Hey everyone!!

Happy last email! This week was probably the happiest and saddest week of my mission, but I'm so grateful for every second of it.

This week was filled with a lot of goodbyes and final things, but it made me realize how much I've genuinely loved my mission and how much of a blessing it's been for me. On Sunday we went to my last night church and it was just the most bittersweet moment of my whole life. A lot of all my favorite members and friends came to say goodbye, which was so cute of them, and then it was also testimony meeting. I got to play the piano one last time for my favorite meeting of my whole mission (spanish night church, duh) and so as I was sitting up on the stand, I was just looking out at everyone. There were past leaders, recent converts, friends, my favorite members, companions, just all the people I've met and loved for the past 18 months.

For those of you who don't know, I was not happy to be called to Las Vegas. Pretty much the furthest opposite of happy that you can think of (not proud of that.) But after saying goodbyes this week, seeing all these people I've met and loved, spending hours at the churches that have become my favorite places in Las Vegas, and being able to just talk to everybody and teach them about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, I have never loved a place more or been sadder to leave somewhere.

My mission has completely changed my life. I can't even begin to imagine where I would be right now if I hadn't decided to serve, and I'm so grateful I never have to find out. I have learned and grown so much, but the most important change has been my testimony of this church and of Jesus Christ. I know this is His true church on the earth and that it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that God has put His priesthood power back on the earth today and that through it, we can draw closer to Him and Jesus Christ through covenants. I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us individually and will never stop loving us. 

Happy December everybody!

This week was much better than last week, and we had lots of fun things!!

★ Samuel is one of the guys we met in the park a few weeks ago and he's super awesome. He's come to church every week since we met him, and he really wants to be baptized. He's got some things that we have to figure out before he can be baptized but pray that we somehow figure them out in the next 2 days so that he can maybe be baptized on Saturday—haha.

★ Wednesday we had to say goodbye to Sister Kamp (not one of the fun things) but it's okay because I remembered that I'll see her in less than two weeks. 🤪

★ Thanksgiving!! We had a fun day with some zone volleyball and then two Thanksgiving dinners. We spaced them out as far as we could but I'm just going to say that it wasn't far enough. It was so fun though and we got to have dinner with our recent converts and the other sisters, so it was a party. 🥳

★ Saturday we got to go to a Christmas/classical music concert, and it was so good!! They were all crazy talented and it made me so excited to come home and do piano again.

I've been listening to talks by President Oaks lately and this was one of my favorites this week! Our recent convert Melissa had some questions about Christ and the Godhead, and this talk was able to answer all of them! My favorite part is at the end when President Oaks says, "Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God. He is our Creator. He is the Light of the World. He is our Savior from sin and death. This is the most important knowledge on earth..." Jesus Christ is everything to us, and I know that it's so important that we continuously build and strengthen our testimony of Him through the small and simple things. 

Heyyy everybody! This is going to be the shortest email ever cause we've done nothing this week haha.

It was a little bit of a crazy weekend, and it's been a very memorable way to wrap up. Sister Kamp didn't feel very well Friday night into Saturday morning, and by noon she was pretty bad. We took her to urgent care, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, so they transferred her to the ER. She and I were in the ER for 6 hours till they admitted her to the hospital overnight and she's still here as of today. Unfortunately, because they don't know what's wrong still, they said it'd be better for her to go home and figure it out. So Sister Kamp is going home today and it's just me and Sister Ackley for the rest of the transfer :( Can't lie, it's been a pretty brutal week and is super sad. And this is totally selfish, but y'all please pray that Sister Ackley doesn't get her VISA because then I'll be all alone. 😭

Scripture of the week is Sister Kamp's favorite! It's 1 Nephi 3:7 which says: "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." Pray for Sister Kamp and her doctors that they can figure out what's wrong and help her get better!

Love y'all!

🤍 Hna. Pursglove 

Happy week everyone!

I'm just going to get right into it with the highlight of the week: JULIO WENT TO THE TEMPLE!! We messaged him Saturday morning to make sure he was still good to go, and he replied and said he was excited! We got to the temple, and he was already there and it was just awesome. It was exactly one year after his baptism, and so while we were waiting, I was just thinking about his whole journey and everything and how cool it is that he was finally able to go to the temple and feel that peace.

