4/26/2016

Hi everyone,

Well, this week has been.. well haha its over and we made it through so thats what counts right? I have to say there are a lot of mixed emotions writing this email. However, if I've learned anything while being out on the mission it's that, God has a plan and He always, only wants the best for us. The strongest testimony I have of this has been my mission. I fought so hard promptings to go on a mission.. terrified and really just believing I couldn't do it, and without any desires to even try. However, the Lord in His infinite patience.. and mercy, waited, and waited, and waited until I finally quit fighting and decided to go forward with my eyes shut trying to have faith. And I am, and will be eternally grateful for the time He allowed me to be in the beautiful country of Paraguay. For the people I met, the love I felt and the many lessons I learned. I will miss it with all my heart, but I know, that God knows why and that, is enough for me.

Thank you all for all of your love, for your support, for your prayers and for your examples throughout this journey. I know that I could not have done it without you all.

Love
Marissa

week 53 (4/18/2016)

Hi everyone! 

I hope you all had a great week... sorry I have very little time haha but I would just like to share a little story about the sister that I have attached a photo of us with. (don't mind our faces yes we just woke up). This sister, shared a great lesson this week with us.

 It was her birthday on Wednesday. She wasn't expecting to celebrate it, their family has been going through some hard times and she has been feeling fairly alone. However, they surprised her with bringing the whole family to her house and sharing dinner together. It came time for presents and her great granddaughter ran up to her extremely excited! 

She said "grandma grandma! this is from me" and gave her a little box wrapped up in wrapping paper. The sister said "ohh, thank you darling" and set it to the side. Her granddaughter said "no grandma! look at it now, look at it! Its for you I got it for you." So the sister carefully opened up the match box covered in wrapping paper to find 3 little coins, about the same worth as a penny in the states. She looked at her granddaughter and said that she had the biggest grin on her face and she said "I got it for you grandma." The sister broke into tears, and said.. it may not have been a lot, but it was all that she had, and she gave it to me. It meant more than anything else anyone could have given to me. 

I thought about how that applies to our father in heaven... a lot of the time we really don't have much to offer, we can't really give much.... but to Him, it doesn't matter the beauty or how big the gift is, just that we give to Him what we can. 

I know, just like this sister receiving a gift from her granddaughter was brought to tears with gratitude and joy, that our father in heaven is so full of love and is so happy when we give the little that we can. Whether it be time, or our talents. 

I hope you all have a great week!! 

I miss and love you all :) 

Don't ever give up :) 

With love, 

Hermana Speakman 

week 52 (4/11/2016)

Hey everyone! 

I hope you all had a great week!

We had another week with ups and downs, but it has ended with great lessons learned. 

 

This week, we had the opportunity to study a lot about the Plan of Salvation, or the plan that our Father in Heaven created for us that responds to three main questions; "Where did I come from?", "Why am I here?", and "Where will I go after this life?". This week we focused more on the second question... "why am I here on this earth?".  A question that I have personally asked a lot of times and I am sure many others have as well. This week I was able to understand a little bit better why I am here on this earth and why we have hard times and trials in this life. 

This life is not our final destination, this life is a time of testing, a time to learn, and more importantly a time to enjoy. One of the hardest things is finding joy in the rough moments. 

Its reacting with faith and trust, being calm before the storm that looks to destroy us. This week I was able to observe how things happen, how trials come, then the "storms" that try to demolish us... but I witnessed, how we react makes all the difference. 

I was able to learn this through the example of some less active members in our ward. These members are some of the strongest, sweetest and tender hearted people I have met.  They have been through trials that, had I passed through I am almost certain I would have come out a lot more hard hearted and meaner than they did. They are always smiling, always loving, looking out for others and for each other. They think of the Lord in all things and try their best to trust in him. 

As I have been around them and gotten to know them more, I have learned a precious truth more fully... Our attitude, and our reactions make all the difference. They chose, to be happy. They chose to have faith, they chose not to let it knock them down but to keep moving forward. 

 

I know its hard, I've made the mistake plenty of times to just get mad, to choose to be mad because I felt I had the right because of the trials I was passing.  But I know now, that though it may be hard.. it is possible to choose to be happy. To continue forward, smiling and laughing. To love others and serve them. And to trust in God in all things!

 

I hope you all have a great week this week!

I love you all!! miss you!! 

 

love, 

Hermana Speakman

 

 

 

 

week 51 (4/4/2016)

                                                        Attending the
                                     Asunción Paraguay Temple

                           Companion recovering from surgery and Marissa battling                                                 a few aliments herself.  Both pressing forward in the work of the Lord.   (:



           Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him

week 50 (3/28/2016)

Well happy Easter yesterday!!

