A Change of Heart

Family & Friends,

I had another tender mercy. As we were waiting at the bus stop for the elders to arrive to do a baptism interview, some kid tapped me on the shoulder and I looked up and it was Jose! He is a member from Parnaiba and we would always invite him to make visits with us. At the time it seemed like he wasn’t sure if he would go on a mission, but I got to see him as he was on his way to catch a flight in Teresina! What were the chances that I would have been there at that 5 minute time slot, and that he would have seen me! Heavenly Father blessed me so much by allowing me to experience this “chance” encounter. In the attached photo, the two boys are from Parnaiba and are going to serve missions in Sao Paulo! The one boy only has the things he has on his back and his flip flops! What faith!!

This is it! I can’t believe it has come to an end! I have two types of feelings; one, that I know how much I am going to miss this, my beloved Brazil, the people, and the special feelings that come as a set apart representative of Jesus Christ. There is just nothing like it! The second feeling is just such a great sense of accomplishment. I did it, and loved it! I really put so much time, energy and focus into magnifying my calling as a missionary! It, to me, has been the greatest success in my life!

I ended my mission on a high! BAPTISM! Woohoo! Natalia is already excited to be a sister missionary one day! She is 10 years old, and is a little bit on the younger side, but it has been so neat to see on the mission how sharp and prepared some of these kids are. They are so pure in heart, and it’s great to know that they will be able to participate in the church programs like primary and young women’s! She is also neighbors with a member, so we know that she will always be in good hands. We also are just inviting everyone, I mean EVERYONE, to be baptized, and it has been truly humbling to see their hearts softened and accept the invitation. Inviting people to be baptized on the mission, always takes a leap of courage, but for that reason it is my favorite and one of the things I will most miss. I had my last district meeting and it was actually the district “funeral”, because it’s a joke that I was dying as a missionary. It was funny!

This last week was just really special to me. I have wanted to talk to everyone, to plant as many seeds as I could about the gospel. I just wanted to run around like a maniac and do all that I could as my time as a missionary came to an end. But I am grateful that I really do have no regrets. I am grateful that the Savior helped me serve a diligent mission. My mission president looked at me and told me that he had seen a change in my heart, and I am so grateful for the work that the Savior personally did in my life and with my life. This year and a half flew by for me and hardly felt like a sacrifice; if anything it was the greatest gift anyone could have given me. I will forever be grateful.

To me it doesn’t matter if they remember my name or my face or even what I said. I just hope that the impressions of the Spirit will forever be written on their hearts in a way that they will never be able to deny the way that they felt, hearing the gospel truth!

Love you all,

Sister Vance