After about 20 minutes, we were the next group to go, and the temple worker goes, "So we're going to have him be baptized and then he's going to baptize you." Literally one of the coolest experiences of my whole life. I got to be there for his baptism a year ago, and then he baptized me his first time doing Baptisms for the Dead a year later. You already know we were both crying in the font and it was genuinely just something I will never forget. Best day ever. 🫶

Little highlights:

★ I had my last zone conference!! It was amazing as always, and I got to give my departing testimony. It still doesn't feel very real that I'm leaving so if everyone could keep pretending with me that I don't come home in 3 weeks that'd be awesome. 👍

★ Angel got his patriarchal blessing!! He is genuinely the best and is going to convert all of Las Vegas.

★ Got to see some members from my last area who moved to Spain but then surprised everyone by showing up at night church!! It's so fun to see all the old friends and members.

This week I got an email that I have to write a little memory book and include some of my favorite scriptures and quotes from my mission. President Nielsen used this as some advice during one of my interviews and it's something that's stuck with me since then. It's 3 Nephi 13:34 and it says, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof." I was talking with Sister Nielsen the other week, and she told me that we can't change yesterday, we can't predict tomorrow, so the only thing that's left to do is live today. Each day is a new opportunity, so it's important to take advantage and do all that we can.

Have a good week!!

🤍 Hna. Pursglove

Hey everyone!

Don't have a lot of time today so I just want to share two cool things from this past week!!

1. We met these 2 guys named Nestor and Samuel playing basketball at the park on Saturday! They were both interested and let us have a lesson with them, and then they promised that they would come to church on Sunday. Guess who actually showed up to church on Sunday? Nestor and Samuel!! They loved it and said that they're going to bring all their friends next week as well so that was a major highlight.

2. When Sister Kamp and I were together in January, we received a media referral named Jordan. We met him, he wasn't very interested, and we ended up sending him to the English sisters because he didn't speak Spanish. We found out a couple of months ago that he got baptized, and this weekend we got a notification that he moved into our YSA ward!! When we had a lesson with him on Saturday, we got out of the car, and he recognized both of us and was so excited even though we met him I think 3 or 4 times. We ended up talking about how there's no such things as coincidences and how this is such a cool full circle moment.

Sad news of the week was that my cutie patootie baby Sister Pope went home, so today's thought is her favorite scripture. It's Mosiah 27:28 which says, "Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God." The coolest experience of my mission has been seeing Atonement change people's lives.

This Saturday we're going to the temple with Julio! That will be the exact one year of his baptism, and I literally have never been more excited for anything in my life so PLEASE pray that nothing happens to stop it this time. 🙏

Love y'all!!

❤️ Hna. Pursglove

Hey y'all!

We got to go to the temple 4 times this week, which was just crazy, but it was amazing to go again after it's been closed.

On Wednesday we went with Angel so that he could do Baptisms for the Dead for the first time! We ended up being there for a seriously long time, but he loved it and said that it was the best day of his life. My favorite thing about the mission is getting to go to the temple with recent converts because they always love it and they always feel peace!!

Then on Saturday we got to do Baptisms for the Dead with Noelia in the morning! She got baptized for her grandmas and an aunt, and when we left she couldn't stop crying because of how much she loved it. She said that she was praying for her ancestors while she was in the temple, and she just felt so much peace.

In the afternoon, we got to go BACK to the temple (RIP our miles) for a family sealing of someone in the ward. They are the cutest family ever, and it was one of the most spiritual moments of my mission. The parents were sealed first, which was just beautiful, and we were all teary, but then they brought in the kids, and we all lost it. They have 3 kids, and 2 of them are adorable but are crazy. They're always screaming or crying or running around, but during the whole sealing, they just sat there completely still and quiet and everyone could feel the Spirit so strongly. It was incredible.

And then today we get to go do an endowment session which I haven't done in over a year! The temple is the best place ever and getting to go so many times this transfer is the perfect way to end my mission. Seeing people participating in these ordinances and preparing to make more covenants just makes me so excited for them because it's the way that we get closer to and stay close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! There's a quote by President Eyring that I love that says, "God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy." And it's not only when we first make that covenant, but every time we honor it and remember it.

Love y'all and have the best week!

🤍 Hna. Pursglove

Helloooo!!

This week was fun though I think I might be going crazy.

On Tuesday we picked up our new companion, Sister Ackley!! She is THE CUTEST EVER and is so enthusiastic about the work and is an answer to prayers.

