Our Choice to Be Obedient...

Hola Familia y Amigos-

Whaaaaaaaat a week!! 

First off I want to thank you for the prayers this past week. I'm still not 100% but I'm pushing. I had a great week with Hermana Asay full of lessons and activities. 

Fun fact!..It's official, we've all got an Apple iPad!!! We are going technology advanced in hastening the missionary work! It's so fun like we've got all these nifty little apps to help us with missionary work. We are still learning how to do everything but we just got them Thursday. We will not be able to keep them, like take home no, like I take the iPad with me to all areas like it's mine TIL I go home and then they give it to another missionary! 

So, this week I am recovering from being sick and Hermana Asay taught a part member family. Guido and Maxi are just wonderful. I had the great opportunity to meet them this past week. We had two great lessons with them and they came to see a baptism at the church this past Saturday. They are just wonderful and I love the opportunity we have to teach them the restored truths. We found them through member referral so this strengthens my testimony on the importance of members talking to their friends and family about the gospel because we cannot do this missionary work by ourselves. It's definitively more effective working with members. The members here in Elche are really starting to work with us more. We have several ‘citas’ scheduled for this week. I'm so excited since working through members is so much more effective than finding through street contacting.

As we all know Elder L. Tom Perry passed away last weekend and I would just like to share one of my favorite quotes by him:

"Obedience is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God's unlimited wisdom omnipotent." 

Let us always choose to obey. We have the power to choose and the will power to do good. 

Lots of Love, 

Hermanita Arce

Having Fun with an investigator!

A time to relax with our District

Witness of the Savior's Atoning Sacrifice

Hola Familia y Amigos—

I love you all so dearly. I have been touched to see the desires of your hearts to share the gospel. Goals are the reflections of our hearts. And the Lord can surely see thy fruits. May the Lord bless you in your efforts to find those who are ready but willing to hear Him and do His will in His ways. 

I am so glad to hear that you had talks and they went so well. I could feel the power in just the title "Blessings that come from following a modern day prophet." Thank you for sharing that with me.

I would like to share with you what I learned this week during my studies and then the application in our lives. I will share with you the Power of Faith.

As I studied about faith in the book of Alma--he teaches us that faith is hope in true principles. Let’s think about that for a moment. We can have faith that Jesus is the Christ. We can have faith that He has the power to heal, that He is mindful of each and every one of us, that He will strengthen us, and if we endure it well, we may qualify for eternal life.

That being said, I had the opportunity to have “intercambios” (exchanges) with another Hermana. I went to her area so I was following her lead to our “citas” (appointments) and meeting people I did not know. Interesting enough, one lesson in particular touched me deeply. As missionaries we listen, observe, discern and teach according to the feelings and thoughts that come to our hearts and minds. The man’s name that we were teaching was Pepe. As we taught Pepe about the Atonement and Jesus Christ, and how we all have problems, sufferings, guilt and worries in life, we must remember that all experiences are necessary for our salvation. As we began the lesson, I could see the HOPE in Pepe’s eyes, the faith that comes in Christ, all His suffering and all His sins can be taken away. I felt the Holy Ghost bare such powerful witness behind our words of the reality of Jesus Christ and what He did for us. 

I love my Lord and Savior and what He did for me. I am here because of Him. I am here to testify of His Atoning sacrifice and love. I know He Lives. I know the Book of Mormon is evidence of his power and life. I have seen the power that it has – as lives of many people are changed, including mine. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in His great work. I love the Elche ward that I am serving in! I hope you have a wonderful week. 

Mucho Amor--Lots of Love,

Hermanita Arce

Trust In Its Own Wings...

HELLO Family and Friends!

I would like to start out with the quote we were given in the conference in Sevilla. "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got." -David A. Bednar 

Now this was applied to missionary work but this can also be applied to almost anything! I love how in the scriptures Christ never said, Come follow me and your life will be easy. No that is not mentioned once but He does say along with a promise. "Come follow me, and believe on my name and you shall have Eternal Life." These are true promises. We all have trials and this is a promise we can hold on, as long as we put our trust in Him.

The Spain Malaga Mission had the great opportunity to hear from Elder Dyches of the Seventy and open our visions on how to be better disciples of Jesus Christ. Another great quote I really liked that was shared during this meeting was about Trust. "A bird sitting in a tree is NEVER afraid of the branch breaking because it’s Trust is not in the tree but in its own Wings." -Unknown.

Brothers and Sisters, as we Trust in the Lord He has given us promises in which He is bound to do His part. He will not forsake us as we journey through this life. Our older brother and closest friend Jesus Christ is there helping us every step of the way! I know this to be true, because of the Holy Ghost which bears witness to me of the truthfulness of all things. I love each and every one of you.

I pray for you. God is aware of you and your needs. Pray to Him who knows you best. Of this I leave with you in the sacred name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Besos y Abrazos

Hermana Arce

Hermana Asay and I with one of our favorite ward members. She is from Argentina.

Having Fun Bowling as a District.

Hermana Asay and I with our friend -- Letter A.

Missionary Work in the Digital Age Mission-wide Conference

Hello family and friends;

This letter will be super short as we were busy with the Missionary Work in the Digital Age Mission-wide Conference held on May 6, 2015 in the beautiful city of Sevilla, Spain.

Great to hear that brother Dawson is our bishop! WOW!!!!!!! That is a good man right there. He will do a great job. Tell him I said hello and I am happy for his new calling!! 

Thank you for your prayers on my behalf and for emailing me showing how much you really do care. I hope you enjoy my emails as much as I enjoy yours. 

