Then Is My Soul Filled With Joy! ~ 2 Baptisms! ~ Last letter as a Missionary!

My companion Hermana B and I

Wow, my last letter to send home as a missionary. I cannot put into the words all the good and sad emotions I have felt the past few days. I think at church on Sunday it really hit me that I am going home (especially after having to say a closing prayer or bear my testimony in each class or meeting haha). I love the Hispanic people, every time I see one I just want to talk to them and just help them feel of the love their Savior has for them :] they are a beautiful people and I have been so blessed to work with them throughout my mission. 

good bye cake  ~  hispanic tradition to "mordida" or bite the cake 

(so they can push your face into it)haha

How grateful I am to have followed the prompting of extending my mission. The few weeks before the extention and during the last 4 weeks that I extended my mission were probably some of the most hardest weeks I had to face during my whole mission, actually during my whole life to be honest. But I have grown from those experiences, and I am who I am today because of what I have gone through and grown through :] A few weeks ago I had a normal interview with President Ashton of the mission. As I expressed to him my concerns about my area and going home he simply said, "Stop stressing. Just put your trust in the Lord". That has been something I have been learning even BEFORE my mission! To trust in the Lord, replace my fear with faith. 

Our investigator C has been progressing so well! The other day we stopped by to say hello and found her mom and grandmother came to visit from Mexico. We shared a quick message about families and left. I put my trust in the Lord that things will be fine :] and she will be baptized when she is ready. She called us later that week andshe said she was ready to be baptized:] We also have another investigator J who has been progressing so well in the gospel! The only things holding him back was that he just wanted to know more before baptism. J didnt even have his baptismal interview until sunday morning before church started, he passed:]

C and J Baptism  :]

Hermana B  and I were able to be apart of the baptisms for BOTH C and J!!!!!!!! My heart was filled with so much joy!!! How grateful I am to have been able to see the fruits of our labors, especially right before I head home :]

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent,and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy;then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, eventhat he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember hismerciful arm which  he extended towards me."(alma 29:9-10)

I testify to these words, all the good that has occured on my mission has not been because of me, but of the Lord. How grateful I am to have been an intrusment in the Lords hands for the past 19 months, the mission I've experienced has not only changed the lives of others but has changed mine as well. No joy has been greater for me then that of seeing others change for the better and follow Jesus christ.  I am forever grateful for my savior jesus christ, and will serve him for the rest of my life and onward. How blessed I am for my family in California :] for my parents who have supported me here on my mission through all I have gone through. How happy I am to also have another part of my newly found family here in Texas :] I know one day I will return to see all those who I have met on my mission, if not then I know in Heaven I will be able to see them with open arms and smiling faces :]

Forgot umbrellas...SOAKED  ~  Sister pic :]

Zone pic  ~  J took me here!  :]

I know without a doubt I have a Heavenly Father, he loves me. How grateful I am for ALL the good and bad I went through during my mission. It has changed me for the better. How excited I am to be reunited with my sweet family :] returning with honor not as a returned missionary, but as a released missionary :]

I love you all! See you all very soon :] Adios!

love- Hermana Ashley Susan Jaeger

Hermana P teaching me to cook  ~  Rainy days in TX

Payback for scaring her  ~  Last time I will see this

Houston Texas

LET IT GO

Well this past week has gone by  so very slow haha. As hard as I try I have been so distracted about coming home haha, I am really excited to see you all :] I received a package from mom this past week that had a cd in it. The words to one of the songs really stuck out to me, "Let it go". I read a talk this past week that also used this phrase of "letting it go" or "leaving things alone".One of the apostles of the church shared a story about a man who eventually learned to "let things go"

I believe the story happened in the early 1900's There was a newly couple who were expecting their first child. The night the wife went into labor she started having problems. Her husband tried to contact the local city doctor to have him rush over to help with the birth of the child. The doctor finally arrived at the home, he had just come rushing from helping a sickly person at another home a few blocks away. The doctor seeing that the pregnancy was risking the lives of both the baby and the mother he did the best he could and the beautiful baby was born. A few days later the new mother passed away from an illness the doctor was treating with the person he had previously visited right before he rushed over to help with the pregnancy. The new father was filled with devistation and depression. This father stuggled for many years to get over what had happened. He had many hard feelings against the doctor. A few years after the accident the father was pulled in my the stake president. The stake president knew of his situation and simply told him, "Let it alone. There is nothing you can do to bring her back". The father came to his senses and looked at the situation in the perspective of the doctor, he learned how to forgive him and "let it go". 

so fun when youre crossing the road and a train comes and gets in the way

I've realized in my life that I struggle with EVER letting anything good go! As I come to the close of my mission I yearn to hold on and wanting to stay longer! Just because I am filled with such a beautiful joy as I am in the service of texans here in the hispanic culture. But I know that I have served the Lord with all I have and now is my time to come home. I am filled with so much excitment to finally be able to see you guys again :] its been a long time and I know seeing you all again will be that much sweeter because of how long we have been apart. I lvoe you! see you next week (haha literally I'll totally be able to see you next week :D!!!!!)