This week was just full of studies and meetings, so I think we did actual work for maybe 5 hours which, to be honest, is driving me insane. I'm going to lose my mind if we have to stay in this apartment for 1 more hour so pray hard for my sanity.

TEMPLE UPDATES:

♥ Angel is going to the temple tomorrow! He was baptized about a month ago and has been counting down until the temple opens so that he could go. The temple opens today, so you can see how excited he's been.

♥︎ Noelia is going to the temple on Saturday! We asked her if she wanted to go on the 15th and she told us that she didn't know why we were waiting so long, so now we're going on Saturday.

♥ Julio, Delfina and Oscar are all going to the temple on November 15th!! I am SO EXCITED. I have 0 doubt that it will be one of the best days of my mission.

The scripture I wanted to share this week is in 1 John 5:13 and says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I've honestly just gained the biggest testimony of the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, on my mission.

In one of my first zone conferences, President Nielsen talked about the power that comes from the Book of Mormon and how it blesses us in every aspect of our lives when we read from it daily. I saw it bless other people's lives, and I knew it was blessing mine, but about 6 months ago I had a very clear realization of just how much it's changed me. It has helped me change habits, it's brought me more peace and joy than any other book ever could, and above all, it's brought me closer to Jesus Christ. It truly does testify of Him on every page, and it's the way to truly get closer to Christ and to our Heavenly Father.

I just want to invite y'all to really make a habit of reading it every day because I've seen the difference it makes. It's completely changed my life, and I've seen it bless every single person that has taken us up on that invitation.

Love y'all and pray that all the temple trips happen!! (And that we somehow leave our apartment for more than 2 hours this week.)

💙 Hna. Pursglove

This week was amazing and was genuinely a miracle week leading up to my last transfer!!😱 Transfer news: I'm staying in my baby area (YAYYYY) and I'm going to be in a trio with Sister Kamp (?!) and training one last time!!

I'm pretty much just going to write about our conference with President Christofferson and Sister Yee because nothing else compared to that this week.

On Saturday we had a mission-wide meeting with President Christofferson, Sister Yee, Elder Alonso, and Elder Ortega. All of them were amazing of course but I'm going to focus on Sister Yee's and President Christofferson's remarks.

Sister Yee's main point was trusting in the Lord. She talked about how some people believe that when we learn more about Jesus Christ, it becomes easier to trust Him. However, she talked about how it's important to trust in Him, because that's when we really discover who and how He is. Something she said that stuck out was that, “We should always want to be in the harder place with the Lord by our side, than in the easier place alone."

Now onto President Christofferson!! First of all, it was genuinely just such a cool experience to be in a meeting with an apostle of the Lord. The second he walked into the room, you knew that he had been called of God and felt the Spirit so strongly. His main message was focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and he spent a lot of time doing a deep dive into 2 Nephi 2:13. He talked about how the only way to go from misery to happiness is through the Atonement and through following the doctrine of Christ.

That meeting was awesome, but we had an even cooler experience that night. On Saturday night, Elder Ortega and Elder Alonso had a devotional for all Hispanic adults in the West Mission, and there were like maybe 150 people. Literally no one came, which shocked me. Elder Alonso was giving his talk and then he starts getting a little fidgety, starts looking to the doorway a lot, and seems like he's trying to end his talk. He then goes, "And now, I'd like to introduce President Christofferson, who we have the pleasure of being visited by right now." The gasps were crazy. President Christofferson then got up and spoke in Spanish for 10 minutes about how aware God is of all of us and how much He loves everyone in the room. The Spirit was so strong, and you could genuinely feel the love that he had for everyone in the room. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission, and it was just so awesome that after his super long day of meetings, when he could have just gone to bed, he came to this meeting that he wasn't scheduled for, and took the time to connect with the people. It was AWESOME!

And that's literally it for the week, sorry for the lengthiness but I had to share. 🤷‍♀️ Hope y'all have a good week!! Pray this transfer goes well and we end strong. 🙏

💜 Hna. Pursglove

Hey everybody!!

This week was one of the craziest of my mission with lots of highs and like one low, but it was a big hit so here's what's new!!

