BOLIVIA TO CALIFORNIA

Wow!! I know I probably say this a lot, but this week was definitely THE CRAZIEST WEEK OF MY LIFE. So a lot of you may not know, but I have been quite ill down here in Bolivia. It has been off and on my whole mission, but this past month has been pretty bad. We have gone to the clinic down here and had some tests done, but all of the tests came back normal. The illness continued on, and my life as a missionary became very complicated. But throughout all of this, there was absolutely NO option of going home. I never even considered it. I was frustrated. I was mad that I couldn't dedicate all of my time and little energy to the work of the Lord. Not going to lie, I was probably no fun to be around and my sweet companion Hermana Newbold had a lot of patience. Finally this past week I decided that I had a choice, I could continue to be frustrated, mad, and say "Why me?" or I could look at the positives, look up, and trust in God. I started to pray more, and I started to humble myself before God and asked what is His will for me. I prayed, I read many general conference talks, I searched the scriptures, and I read my patriarchal blessing at least 5 times a day. I looked high and low for the answer, and slowly it came. At this time I thought that I only had two options, stay here in the mission or go home. When I prayed about staying here, it wasn't a no, but it wasn't a yes. When I prayed about leaving, it felt more right. I began to feel the spirit more in my life and the peace and comfort that I felt was indescribable. I knew I had to leave. I didn't know when, and I didn't know why, but I knew I had to leave. I accepted this answer that I received. And I'm not going to lie, it hurt. Bolivia is my second home and just knowing that I had to leave hurt, but it still felt right. When I thought about when I would leave, I thought about till the end of the transfer in 2 weeks. But that didn't feel right. I felt that it would be sooner than that and I could feel that my hours in Bolivia were ticking away. I felt a sense of urgency. Then yesterday, when I walked into the church and saw my mission president and his wife sitting on the stand, I knew that it was my last Sunday here in Bolivia. This whole last week I had been praying that my mission president would be able to receive revelation for me and help me know what to do. We had not talked about anything that I had felt this last week nor what I had decided. To be honest we hadn't talked since the first week this illness happened. This shows how close he is to the spirit. After sacrament meeting he pulled me aside to talk and I thought I knew what he was going to say. He started to tell me how he thought there was only two choices for me, to stay in Bolivia or to go home. But then he said that Heavenly Father showed him a 3 option that we had not considered. Throughout this last week, he had sent off an application to get my mission reassigned. he then told me that I had received a new mission in SAN FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA. Words cannot describe the spirit, comfort, and peace that I felt in that moment. It all started to make sense. I was so in shock that I didn't know what to say, but all I could feel was a sense of GRATITUDE. I thought I was going to have to go home and end my time as a missionary, and I think that I had to feel that before receiving this answer, but no. I get to continue being a representative for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This whole experience has been a huge testimony builder to me that HE LIVES. That God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He has a loving son who atoned for us. I know without a doubt in my mind that He LOVES us and that He has a special plan for every single one of us. If we humble ourselves and submit to His will, we will be able to achieve the highest level of happiness in this life and in the life to come. He knows our potential, He knows what will help us grow, and He knows what we can become. Other than health reasons, I don't know why I'm being sent to San Fernando, California, but I know that there are more reasons than I know and maybe ever will know. But I KNOW THAT GOD KNOWS. And that's what gives me hope during this crazy rollercoaster I call my life. Words cannot express my gratitude for the time that I have had here in Bolivia. I have met some incredible people, have fallen in love with the weird, but fun culture, and Bolivia now has a special place in my heart. Chances are slim that I will be able to come back and finish my mission here, but all of that is in the hands of the Lord. I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do for me! Have a wonderful week and always remember, YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. Goodbye Bolivia, hello California! 

con mucho amor from Bolivia,

Hermana Higham

P.S. my cute investigator Paola is getting baptized on Saturday!!! 

This is Alberto (the man who sits in the chair all the time)