"I have been changed for good"

Today (Monday) is kinda sad cause on Wednesday I have to leave my best friend and my favorite area. This letter is gonna be trash cause I'm just too sad and not feeling particularly inspired.

But as always, I will survive. I've done so many hard things on my mission that at this point I think I can handle anything. So for my last six weeks I got "fired" from being a sister training leader (STL: basically I just was helping our sisters and was a leader) and Sister Larson will be my STL. Kinda funny because before we were companions she was my STL. I'm going back in time! Me and Sister Larson have built this place up so much in these last 8 months. It has been humbling to see how the Lord performs so many miracles when I just work hard and do my best to care more about the people than myself. I've seen hearts change and God's hand working closely in my life more than ever before. This time here in North Valley has changed me completely. This place and the people here have truly become home. Sister Larson taught me how to work hard and never give up on anyone, and my mission wouldn't have been the same without her. She's a complete legend. I'm excited to see what miracles come from this fresh start. I'm anxious and sacred and stressed, but the Lord has my back. This week we went to Vegas!! Well, Las Vegas, New Mexico. We took a road trip 2 hours north of Albuquerque to help clean up after some pretty devastating fires that have been burning the past few weeks. It felt good to be out in nature and to do a different kind of hard work. It brought me back to the days of the beginning of my mission when all I did was manual labor lol. On Friday, I was feeling pretty down. As much fun as we've been having and the miracles we've seen, me and Sister Larson have had a struggling couple of weeks. This really just never gets any easier. We were feeling discouraged and unmotivated, and it was only 9am. We decided to get blessings (which is basically a way for God to give you direction through someone with authority laying their hands on your head and saying something kind of like a prayer) and I felt everything change so quickly. I've been needing strength that I feel like I don't have, and God was able to give that to me. I know that in moments where we feel like we can't keep going, the Savior is there to help carry the weight. I have felt him lift my burdens and bring me to places I never would've imagined. There are so many things I've done over this past almost year and a half that I could never do on my own. But as I learn to give my heart to the Lord, he brings me the strength and blessings I need to push forward and expect miracles. A verse from the Book of Mormon that sticks out in my mind this week is: "The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yeah insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him." Looking back, each time I've experienced a change on my mission, there has been some sort of assurance from God that I'm exactly where I need to be. I know the same will come for this last phase of my mission. There's a purpose for this move just like there was a purpose for every move before. Now I get to search for that purpose. I hope that all of you can do the same. Whatever challenge or trial you are experiencing, whatever test God is sending your way, search for its purpose. When we find purpose, true meaning enters our hearts and we change for the better. Don't forget that Jesus loves you, Sister Wallace Pics: 1. Me obviously 2. Vegas! 3. Our tired selves after learning we had to break up 4. I found some sort of animal carcass! Wicked 5. A pic of us on the go 6. My fav baby (who isn't really a baby anymore. 19 months old!) 7. Love this group of missionaries so much!