Change

Hey y'all :) wowww.. This week was kind of the most emotional week of my life (so far) but it also has brought me a lot of comfort and happiness a long with it. 

First things first... Shane IS getting baptized on August 19th and President Varner is amazing enough to let me go and I even get to speak so I am so so so excited!! :) So continue to pray for him because I know for a fact the adversary is doing all he can to get Shane off the path he is one because danggg is he one of the elect. 

This week was my LAST Zone Conference and it was by far the most amazing one I have been to on my mission. So inspired and exactly what I needed to finish out these next couple of weeks strong. But since it was my last Zone Conference I had to give my "go home" testimony/ speech and it was seriously THE craziest thing ever. I remember back to my early days in the mission and thinking to myself that is soooo far away and always being so impressed with those missionaries going home and prayed I could be the same too. 

I remember almost every single one of them would say "The mission has changed me" or " I am a completely different person." That statement seriously always terrified me because at that point in my life I was content with who I was and never wanted to lose myself in a sense. So the first six months of my mission change was extremely hard for me whether it was change of companion, area, or even the weather I was quite pathetic to be honest. I didn't want to change and held onto who I was so strongly that no one or nothing could tell me to do anything otherwise.

I remember talking about my fears of changing with one of my best friends on the mission and they said something that to this day has left such a huge impression on me and he said "The mission doesn't change YOU, it changes your priorities." I have thought a lot about this statement the last year and have let go of a lot of pride and realized that God didn't want me to be the same person I was before I left on the mission. But knowing that I have came to see the mighty change is mighty hard, but looking back I can honestly say that I know that I have changed for the better and am taking those small steps into becoming the person that I know that my Heavenly Father wants me to be all the while still being my same crazy self :)  And oh how grateful I am to be truly changed, truly converted, and to find out what my true character is.

With this change still comes with a lot of fears, a lot of unknown territory that have been really hard for me to handle these last couple of weeks. With these thoughts and fears in mind while sitting through Zone Conference I really had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. The closing song was " I Know That My Redeemer Lives" which just so happens to be my favorite song and in that moment I knew that God truly was speaking to me personally and wowww did some serious tears flow.

 I know that my Redeemer lives and understands exactly my situation at this time and loves me regardless of my shortcomings and weaknesses and is there for me with unfailing love. And ohhhh how sweet it is to know these things. I love my time as a missionary and for the opportunity that I have to change and become the person I know that God wants me to be because without change we are never progressing, we are never moving forward to reach our full potential. So keep changing, keep believing, because we have the Savior of the world on our side!! I love y'all sooo much:) Have the best week!!

Hermana Vasquez... Also a dream spanish comp

 Sister Brown... My lil Baby B

Heaven is for real kids... <3

Only in LA would a crazy man have a machette trying to take over a train... We definitely watched for over an hour.. Soooo entertaining!!

Gotta entertain yourself while watching the crazy man 

NOLA Zone 

Elder Dover drew a picture for me as my going away present... Soooo cool!!

13 planners later... CRAZYYYY!!! Shipping these bad bois off

My bff #2 Elder Dover

Zone Conference with the NOLA Sisters

(Lots of Goodbyes.. :( )

Hermana Banner... Forever wishing I was a Spanish sister so i could be her comp

Throw back to the WWII Museum with the Whipple Fam!! Easily THE coolest place ever.

Throw back... Cause I miss the Luling Squad!!

If any picture describes my life right now... This would definitely be it... 17 days kids