Monday, February 6, 2017

Bittersweet

Hello my sweet family and friends,

Well, like many of you probably already know.... this week is transfers! But this time around is already a little more bittersweet than usual. Because this transfer I'm not only changing areas, but countries and languages and well, lots of things.

BUT. one of the things I have learned here on the mission is that I am a daughter of God, who is my loving Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for me! How wonderful and comforting and incredible is that little piece of knowledge!? All through my teenage years, that's what they told me and taught me and that's what I even said week after week... "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him...." And for some reason it took 18 months of being a missionary to actually get that into my head and written in my heart. But now it's there, and it has changed my life.

I wish I could help you all understand just how amazing the mission is. But the problem is that words can't describe it. Pictures can't illustrate it and even videos or the most sincerest of feelings recorded in my journal will never fully help someone understand what I have lived, felt, and learned, or how I have changed, grown and served for the past year and half.
It would be a beautiful thing to be able to capture the feelings, smells, tastes, sounds, emotions and views, everything about a particular moment to put in a bottle and open on a rainy day someday in the future, but sadly that also isn't an option. Así que nada. I will stop rambling and just try to tell y'all about a few of the beautiful things that I have experienced as a missionary in the last 18 months.

I know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His son and my Savior and that they love and know me perfectly and infinitely. And let's be real, this doesn't just apply to me. Each one of us are sons and daughters of God and all He wants for us is to find happiness in this life and to learn and progress.
Remember how I said they wanted us to learn and progress and be happy? Well they have given us everything we need to do just that! It is called the RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. Y'all might think that sounds crazy, but I PROMISE Y'ALL, it's true. You don't need money or muscles or cool cars or a big house or a college degree or the perfect body or the best looking husband or the cutest clothes, etc, etc....... You just need to know how to accept and live the gospel - the  perfectly designed plan with steps and commandments that God has given us - to be able to find true joy.
Each day is a gift from God. Some days we wake up happy and some days we wake up less happy, but each day is like a huge box of surprises just waiting to be opened and enjoyed. Miracles, disappointments, blessings and honestly just a little bit of everything. But the truly beautiful thing is that each one of these "surprises" is what God knows we need to be better to become more like Him.
Those people that you know you just had to meet because they completely changed your lives.... yeah, they actually do exist. I will forever be grateful for those people that I have met in the last 18 months. I'm so grateful for every single one of my companions, and the other leaders and members and investigators and missionaries that I have had the chance to work with. They will always have a special place in my heart.
When in doubt, just trust in God. There have been so many moments, every single hour of every single day that I have just been able to put my trust in the Lord. It has been a very humbling and beautiful and amazing thing to realize that my very limited human knowledge and judgment and influence can only get me so far. But that the Lord will guide and instruct and change the hearts of others and all I can do is strive to do His will and be the humble, obedient, dedicated, moldable servant and representative that I can be so that he can use me as an instrument in His hands to do His work.
The last thing I want to leave with y'all today is the fact that I KNOW without a doubt in my heart or my mind that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He loves us. He came to this earth and lived a perfect life as an example for us so that we could strive to do the same. He suffered for me and you and everyone because He loves us. And our Heavenly Father sent Him here to carry out such a sacred mission because He as well has a perfect love for each one of us. Because His love is so great and so perfect, He has provided us with families, scriptures, prophets, commandments, saving ordinances, temples and every single thing we could possibly need because he wants us to return to His presence someday. And live in His loving presence forever. In case you didn't know, or haven't heard..... this gospel is a gospel of love.
I've learned that I can't represent our Lord, I can't wear the name of Jesus Christ over my heart, I can't do His work or teach His children or live the gospel or help other people or truly be a missionary if I don't have love. If I don't strive every single day to develop charity and see others as the Savior does. That's the key to everything, especially everything in the life of the missionary. And I will admit, I haven't been perfect, I have not served a perfect mission. But I have knelt down every single day pleading to know what I can do better and the Lord has made up for my small sacrifices. He has made me into a missionary and daughter of God millions times better than I could have hoped to be on my own. I know He has been with me in every moment, in every smile and in every tear and that I've had and I know it doesn't stop here.
Even though my mission is coming to an end, and that's the bitter part, I know that life keeps going on. That the Lord keeps loving me and will keep blessing me, and that's the sweet part.

Wow, this turned out a lot longer than I meant for it to be.... I apologize. But thank you to every single one of you that have supported me in this incredible journey. Thanks for your prayers, your advice, your letters or emails or words of encouragement. I'm grateful for each one of you and all you have done for helping me get to where I am today.

Just like Nephi and just like Alma I will praise my God, my joy is full and I will rejoice and glory in the Lord forever because of the great blessing bestowed upon me that I have been made an instrument in the hands of God to bring about this great work. (2 Ne 4 and Alma 26) I truly thank the Lord every day and will keep thanking Him every day for the rest of my life for the blessing of being able to serve a mission.

What a wonderful journey it has been. I love you all!!!

XOXOXO, Hermana Hauber ❤🇪🇸

P.S. My homecoming will be this Sunday at 9 AM at my stake center.... 7960 west Dalesend Drive, Magna, UT. I can't wait to see your beautiful faces there! 😍


I love Peruvian food.

Goodbyes...










My comp made mangoes y sticky rice... YUM

Matching nightgowns and bedtime smoothies are
definitely a thing (: