

Houston...We have a BAPTISM!!!

Hello Family!

How are we all doing?? Can you believe how fast time is going? Time is FLYING by! The weeks are finishing up way too fast. Its hard to believe that it is all coming to an end. I`m now in the denying stage. Its a weird feeling!

So this last week, we had been praying to find new investigators. To find new people that want to progress and that will help us have success this month! And of course I was praying that I could finish out my mission with a baptism and BOY did he answer my prayer! WE GOT A BAPTISM THIS SATURDAY!!! His name is Alex. He has been an investigator for a couple of months. He has had some hard challenges and suffers from depression. He needed this gospel, but everytime he would feel the spirit come in and give him peace, he would shut his self down and wouldn`t let himself accept that he was loved by his Heavenly Father he wouldn`t allow himself to be at peace. Until Thursday, we had the do or die lesson. If he didn`t except baptism and a date that night, we were going to drop him. We decided to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ and as we taught him about baptism, a spirit came in so strong as we watched to video of Jesus being baptised. As we finished the video, we invited him to stand in front of the baptismal font and invited him to follow the example of his Savior. Without a doubt he said yes and accepted his date for this week! Finally he let himself feel!! It was a super powerful lesson! We are so excited for him and have seen a great change in him these last few days! He is 10 times happier and seems to have had a burden of some sort lifted off of his shoulders. I am so glad that the Lord has blessed me with this baptism. It has lifted my spirits, as well as Alex`s and many of the ward members! God answers prayers! I know he listens!

The time is passing rapidly and I hope to be able to finish out my mission how the Lord wants me to finish! I love you all and am so grateful for the support that you all have given me through out this year and a half! I love you!!! Until Monday!!

Hermana Pasley

He is Here

Hello Family!

How are we all doing? It sounds like it is getting really hot up there as well!! The good thing about the heat here is that your clothes dry in like 2 seconds. So it makes doing laundry really fast and easy! But it is really hot!!!

But before I say anything else. CONGRATULATIONS SISTER HANNAH PASLEY!!! THE CALIFORNIA REDLANDS MISSION IS SO LUCKY TO BE GETTING YOU! I am so happy for your decision to serve the Lord. It will change your life and the lives of many others! You will grow so much!! I love you so much Hanny!!

So speaking of missions. As you know, my mission is coming to an end, I don`t have to much longer. And as I`m sure every missionary feels, you wonder if you have done everything, if the Lord is pleased with what you have done. That question has been on my mind for the last few weeks and I have been praying for an answer, the Lord could help me know what I must do in order for me to leave as a successful missionary. And boy did he answer my prayer!

This last week an area seventy came and did a tour of our mission. Elder Torrìs and his wife. And let me tell you, it was the BEST conference I have ever had. He talked for 3 hours straight, but I felt like it was only 30 minutes! I felt the spirit so strong that day, and it gave me so much more energy and desires to finish out strong!

But there is one experience in particular I would really like to share. Wrapping up the conference he turned the time over for questions. As the missionaries began to ask questions, he changed his mind and gave us a promise. He told each of to hold the Book of Mormon in our hand, say a pray asking our question, raise the BOM above our heads and open it, and there we would receive our answer. But he not only promised us, he promised us in the name of Jesus Christ. When he gave us the promise, you could literally fell that it was not him speaking, but that he was speaking the words of Christ. So we took the promise in stride and began to pray. And I received my answer! My long, soul searching question, that had been on my mind for weeks! As I finished my prayer, I knew before I even opened the scriptures that I would receive an answer. But I opened to D&C 126 and it reads:

1  Dear and well-beloved brother, Brigham Young, verily thus saith the Lord unto you: My servant Brigham, it is no more required at your hand to leave your family as in times past, for your offering is acceptable to me.
2  I have seen your labor and toil in journeyings for my name.
3  I therefore command you to send my word abroad, and take especial care of your family from this time, henceforth and forever. Amen.

As I read that section, I began to cry and to cry and cry. And as I looked up, I saw that every missionary (about 75 missionaries) in that room was crying. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US received an answer that day. Jesus Christ literally spoke to each and every one of us personally. It was an experience that I will never ever forget. It was one of the most powerful witnesses that I have received that the Lordanswers prayers. That he knows each of us personally and he knows our needs and our fears. He continues to speak to men, he is here!

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that this is the true church. I know that the priesthood has been restored and that his servents in this last dispensation are truly HIS servents.

I love you all so much and cannot wait to see you! Pray for me lots so that I can finish the mission out strong! Love you all more than you know!

Hermana Pasley

Forget Yourself...and GET TO WORK!

Dearest Family!

Another transfer come and gone and now we´re headed into overtime! Its crazy to think that I am heading into my last transfer! I still don´t really feel like its all coming to an end, which is good because I still have so much more to do here! Ahhh, so much to do and so little time! It is crazy!

I am sorry that I don´t have much time to write, but I want you all to know that I am well and will be staying in Mina with Hermana Calva and yesterday we got a new companion yesterday who will be filling in my place since I will only be here for half the transfer. Her name is Sister Tellez and she is from Mexico City. She has 5 months in the mission and just came from my area in Zapata, so that was fun to hear how everyone is doing there!

This last week I have prayed and prayed so that I can finish out my mission strong, I don´t want to become unfocused and have my extra time be wasted time and as I have pondered and pondered, I figured out that all I need to do is forget myself. I need to swallow my pride, every day dream of swimming in an ice cold pool, and everything that I would rather be doing, and focus on what others need. As we put others needs first, our problems and our tendency to think of only ourselves, seems to fade away and we become focused on what the Lord would have us do. It helps us open our eyes and see how much there is to do. This last week I saw this Mormon Message and I think it will wrap everything up nicely!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-05-003-lift?category=mormon-messages-2015&lang=eng

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! Stay strong and keep the faith!

