Hermana Root's : The Last Email... (1/18/16)

Hello family,

as I start this email, i am not sure if i should cry or be happy. I cannot believe that my mission will come to an end this week. I feel like it went by so fast. I am so grateful to have served.

Literally, i am ending my mission in the best way possible. A member told me this week, the success of a missionary is not how they started their mission, its how they end it. She saw all the bags on my eyes and we are bring so many investigators to church and she told us, hermana, you are ending your mission at full force, you should be proud. And i realized that my heavenly father really does accept my service. I have not been the perfect missionary, but I feel like I have done all the Lord needed me to do here. I just feel so at peace. I know that I made a difference here in the lives of many people but most importantly, they made a difference in me. I am not the same Sheyanne, I will be coming home different. I have changed, but I am more like my savior. I have had these 18 months to be a true representative of Jesus Christ and I have learned how to follow him. I know what he expects of me and I have come to see that what HE thinks is the most important.

This week we had a miracle, Daniela got baptized. Missionaries dream of finding an investigator like her. I was able to be there through EVERY part of her conversion and it was beautiful. She had her interview with the counselor to presidente thurgood and he walked out and he said wow hermanas, i have never interviewed someone so passioned and converted to the gospel. He told us we were good teachers but the truth is that, she was SOO receptive to the spirit. Her baptism day was beautiful. She asked Elder Miller (an elder in our ward) to baptize her and my convert andrea gave a talk. It was so amazing to see a girl that I talk share her experience with Daniela and tell her that she will be there to help her. I cried threw the whole baptism. As I watched her get baptized, I had a prompting saying, Hermana Root, this is why you went home. You would have never found her if you wouldnt of fallen down the stairs. And I realized the lord lets us go threw hard times so that we can be blessed. I learned so many things when I got sent home from the mission. It was the hardest trial I have ever had but I made it threw and i was faithful. I will never regret my decision to come back to argentina. Its changed my life. Daniela is talking about going on a mission and it makes me so happy. I cannot express the pure joy that I feel. I am without words, the lord is so kind to me.

I had an exchange this week with Hermana Gonzales from here in Argentina. She was wonderful. She is a mini missionary and she was just sad. She was having a hard time. The mission is demanding (EVEN MORE when its summer and its so hot!) She shared with me all of her feelings and I was able to help her. She is such a sweet girl and a great missionary.

We got a new mission leader last week and hes AWESOME. We have so many plans and the ward is already getting better. Banfield has really improved in my time here. We had lunch with Bishop on friday and he thanked me for all i´ve done here. He said hermana, there arent too many missionaries with as much energy as you! I can say i have put it all on the field here and it made me feel like that is what we need to do in life, we need to work hard and be obedient and the day we will see our heavenly father again, we will be at peace. Our mission president explained one time, I want you to all think about how you want to feel when you see your parents for the first time after your mission. Do you want to be embarassed? Or do you want them to be proud of you? Be the missionary your mom thinks you are! And we can use this as an example, someday we will be in front of our heavenly father and I dont want to be embarassed, i want to hold my head up high and be able to say that I did all I could. In one week, i will see my family, all of you! And i can say that I did all I could. I am not embarassed to see my parents because I know that I was obedient and I made them proud and now my next goal is to return to my father in heavens presence someday with honor.

I just want to share my testimony with all of you. I´ve had 18 months to be a representitive of my Savior Jesus Christ and I know without a doubt that he lives. He is my savior. He came to this world to save us, each and every one of us. There is not ANYTHING that he does not understand. He can help us. I have felt him carry me during these 18 months. When I missed home, or when my feet couldnt walk anymore, when we faced rejection, or sicknesses, he was there. He NEVER let me fall. I know that his atonement is real. We need to use it. Its not just to help us repent, it is to help us grow. I know that every time I pray, he hears me. He answers my prayers. I know that he loves me. For him, I am special. He loves me as I am and he sees me for who I can become. I know that because of this love, he restored this gospel. He has given us prophets to lead and guide us. he also gave us another testimony of his son, which is the book of mormon. I know that this book is true. Its changed my life and its helped me come to know my savior. I know that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is the only true church on earth, because it has the authority of god. I will forever share these truths with everyone. I know that we can pray and ask god and he will answer us. He will let us know because he loves us. I know that families can be together forever. That in the temple we can be sealed for all time and eternity. I have seen how obedience is the only way to have happiness. We cannot have happiness if we are not faithful. At times it may appear that others who are not obedient are happy, but the happiness that lasts comes through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. The things i have learned in these 18 months are eternal, but the most important things is that I can say that I know my savior lives and for the rest of my life, i will follow him. I will be faithful. I have come to know him personally in this time and I will forever thank him for letting me be his representive.

I am so happy to see all of you. It will break my heart when I have to leave this place behind. I´ve come to love every part of this country and it will always be a part of me but I am ready to keep being a missionary. I might not have my name tag but I will always be a disciple of christ. This week I am going to give it all I have so that in 7 days, i can start my life! I´ve given the lord these 18 months and now I know he will give me all that I need.

Nos vemos pronto, les quiero!

Love you all!

See you soon, very very soon!

for the last time,

Hermana Root