HIGHLIGHTS✨️

☆ Melissa got baptized!!🥳 It was a rollercoaster in itself because on Wednesday she told us that she wanted to push her baptism back a week, so we did. Then in our lesson on Friday, she told us that she no longer wanted to push it and instead wanted to be baptized in 20 hours lol. So, she ended up getting baptized on Saturday to our surprise!!! It was awesome and she was super happy with it.

☆ Delfina and Oscar also got baptized!!🥲 We found them when I was in this area a year ago (they're Julio's cousins) and they have been taught since then. They finally got baptized this weekend and Delfina was just sobbing while they bore their testimonies which was so cute.

☆ Juana, who has been mentioned in my emails pretty much throughout my whole entire mission because she's been in essentially every area of mine, IS BACK IN MY AREA. We found her and she was baptized in this area a year ago, and now she's preparing to receive her endowment!!🙌 This is the craziest moment of my whole entire mission: to see her go from being baptized to now receiving her endowment is the biggest miracle ever.

☆ We set a date to go to the temple with Julio on November 15th!! He's going to do Baptisms for the Dead for the 1st time, and it's super cool because it's exactly one year after his baptism so we're praying with our whole heart and soul that everything works out. 🤞

LOWLIGHTS👎

☆ This was genuinely some of the worst news of my whole entire mission and I cried for about 30 minutes (it's not anything bad, I'm just dramatic). Moises Rivas, who is the greatest ward mission leader ever, best example, nicest and funniest and most caring and pretty much most perfect person ever, is moving to Colombia to be with his family. It’s a long story but his family was supposed to come and be with him, but things happened here, and they could no longer come into the country. 😭 Obviously very happy he will be with his family, but it is like the saddest thing ever and he was crying and we were crying, and Las Vegas is literally losing their strongest member, if not the whole United States. Prayers for him and his family. 🙏

☆ The APs told us there's a 90% chance Sister Arce gets switched to Portuguese this transfer so our odds of staying together aren't looking too good. 😬 Transfer news is going to go crazy so let's hope it's good.

Besides those two things, this week was incredible and full of so many miracles!! The scripture for this week is Alma 26:31 which says, "Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many..." Being back in an area is so fun because I get to see the fruits of my labors! I get to see Delfina and Oscar be baptized a year later, Julio go to the temple for the first time, Juana receive her endowment, and so many other things! We get to see how ward members have progressed, some who weren't active are now our most reliable members, everything just keeps moving forward and it's so fun to be back here and see it all!!

Love y'all and hope you have the best week ever!

💙 Hna. Pursglove

Hola everyone!!

This week was crazy busy but tons of good things!!

Some highlights!!:

★ Had interviews with President and Sister Coleman this week! We chatted about Julio and got some solid advice so we're going to keep helping him and hopefully go to the temple the first weekend of November! 🫣

★ General Conference was of course amazing! We watched it with the ward on Sunday and then with some members on Saturday except for when the connection kept cutting out so we ended up missing a bit of Saturday morning which was tragic. 🥲

★ Had exchanges with Sister Mametieff which was super fun! I went to her area, which happens to be inside our area, so we pretty much just worked in both areas all day, found some English and Spanish people, so it was very productive!

A major highlight of the week was zone conference on Wednesday!! It was way different than any other, but it was super good and one of my favorites. Every zone conference I've ever been a part of has mostly consisted of trainings and it's pretty chill and calm, but this one was pretty much the complete opposite. They had us rotate through these tables that were just discussions on life advice, and then we drove up to Red Rock Canyon and split into different hikes. We had an hour to take time to split off and read our patriarchal blessings and identify the gifts we've been given, and it was honestly amazing. I'd encourage everyone to do the same and take the time to study your blessing, and if you don't have one yet, start preparing to get it!

One of my favorite talks from conference was President Oaks' all about The Family Proclamation. He said this one line that really resonated with me, which was "...parents remember, what those children really want for dinner is time with you." This is something my parents prioritized and it's something that I've become especially grateful for on my mission. You see all kinds of families and meet all kinds of people, and it's always a little bit sad when we have dinner with members and everyone's on their phones, the kids are eating in their rooms, the TV's on, etc. I have a super strong testimony of the importance of families and on making them a focus in our lives, and I've become more and more grateful for my family as I've been away from them and see how much of a blessing they are to me.

Make sure to keep studying the conference talks once they're published, they provide so much guidance and direction for our lives. Love y'all!!

💚 Hna. Pursglove