Monday, June 30, 2014

Valencia - Week Six (Pictures to come!)

Hey fam bam!
So you all sounded like you had a WILD week. But good. Well maybe you didn't think it was wild, but I did. YAY FOR PAGEANT TIME!!!! THE BEST TIME IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Remember how a year ago we went to the Palmyra Temple? YAY! Also all my companions think I'm crazy because I talk about how OBSESSED I am with pageant. But it's fine. They're all convinced they need to do it. I think it's cuz I act out the King Noah scene so well for them. 
ANYWAY BIG NEWS
I'M TRAAAIINNNIINNNGG!! We got calls Saturday night and I was super pumped when I found out. Hermana Munns, who I live with got called as a STL so that's sweet too because I LOVE her and it'll be way fun to travel with her and do intercambios with her. 
Anyway, I just picked up my companion in Barcelona. Only two sisters and two elders came in. Her name is Hermana Vance. She's blonde! Woot! She's from Ohio. She did one semester at BYU  Idaho and now she's here. She's super cute and ready to work. I'm pumped about these next two transfers together. There's something about new missionaries that I just love, they are so excited to work and learn. It will be so so fun. 
So this last week was really good. We had a lot of really great miracles. We have been finding more and more news through the members lately, it's been great. This past week, just from stopping by members we have been able to set up visits with some of their friends that happened to be in their house at the same time, so it's been really great. 
So this week I was pondering. It's a new hobby I have. I have been really wanting to learn more about the Atonement. I have been praying for God to help me understand it more. Last week Tyson told me sad news about one of his friends losing their baby and it really struck me hard. That night I was praying a lot. I felt so bad for the family and what they must be going through. It's really really hard to see bad things happen to really good people. People that spend their whole lives striving to do what is right and then are given incredibly hard challenges. In my prayer I was asking God why something so bad had to happen to such good people. While I was praying, a phrase from a talk I once heard came into my head, "he's my son, too". I remember reading a talk where a dad had begged God to know why his son had to have so many complications with his eyesight. The doctors did a ton, but he would only be able to see out of one eye. As the dad prayed one night asking, "why" he heard in his head, "Spencer, he's my son, too". 
I think sometimes I forget that just like we love our family and friends, God loves them too. He loves each one of us with a perfect love. He knows our needs, our strengths and our weaknesses. Sometimes I still don't understand why bad things happen to good people, or why we are given the trials that we have, but what I DO have, is faith in my Father in Heaven. I know He knows better than I do, and that every challenge we are given is to help us, to strengthen us, to bring us closer to Him.
I am so grateful for the Atonement. I am grateful to know that on the days when I'm tired or stressed or just about to give up, that I have someone right by my side. I have a Savior that knows exactly what I am feeling. I have a Savior that loved me enough, to come to this earth and suffer voluntarily just for me. Just so He could know how to strengthen me when I am weak and comfort me when I am sad. The Atonement is the most incredible thing. I am so grateful for this gospel. That is why I am here. The peace the Atonement gives me is unreal. People need this in their lives. I love the happiness this gospel brings me. I love the knowledge that I have that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know He lives. I know we have a Father in Heaven that is very aware of us. He is in the details of our lives. 
Life is so good. 
I love you, family.
Love Hermana Fras 

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