YEEEES ill be there soon! - Houston City DownTown

Texas Roads - dog jumped in our car hahaha

fiestas partias :] the kids did a dance for texas  -  Gave some little kids CTR rings to remind them to choose the right!!! 

part of austins bday gift I made to mail to Chile :]  -  Hna P

My Testimony ~ You all are my family

Someone bought us smoothies :)

The weeks have been flying by. This past week I realized that Sept 7 would be my last fast Sunday on my mission, and i felt super impressed the day before church to share my testimony. We had a miracle of having C with her baby come to church, another investigators J H, M R, and a FAMILY A and Y and their kids and a grand kid. It was so fun sitting with the family.  The other day as we talked about the power of hope through Jesus Christ we invited them to church and they all came :]

As I walked up and sat in the chairs at the pulpit waiting to talk, my eyes glanced at all the familiar faces I knew and I started to get emotional. I've really grown to love the members of H 1. the people of the Hispanic culture have such a tender spot in my heart. As I bore my testimony I was filled with the spirit. I explained, "For those of you who do not know a lot about missionaries, we leave our families for 18 months to 2 years to peach the gospel of Jesus Christ. But every Sunday as I come to church I feel as though you are all my family. And we are, because we are all children of God and we are all apart of the same family". 

Its hard to think I only have 2 more Sundays here in Texas as a missionary. Through all the extremely hard trials I have gone through on my mission I would not change a thing. My whole mission, the good and the bad, have all brought me closer to my Savior. all that I went through the past 19 months have been for Him because I love him. I have grown to know him more and feel a LITTLE glimpse of what he suffer through for me, and for those here that i have been blessed to serve with. He has taught me the power of forgiveness. And though I have been rejected for preaching this gospel and hated for being a light I will never let down my standards, I will never stop letting my light shine. I am and will always be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am a daughter of god, I know that will never change. He loves me and I love him. I know he knows whats best for me which is why I trust in him, and why I am not quick to get mad at him when a trial passes through my life. I know my Father has my best interest in mind. How excited I am to return home with honor to my beautiful family. I believe when I see you all it will be the same feeling I will have one day when I am reunited with my Father, and his son Christ and with all those whos lives I have been able to touch because I am an instrument in the Lords hands. He works through me, this is his work, and his church.

-Hermana Jaeger

The other side of Houston TX!  Maybe cousin A can read this for us when she returnes from S Korea ... 3 days after me!

 I spy.... ~  Comp thought the shirt was a skunk!

I feel my saviors love

Shout out to my Spanish and English Homies :)

All this past week a familiar primary song has been coming to my head. 

1. 1. I feel my Savior's love
   In all the world around me.
   His Spirit warms my soul
   Through ev'rything I see. He knows I will follow him, GIVE ALL MY LIFE TO HIM, I feel my saviors love. the love he freely gives me.

These words really struck to my heart. I always feel the love of my savior, even during trials. and like the song says, He knows I will give all my life to him. I love him and because of that I am willing to suffer on behalf of his name. These past few weeks have been so trying and struggles from left and right. I feel like Job when Satan is attacking him with everything and still Job held to his faith in god. I know these trials will make me stronger in the end. 

I plead with you to remember to make righteous choices. We have commandments for a reason. Like as parents give children rules to keep them safe, so has our father in heaven given us commandments to keep us safe. I know for a fact if we do not keep his commanements and do not stay obedient we will be miserable in the end. How beautiful the atonement is, that we can be forgiven of our mistakes if we humble ourselves and repent. A beautiful thing I have also learned from my savior is the power of forgiveness. dont let others actions effect you, and dont let satans power control you!! god is more powerful then satan, he can help you out of anything as long as we trust in him. 

Eating Mediterranean food & F at his 1 year baptism mark.  We got him pan dulce

I love you all so much. I thank you for your help and support. I love my mission. It has changed me for the better.

love- Hermana Jaeger

Representing Texas and Mormons