I am running out of time! I had a really good week with Hermana Asay. We had much success as we are started to talk to people about family history. I didn’t know how many people are really interested in finding their ancestors. It is so amazing and a great manifestation of the importance of finding your ancestors. 

Love bunches,

Hermana Arce

Mission Conference Update:

We never thought this would happen, but last week we ALL met together for the first time in history, as far as we know.  Elders Clark, Fife and Weenig moved mountains (of missionaries) to get us all here for a wonderful conference with Elder Dyches of our Area Presidency and Elder Allen of the Missionary Department and their wives.  It was about using technology for good, being agents to act rather than objects to be acted upon, and about our leaders' vision for missionary work and technology now and in generations to come.  But it was mostly about change, repentance, and the healing arms of Jesus Christ.  We will never forget it.

Missionary Work in the Digital Age Mission-wide Conference
Wednesday, 6 May
Seville, Spain

Focusing on Christlike Attributes

Hola Familia y Amigos!

This week was super good. To start off, let me tell you how Spaniards park their cars. It is so funny! Do you remember the movie "The Pink Panther"?In the very beginning, how inspector Clouseau parks his car by driving forward and hitting the car in front and then backing up until he hits the other car behind and again pulling up a little more until he hits the car in front. In a nutshell, that’s how Spaniards park their cars. Parking spaces are SO TINY-- It’s hard to believe people actually can fit cars in those spaces.

Anyhow, I don’t know what has been up this past week but I am not even over exaggerating the fact that my companion and I have been sprinting, almost every morning, to catch the bus. It’s hilarious because you might see these two girls sprinting in skirts to catch a bus! It is not hard to see people smiling and waving at us. Luckily we have only missed the bus twice J

I would like to share with you what I have been focusing this past week in my personal studies. Among Christlike attributes may include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope. I ran across a quote that I cannot remember who said it: ¨Hope is like the sun and it casts our shadow of burdens behind us and it befriends us in the dark and excites us in the brighter days. It overshadows discouragement and gives us determination.¨ I love that quote because we need to always have hope for better things and a hope that Christ will help us in our efforts. I read Alma 58:10-11 when I was studying hope and that is something that has given me more determination to do the Lord’s work.

I encourage y’all to study out a Christlike attribute you would like to work on and then apply it in your life as well. All Christlike attributes are gifts from God. As we ask Heavenly Father to develop this gift, study it out and apply it in our lives, He will open the windows of heaven. In the smallest or even the bigger things. 

With much love,

We tengan una bonita semana!

Hermana Arce

Playing sports with the sisters in our district. 

My last companion Hna. Rodriguez saying goodbye 

Real cool picture. It's the palm trees.

With Hermana Asay at our Bishop's home.

Having a pday in Malaga waiting on our "children"-- new companions to arrive. 

Our Testimonies of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father

Hola Familia y Amigos,

Wow! first of all, being a "Mom" in the mission is the BEST experience. My new companion’s name is Hermana Asay. She is from Utah. Yes, her name is Asay. No mistake there. So all the members get a good laugh at our names "Hermanas Asay & Arce", and all in all, it’s great. I know I am training her but her Spanish is fantastic. She asks me a couple of words here and there but she totally can speak!!! It’s such a blessing to be working with her. 

We had Stake Conference this past week and, of course, it was so good. They talked a lot about the members helping the missionaries by coming out with us or talking to people so that we can teach in their home. I am so excited that his week we have plans by going to work more with the members.

On a separate note. Here in Elche is getting a little warmer each day. Therefore, I don’t need a jacket anymore. It’s super nice! 

We had a lesson with a member and she was telling us how it is so easy to forget the little things such as that Faith in Jesus Christ and praying regularly as well as reading the scriptures. I assured her that these little things are what strengthen and solidify the foundation of our testimonies. It is through these little things that builds our relationships with our Father in Heaven.

One of the most important things I treasure besides my family is my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and of the Book of Mormon. The promises that are contained within the Book of Mormon are promises from God and I want to teach from that very book with my own future family. And it is the very reason I am here serving, which is to share what I know to be true. We cannot know the things of God without reading or praying to Him. We cannot receive personal revelation without seeking His hand. I know this to be true because of the witness I have received and continue to receive through the Holy Ghost who showeth us all things that are from God which are true.

Digo estas cosas en el sagrado nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

Abrazos y besitos.

Hermanita Arce

Hermana Curtis and I on exchanges that day eating dinner at a member's home.

My District

Hermana Asay will be trained in Elche 2 by Hermana Arce.

Exact Obedience

Hello family and friends,

This past week was real good. Today, I traveled from Elche to Malaga. It took 10 hours. We ate and had a training from President Deere. The training turned out to be very spiritual as we are preparing to train new missionaries. We talked about the attributes of a leader like Christ.

We meet our new companions tomorrow April 14th! There are only two sister missionaries in this group. Only one native from Spain and the other is from Utah. So, there is a 50/50 percent which missionary I will be assigned. To be honest, it doesn't matter to me, just as long she has a desire to serve and be diligent I am good. The most important item is that I need to remember the lesson Hermana Crockett taught me. The biggest lesson I remembered learning from her is the importance of Exact Obedience, even in the smallest things. It’s true. I have seen it on the mission, over and over again, and I hope I can be a good example and show it to her and help her in whatever she needs.

Well, I am super sorry this letter is short but I am in the mission home. That being said, I have limited time to write this week. 

Always remember, keep up the great work. Please do not worry about packages or letters. Just prayers. J

Abrazos y besitos,

Hermana Arce