Hermana Haymond: Guatemala's Gringa: 18 Months Later.....

I really honestly can't believe this is my last email. I think I'm just still in denial that it's all ending. Ah. But more on that later.

Another week as the nurses sidekick...I worked with the sister who's comp was in the hospital last week. We worked together Tuesday to Thursday afternoon. That was an adventure. We had to try to plan so we could teach in both our areas. And I wasn't in my house for 2 and a half nights (half because remember how I got there at 3 am? Yeah.. That's why). But all is well now. Today Hna N had to go to the mission home to meet the new missionaries and teach them about health stuff. That was exciting! And that concludes my last sidekick update.

This weekend we had a huge miracle. We've been teaching a cute little old blind lady. She's very nice but hasn't accepted to be baptized. Her daughter is a member and took her to a baptism on Saturday. We visited her on Saturday at 6pm and she told us how after going to the baptism she really wanted to be baptized too. So at 6 pm Saturday we had to organize a baptism for Sunday at 9 am and teach almost all the lessons. It was such a miracle though. We didn't expect to baptize. But I know that Heavenly Father loves us and blesses us. The hermanita is so faithful for her decision.

So honestly I'm really sad to leave. It's been really hard to get my mind around. It's hard to leave something that I've worked so hard to love. But I've prayerfully been trying to figure it out. Why do I have to do home? I'm doing something good. Why would Heavenly Father want me to stop doing something good? I tried to find help in the scriptures but I just found lots of stories about prophets on their way back home from their 'missons' and getting commanded to go back and they quickly go back to preach the Gospel. Or missionaries that go home from years and years and years of teaching and can't rest so they decide to go on another mission. Or the 3 nefites who asked to live forever so they could preach the gospel and Christ let them. And that didn't help me at all. And I know that I'll have lots of good things to do after the mission, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around going home. Then one night I realized two things that helped me a lot. First of all, my whole mission I have been taught to obey with exactness. I've obeyed the commandments, my leaders, and the mission rules. I have learned to love to be obedient with exactness and I've seen the miracles that come because of it. I realized that I had to spend 18 months learning to be obedient, so that when Heavenly Father would command me to leave something I love so much I would obey. Through His living prophet, he has commanded me to preach the gospel for 18 months. Not 17. Not 19. 18 months. And I must obey with gladness. The other thing I realized helped me even more. My whole mission I've been focusing so much on trying to be like Christ and to develop His attributes. I've always felt like there's something more I need to do to be like Him. But that same night I was trying to think of more comforting examples from the scriptures. And the most perfect example came to my mind. Jesus Christ. Christ left His home in heaven to come on a mission. But His mission was bigger and better than mine. He served perfectly, loved the people perfectly, taught perfectly, obeyed perfectly. But when the time came for Him to die and complete His mission, He didn't want to go home either. He asked the Father if there was any other way. He asked that the bitter cup would pass from Him. But in the end He knew that He had to do the Father's will and leave the mission and the people He loved. He did it because He knew that His mission would continue and that He would be able to help us perfectly, as He did here on earth. I'm not saying my mission is like Christ's, or that I serve like He did. I'm not saying that I've suffered like He did or felt anything He did. But I am saying that I know I need to take this step to be more like Him. I know I need to go home and leave the people I love, people who have both loved me and rejected me. I need to leave it to be able to complete the mission that God has given me to do. I need to go home to be able to receive all the blessings from my mission. I need to go home to keep helping people and keep serving Christ in other ways. It's easily the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But if He could do it, I know that I need to too. I have learned so much. I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a privilege. I know that this church is true. I know that Christ directs it through prophets and apostles. I know it's the only church with the authority to baptize and be with families for ever. I know that there is power in the Book of Mormon. I know that Christ and Heavenly Father live. They love us and never give up on us, even when we really mess up. I know that Christ took upon Himself our sins and sorrows and sickness. I am so thankful that He has changed me. I know He will keep changing me.

I love you all and can't put into words how thankful I am for your support. See you soon!

Hermana Haymond

heating up water for the baptism

Us and Gand her family. G got baptized on Sunday!! It was a huge miracle.
Shes a little 88 year old blind lady. Love her.

A few weeks ago we did service in a cafeteria for poor old people.
We sang and talked to them and served their food. it was so fun!

This are my favorite kinds of tamales and Sunday 2 families made them for me. They're called tamalitos de chipilin. Please figure out what chipilin is in English. I really like it.