China + México = Italy ??

Que tal mi pueblito?!

It's been a while but I'm back with the 411 on my last transfer! We are 2 weeks into my last transfer and I can't believe my mission is coming to an end. Every week I realize how short my time is here and it motivates me to really give the Lord everything I have. You might be wondering where I am for my last area and who my companion(s) is/are....

Well, my prayers were answered and I get to stay in Spring Lake (my home) for one more transfer. That makes 6 transfers in Spring Lake! I bore my testimony in sacrament yesterday and said, "For those who don't know me... my name is Hermana Tapia." And literally everyone busted out laughing cause I've been here since July.

My companions are Hermana Young and Hermana Feser! I am trio training! Hermana Young is a younger missionary learning Spanish and Hermana Feser is brand new to the field and we were actually friends and hung out before the mission so it was crazy to find out I would be her trainer! I did this thing before my mission where I'd go out teaching with friends that were thinking of serving missions and Hermana Feser came with me to teach my cousins Grecia and Lily!!! Small world! Hermana Young's family is from China and Hermana Feser's family is from Italy... hence the title. I've learned a lot from them and have a lot of anxiety about leaving my area to other missionaries but they're awesome so it makes me feel better. Sterling will forever have a place in my heart. 

There is one family I have taught my whole time here in Spring Lake. The daughter was baptized in August, the son in December and their mother had a hard time coming to the decision. She knew the church was true, she didn't have any doubts she would just always tell us she couldn't be baptized right now. She later shared she was doing something that was against a commandment of God and made it so she could not be baptized. We worked so hard with her to overcome this obstacle, help her understand the atonement and continue pressing forward. I have grown to truly see her the way God sees her, I love her so much. Last Sunday we were playing Jenga with her family after FHE and she announced out of nowhere that she finally is ready to be baptized and I was like UHHH WHAT?! And guess who entered the waters of baptism yesterday... that sweet sister. I don't think I've ever cried so hard at a baptism Hahahaha! Her testimony is so powerful and she is so prepared. Her two children gave the prayers and sung "Families Can Be Together Forever" for the musical number with us. It was perfect. After she got out of the water and we hugged her we all just cried tears of joy. She said, "Hermana Tapia, I made you suffer so much!" Hahaha! I hugged her and assured her that it was all worth it. She bore her testimony to us of missionary work and the blessings of following the commandments she said that keeping the commandments made her feel free and happy. We all sobbed. This is the difference between keeping the commandments of God and not keeping them. 

Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

There is this misconception that the commandments restrain us. I disagree, they are what make us free. Free of guilt, shame, sorrow, pain and misery. We should all strive to receive the blessings of obedience.

This last transfer I have felt more than ever the love I have come to develop for missionary work. There is nothing else like this in the world. I have never felt so much joy, I have never felt stronger the love of Christ, I feel I have changed so much. I sincerely get out of bed excited to teach and testify. I love this work. I love you all too but to be honest it's hard to think I have to leave soon. Here's to my last month as a full-time missionary.

Consider Me A "Slacker"

Hola! Happy 2019 to everyone! News of the week:

♡ In case you haven't heard yet sister missionaries all over the world are now allowed to wear dress pants A.K.A. slacks. My instant reaction was, "Cool but no thanks." THEN the mission told us we all got a budget to go and buy slacks. And if someone is going to give me money and tell me to go shopping, even if it's for slacks you BETTER believe I will take that offer. (I love clothes and I'm SO SICK of my missionary clothes.) So I got the slacks.

♡ Went to my happy place (Banana Republic) and realized cute clothes still exist. Got some slacks there and here is evidence that slacks can be cute. (Hermana Takahashi was supposed to take a picture of me and this was the best one she got. Haha!) 

♡ Found out I still have legs.

♡ The slacks were originally $80 but were on sale so I got them for $25. (It was a tender mercy (': )

♡ Okay, I'm done talking about slacks.

♡ Hermano Juan de Dios who we have been teaching for SEVEN MONTHS finally set a baptismal date and we are so pumped!!!

♡ This Saturday we are getting the transfer board and it's the last time my face will be on a transfer board and I've cried about that 3 times this week. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN MY LAST TRANSFER??? Ok, I already know cause President told me at interviews but I can't tell you guys till it's on the transfer board so stay tuned to next week. :p

♡ Went on exchanges with the cutie Hermana Young. I love exchanges and getting to meet such unique and special sisters. They all do missionary work in a different way with their different gifts and strengths. I'm so grateful to know them all and get to serve with them. I learn so much as an S.T.L.

♡ TODAY IS TAGGART STEPHEN INOUYE'S BIRTHDAY AND HE'S MY FAVORITE HUMAN IN THE WORLD (Sorry David Archuleta) AND WE ARE SO BLESSED TO BE ON THE SAME EARTH AS HIM. 

♡ We were snowed in all day yesterday. It started Saturday around 2PM and didn't stop until sometime last night around midnight. Church was cancelled so it was a sad day. We tried to be as productive as possible having to stay in all day by texting, calling and sending videos. We saw blessings from it! Now today we are stuck in our apartment again cause of the ice out on the roads. Sad day. 

♡ In a lesson this week a person asked what we think of the Pope (btw we think he's a GREAT guy).  Hermana Takahashi meant to say "Papa Francisco es un buen hombre." [Pope Francis is a good man] but instead she accidentally said "Papa Frita es un buen hombre." [French Fry is a good man]  The person we were teaching got a good kick out of that. 

We studied the new "Come Follow Me" manual with a family we are teaching.  Pause, I hope you are ALL reading that with your families and personally cause if not you're all missing out on HUGE blessings and a ton of knowledge. Back to the story...  After everyone in the family spoke the mom got emotional. She talked about how she had gone to so many churches throughout her life and still she felt like she knew nothing about the Bible or God. She shared that having come to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she has learned so much and feels like she personally does know God and has a relationship with Him. She feels like now she knows the Bible and the Book of Mormon. She shared how she also couldn't find a place her children could enjoy and now 2 of them are baptized and love the gospel!

This is exactly what our purpose is, we help others become spiritually independent. So they have life the gospel, have a relationship with God and continue to learn and grow after we teach. Like her I also have gone to many churches but have learned sacred truths and come closer to God in the restored gospel. I know this is His church, I see it change lives every day as it changes mine. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Hermana Tapia