 I hope everyone had a great Easter celebrating the Savior and His sacrifice and love for every single one of us.

 I know that He lives! He loves us. He knows us, and He came for every person on this earth. He came to help us, to heal us, and to save us. Just wanted to share a quick video with all of you, that's only 2 minutes long about our Savior, Redeemer and Elder Brother. The man that gave all, just for us. I hope you can all take a second out of your day to watch this quick video, and remember Him and His love for you!

 https://www.mormon.org/easter 

I love you all! Hope you had a great week and have an even better one this week!

With love, 

Hermana Speakman 

He Lives! 

week 49 (3/14/2016)

Hi everyone!! 

I hope you all had a great week! 

This week I want to share a part of a talk really stood out to me, while I was reading the Ensign this month. I came across an article by Katy Mcgee, the name of her Article is, "Gaining Gospel Insights through Motherhood." Her article is based on a few basic truths of the gospel that she learned through experiences with her children.. and one of the experiences that touched me the most and stood out to me was her first insight that she shard about our Father in Heaven.. She shared the following story: 

"One day while I was ironing, one-year-old Claire began to cry in her crib. It was nap time, and I knew that if I could quickly give her a pacifier, she would fall back to sleep. Three-year-old Lucy was playing in the room where I was ironing. I debated for a moment and then decided to keep the iron on, knowing I’d be out of the room for only a few moments. “Lucy, do you see that iron on my tall table?” I asked. “It’s VERY hot. I need to give Claire her pacifier. Please don’t touch the iron while I’m gone, or it will hurt you.”

I was sure Lucy understood, so I quickly slipped out of the room. I returned a moment later, and I heard a whimper from behind a chair.

“Lucy?” I asked. “Where are you?”

She didn’t reply.

“Are you OK? Why are you hiding?”

I walked over behind the chair and sat on the floor. Her face was buried in her hands. After a few refusals to tell me what happened, she finally said, “Mommy, I touched your iron.”

At first I was confused that she hadn’t heeded my warning. Then I felt heartbroken that she would hide from me after making a small mistake, afraid she had lost my love and confidence. I knew she was powerless to take the pain away, and only I could help her burned finger feel better. I comforted Lucy, and as I rushed her to the bathroom sink to ease the pain, the Spirit whispered to my heart: “This is how Heavenly Father feels when His children fail to heed His warnings and won’t allow Him to ease their pain when they need it most.” In that moment I felt such joy at this knowledge and a confidence in the Lord’s willingness to teach me."

After reading this story I thought about how true it is.. aren't we all like this young child, we all commit errors or pass through hard times and a lot of the time, rather than turning to the one person that can heal us and help us to make it better, we run away, we hide.  We feel that somehow He will stop loving us or that we are better off alone to deal with it.  When in reality.. that isn't what He wants, that is Never what He wants.. The things that we go through are not to drive us farther away from Him in fact that's the opposite of His plan for us. He wants us to come unto Him he wants to live with us again, but we cannot do so if we don't receive His help and His healing power. That is why Christ came. He loves every single one of us, just like a mother loves her child even with they make mistakes, or pass through hard times. 

Don't forget about Him and His love, You are never alone. Let Him heal you.. Psalms 147:3. 

I hope you all have a great week!  Don't forget to pray, trust in the Lord and His love. :) 

Love you all!! 

With love, Hermana Speakman 

week 48 (3/7/2016)

Hi everyone! 

 

Well this week has been full of adventures some better than others haha. But I have to say it has been a pretty great week, between long bus drives and big heat waves... The spirit was still found and felt in the smallest and simplest of things.

Being out here on the mission, I have learned many things.. and seen many things. But one of the things that I have learned is, that you have to find joy in the little things in life. The mission isn't always easy, but I have come to find through time that Happiness is a choice.. and that it can be found in the simplest of moments. 

For example... my companion, who is still adjusting to the different foods of Paraguay, has found a way to look at the positive side of some strange meals that we have eaten... pointing out the good things that she found, like the lemonade hahaha.  I know it changed her day and her attitude, from the simple act of finding the positive thing in the different situation and it also helped me see the difference the littlest things make.

 

I know that life isn't easy... but I know that this life is the best gift we have been given! Even though its hard... there is always something we can find to be grateful for. 

2 Nephi 2:25 

Thank you all for all of your love and support! I hope you have a great week! 

Will love, 

hermana Spekaman 

 New companion Hermana Roncallo