Dear Friends.
As many of you know, I am home from my wonderful experience serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These past 8 months have been the most life-changing and most beautiful experiences that i have ever had. I had to rely on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more than I ever had before. I feel as though people out there may need to hear a little about what happened to me on my mission because it’s not something that normally happens. I want to share my story, so that others might be able to learn a little about what I learned.
Its a little long so sorry about that haha.
My Companion and I were walking down a street that we had walked down many times before. We had just come from teaching a very interesting lesson and we were joking and talking while walking to our other investigators house. As we were walking, I thought I had seen a man walk into a house behind us so I thought nothing of it. But within three seconds he had my neck in the crook of his arm and he started shouting “SHUT UP!” I couldn’t breathe. I have never seen such a scared look on my companions face. The man reached down and tried to grab at my legs and carry me away. But I was firm. When he realized that he would not be successful in carrying me away, He then started to ask my companion for her money and saying that if she didn’t give him her money then he would cut me with the knife that he had (i never saw a knife but he kept talking about this knife that he had) My companion said that she had almost no money on her and he said well just give me all you have. She handed over her wallet and he started to rummage through it to find the money (I really don’t know why, he had her whole wallet but he only wanted the money i guess) My next move, was probably not a super smart move, but there were whisperings that reminded me that my companion had ALL of the pictures from her mission on USB’s in her wallet, so i needed to grab the wallet from him, hand him the money, and then give my companion the wallet back. So I did just that! And he took the money and I threw my companion back her wallet. He then said that he was going to check us and pat us down to see if we had anything else. He tightened his grip around my neck, tighter and tighter, as he started to grab at my backpack and “search it”. I know that his intentions were not to search my backpack because his hands quickly wandered from my backpack to other parts of my body. As that started I thought to myself “No way is this happening right now.” But I couldn’t get myself out of his grip because he kept pulling it tighter. How I got out. I really don’t remember but a miracle happened and I was released from his grip about 30 seconds after he started to search me. That’s when me and my booked it from the guy. I didn’t even turn around to see his face.
We then called the Zone Leaders- who we shared the area with- and we were immediately taken to safety by them.
Y’all this experience. Was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me and in the moment, I really didn’t think I would have been set free and gotten through that experience, but i did because we have a loving Father in Heaven.
I wanted to share this with y’all because I wanted y’all to know that our Father in Heaven loves us and he will protect us through all the storms that we face. When we were with the Zone Leaders immediately after this happened I was really shocked. I felt as though I couldn’t handle this.
They read us Doctrine and Covenants 122. I would urge y’all to go and read this chapter. “all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good”. I knew in that moment, that all would be well. I accepted it as Gods plan for me. The months that followed were just as hard. The after effects from this experience were not a joyous ride. I became sick and I lost my ability to sleep and I started to over work myself, which was not healthy. I had had to rely on the strength of Christ from his atonement to carry me through to do the things I needed to do. I just didn’t want to leave the mission without doing all that I could. But I know that God helped me do all that I needed to do in my mission.It had also become not good for my health to stay out there in Peru. It was time for me to go home. I now know that there are things that I have to do here, I have a mission back here in the states.
I loved my mission more than anything and if it was my will, I’d be there still if we’re being honest. But it is not my will. It is the will of the Father. I am going to do all I can to continue to do the things he asks me to do “I will go and do” Just like Nephi.
Thank you everyone for your support, love, and prayers.
I am improving now and doing all that I need to do!
Keep on praying, Keep on working, and keep on doing all the Lord asks of you❤️
Thanks for reading this haha I know it’s long but I learned a lot.
Love y’all
Chao ❤️
Haley Howe ❤️