Hermana Pasley

Walk with Him

Dearest Family!!

How are you guys doing? Can you believe its Monday again?? Time is flying by! I don´t even know what is going on!!!

So this week has been a little crazy working the two areas, but we have seen a lot of success and have found quite a few new investigators and have met some awesome people, so we´re excit3ed to see how everything turns out this weeks! We´re a little stressed with the double load, but super excited to get to see double the success! Its pretty awesome!!!

So I want to share a scripture that I read in my personal study this last week. I was studying obedience. What it really means to be obedient. If you would have asked me before the mission, I would have said, keep the commandments, choose the right...which yes Hermana Pasley, that is part of being obedient, but the part that I never understood until I got on the mission was doing it out of love and doing the it because it is the Lord´s will. We have to become one with the Father if we truly want to be obedient. Just as Christ gave us this perfect example, he was one with the Father because he was perfectly obedient. Some times I ask myself why I´m not having success when I´m being obedient, but then I look deep and hard inside myself realize that I´m only being obedient to be obedient, I´m not doing because I know that is what God expects of me! All of this became so clear as I read this scripture in Moses 6:

34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.

If we are obedient, and remember why we are obedient, if we become one with the Father, we can do ANYTHING! There is no excuse for failure, because it will be impossible because we will be doing the Father´s will! So this week I have the goal to walk with him, to put his will before mine and work and work and work and work. I know I will have success!!

This gospel is so amazing! This week we all should put the goal to walk with him.

I love you all so much! Stay strong and keep the faith!

Hermana Pasley

P.S. I don´t know if I missed Father´s Day, but its this Sunday here in Mexico. Happy Father´s Day Daddy!! I love you! You´re the best man I know!

Two is Better than One!

Hello Family!

Another Monday has come! Time is going by way too fast!! I don´t even know how I should be feeling right now! How are we all doing? Surviving the heat?? Cause sure is hot as ever here!!

So this week we had the baptism of FABIÁN!! It was so special to see a man who is 76 years old be baptised by his best friend who is 77 years old. The sweetest part was as we were waiting to start the program he started to cry! He is the sweetest old man ever! He is SO special. Thank you so much for your prayers on our part, it has helped us every step of the way!

This week has also been interesting! On Thursday night we got a call and they told us that one of the sisters in Mina was leaving and that they were going to put us in a trio and that we now need to start working in both of the areas...which are in different stakes...ouch! Its a little stressful, but were trying to figure out how to work the two areas and we know that everything will work out great! Because you know what they say, two is better than one! So say an extra pray for us this week! Its gonna be a bumpy ride! But its what I need to help me finish the mission strong!

I hope you all have great week! I love you and pray for you always! Stay strong and keep the faith!!

Hermana Pasley

I got to see Hermana Gietzen again! it was a happy reunion! shell be extending with me! She´s so awesome!

Fabian and Jonas=bff

4 Days

Hola dear family,

How are you all?? I hope you have all had good week and are enjoying the heat! Its actually cooled off a little bit this last week, so that was a nice break! This last week was fun, and my companion made my birthday special! She bought me my first piñata!! It was a minion, I wanted Harry Potter, but hes not quite as popular here! So we settled for a minion and had a mini party in the house that night. We celebrated by working and working and working all day! But on Saturday one of the members invited us over for cake and we had a fun little get together...even though they shoved my face in the cake! Mexicans are party animals I tell ya!

This last week we had a really special experience this last week! So the week before we had 3 dates and every single one fell through! What? We were a little bit more than discouraged! We were sure we were going to meet our goal for the month, and out of no where our investigators dropped off of the face of the earth! But one Monday a very wise man *ugh Dad* shared a story that comes from the bible which was my theme for the week. He shared the story of when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. How He waited until 4 days after he had died to make the miracle happen. Sometimes, like Mary and Martha, Christ pushes us to test our faith even when it seems beyond our limits. He knows that our faith is more important than our pain, and it is experiences that help us feel the love of the Savior more fully in our lives, it helps us grow. So leaving the computer lab on Monday I had four days in my head. I just have to trust in the Lord and pass through my four days with faith. I obviously didn´t know how long my four days would last, but I left motivated to work! I shared the thought with my companion and everyday we prayed for the strength to support our four days. So we worked, we fasted, and we prayed like never before, praying for a miracle.

So the week went on and we kept working. Four days later, we left to visit the cutest old man named Fabian that we´d been teaching for only a week. As we got to the lesson he had the biggest grin on his face, looked us in the eyes and said, "Hermanitas, I read the chapter you left me in the Book of Mormon, and the pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation, and I know that this is the plan that God has for me. I have received my answer and I want to be baptized." Did I hear him right?? He received an answer?? Me and my companion both looked at each other and almost cried. Our four days had passed (literally) and Christ brought forth his miracle. Fabian will be baptized this Saturday. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had on my mission and I know that we saw a miracle. And the faith and trust I gained in those four days is so special and sacred to me. I know that when we do all that we can do, Christ works miracles in our lives. He helped me grow, and Fabian as well.

I know that I am doing the Lord´s work. I know that this is his church. And I know that he loves each and every one of us. Trust in him and endure your four days, for the miracle will come.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes, I felt your love! I hope you all have a good week and know how much I love you and how much more your Savior loves you.

with love,
Hermana Pasley