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 (:

#blessed

(no group email-- here are some highlights from the family email!)

Well this week was good, we had the worldwide conference! Which I don't know how much you've heard about that but they changed the schedule to be more flexible according to the needs of different missions/missionaries and it is super awesome. We also did I get married iOS with....... so you know those moments when your iPad does autocorrect and its dumb but turns out kind funny? Well that's what happened there.,.... anyways. We also did INTERCAMBIOS with the Hermanas in Malaga and that was super good. Aaaand here we are at a new week again! Yoo-hoo!
I feel good. I feel really sad about leaving the mission. But I know it is the next step, that I can't stay here forever. I honestly am so so so sad to be leaving the mission. I am excited to come home and see all your. It's smiling faces of course, but so sad to think about leaving. And nervous to see what home holds for me. I just know and have learned that it is just another step to growing and learning and that there will be more good things ahead and that the Lord will stick with me every step of the way.
Anyways. I love you guys tons and tons and hope you have a wonderful week!
XOXOXO Hermana Hauber (:

My comp's first time eating chocolate and churros!

With cute Hermana Stephens and their investigator, Juan!

Intercambios!

The fun just never stops

Hey guys!

So I was gonna write a good email this week and then once again, ran out of time soooooo...... here are a few awesome things with some pictures. (:
A couple weeks ago we had a Zone conference in Malaga and it was awesome! We talked a lot about how to focus on and apply charity in love in the work we do. Also, I saw a bunch of my favorite missionary buddies. (:

This last week we had a noche de hogar with our investigator Ana before she went back to Venezuela with her husband and her cute daughter. She has honestly been one of the hugest miracles of my mission. She came to us prepared to hear the gospel and I know that she will go back to her country and be able to continue living the gospel there. We also helped them with all their stuff when they went to the train station and it was so sad. But I love her to death. ♥️

Here in Almeria, we work with a lot of less actives and recently it has been awesome to see them progress as they finally come to church or as they start sharing the gospel with their friends or when they read in the Book of Mormon on their own between visits! It is awesome to remember that our purpose is to help others come unto Christ and that applies to EVERYONE!
Today we went to the castle here in Almeria and it was beautiful! This week we have a worldwide missionary training and also intercambios in Malaga! The fun just never stops. I love being a missionary and I love being able to share the gospel every single day!

I loooooove you all!!
XOXOXO, Hermana Hauber 😘

Happy MLK Day (:

(no group email this week, here's an update on how Hermana Hauber's week went!)

This week we had a conference in Malaga and interviews with president! It all went super well. I will share pictures soon. We also saw lots of miracles! Like members calling us with a random friend to teach, and a random lady showing up at church to learn more about who she is! Woohoo! We are working hard and being happy. (: And I read a scripture this morning that I super loved! It's in DyC 76:5-10. I haven't read it in English but basically it promises blessings to those who serve in righteousness and truth till the end. And it is awesome! Even though, of course it applies on a much bigger scale (like eternity) it can apply to me here and now as well so that is cool. Go read it! Anyways. Things here are good! I am happy and working hard and that's all. (: I hope everything is good back home, love you tons!

Xoxo, hermana Hauber (:

Everyone who entered the mission with me that was at the conference!

Friends (: and sweet hermana Berube! I love that crazy

When we tried to go to the castle but it was closed... that always seems
to happen to us. Hahaha.

My awesome new comfy jammies!

My CCM compi!

With Adelaida!

💗💗💗

Ana! That's going to Venezuela!

With her husband and daughter also

The trainee of my trainee that I met at the conference
#family she's the cutest!

Thanks grandma!! (:

This cute study journal we made for Ana (:

We got to see a little bit of Motril! Bus stop on the
way home

One Month Left!

(No group email this week, but here's a snippet of Hermana Hauber's week!)

So this week was good! We had a super good noche de hogar with our main investigator and a family in the ward. I forgot to take a picture. Sorry. /: But it was awesome! Until she told us that she is probably headed back to Venezuela because they haven't been able to find work here..... so that was super sad. Also tomorrow, we are headed to Malaga! We will have a zone conference and then interviews with president. They asked me to bear my testimony at the conference because I, going home this transfer..... I'll be doing it with hermana peters and hermana Stephens, two of my compis so that will be cool................

Okay that's all for now, I love you TONS! Thanks for writing. (: have a good and SAFE week and make sure to read your scriptures every. Single. Day. That's all! 😘😘😘

XOXOXO, hermana Hauber (:

Rebejas have started! I bought some cute sweaters
and guess what? They were all on sale!

One of the members from Badajoz came to church in
Almeria this week! So cool!

Random people dressed up as kings because we
celebrated El dia Los Reyes magos this week

We went to church fasting and cme home with all
this. Chocolate and chocolate and oranges and cake.
WOW.

This is what they eat on el dia de Los Reyes! It is
filled with whipped cream. YUM

¡2017!

Hey y'all!

🎉🎊¡¡¡Happy 2017!!!🎊🎉

I literally can't believe that we are already in a brand new year! I remember being at the beginning of 2016 and feeling like 2017 would never come and now that it's here, well, yeah..... I'm freaking out a little bit! But it's all good, if there is anything I've learned during my mission it's that God has a plan for me and if I'm obedient then it will all go how He wants.

So this week was crazy! We had transfers! I said goodbye to my sweet Hermana Trujillo who went to Elche! Then I got to spend the day with a member named Jennifer. She was with me for a good 8 hours, knocking doors, teaching, doing everything and she is an awesome missionary! Good news: she has already started her papers for her mission. 😊 And then my new comp got here! Her name is Hermana Christensen and I already knew her because we served in the same ward in my last area, Sevilla. She is from Georgia, has been in the mission about 6 months and LOVES to cook!

Last picture with Hermana Trujillo!

Jennifer was my comp for a day!

We have seen a few super cool things this week. First of all, the night that Hermana Christensen got here, we met a new less active member! His name is Francisco and he was so happy to talk with us. He had already made the New Years resolution to stop smoking and when we saw him yesterday, he hadn't smoked all day long! So that has been awesome. 👏

Also we had a cita with our sweet investigator Ana and she is loving the Book of Mormon! It was incredible to listen to her ask us questions and then as she kept talking about it, she answered her own questions! 

So on the first day of every year, the ward here in Almería has their first soccer game of the year! Well since the 1st was a Sunday, we did it today and it was so fun! There's nothing like playing soccer. In Spain. Also, I made a goal and so they all that it was pretty cool that an Hermana scored. Hahahaha. ⚽️💁🏽

Things here are super good. We are working hard and praying for lots of miracles. And the Lord is so good, He helps us recognize the little blessings every single day and the big ones too!  

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! 

XOXO, Hermana Hauber 😘❤️🇪🇸

Last district meeting meal before transfers

Cecelia from Badajoz sent us cards and earrings for Christmas!

We ran home- literally ran to get there on time for
New Years Eve. Hahahaha.

So this foto is from Sevilla but this is my new comp!