Querida Familia!! How are all of you?! I
hope that you had an excellent week!
Last week Hermana
Daniel and I had our lest lesson with Daniel and it was by far the best lesson
we've ever taught in the MTC. We were teaching about the Atonement and Repentance, but we mixed it up a little bit. We read Alma 36, the entire
chapter, together. We stopped and asked questions and talked, and his whole
countenance changed. His voice was softer and he was really taking in the
scriptures. He was asking about how he could grow closer to Christ, and he
committed to be baptized. We were bearing testimony and flowing so well. I know
that the Book of Mormon has real power. It changes lives and it brings people
to Christ. I know that our Savior lives. I know that repentance is real and
effective. Ahh, helping people to come to realize how much their Savior loves
them and how they can have His influence in their life is just awesome!
Hermana Daniel and I
also taught Hermano Hopoate as Ezekiel this week. He is portraying his roommate
who is a member but is thirty and hasn't been to the temple yet. Although we
are progressing him toward baptism, our teacher is using the experience to
receive revelation on how to help his roommate get to the temple. He's been a
little bit of a tricky investigator because he is such a great person and he
knows the church is true. He wants to be baptized, just in the future. As we
were teaching him from Alma 5, we learned that he just doesn't feel worthy of
baptism, he has weaknesses and he just doesn't feel good enough yet. This
really touched my heart and I had this burning testimony that covenants are
power. I knew that Heavenly Father loves this man, I knew that He was so proud
of Him and wanted to bless him. I just bore my testimony that baptism was
power. The influence of the Holy Ghost in your life is true power. Access to
the Atonement is real power. Hermana Daniel bore her testimony too and then we
just sat in silence for a long time. Ezekiel spoke up and said that he was
going to talk to his bishop and girlfriend and that he was willing to talk
about a baptismal date. The Spirit was so strong in that lesson and it was
really special to me.
Hermana Daniel and I
were teaching one of our teachers as himself in English the other day...kind of
a different activity right? We ended up helping him with girl problems, but
anywho, we asked him what the highlight of his mission was. He said "Well,
I could never really pick one moment, but when someone looks you in the eye and
says I want to be baptized and then you watch them walk into the baptismal
font." I had chills and honestly caught a legit fire to go to
Mexico!
On Sunday night
after devotional, we always watch films. We watched "The Testaments"
which I've actually never seen before! I really loved it and it was honestly
very powerful for me. I realized how real my Savior is. I started thinking
about how He and my Heavenly Father have real bodies. Do I really believe the
Atonement happened? Do I really believe that He experienced everything? Do I
really believe that He can be with me all the time? It amazing to think about
and I'm noticing that my testimony of the Savior increases every day. I love
Him and I'm coming to know Him. I can't wait for the day that I can embrace Him
and be with Him. I want to be worthy of that experience. I want to come to know
my Savior as a real person and then strive to be someone worthy of being His
friend. I've started reading Jesus the Christ and it's really really
insightful. I just love learning!
Yesterday I had a
pretty neat experience in class. Hermano Hopoate told us a story about how in
his mission he and his companion were given stewardship over the young men in
the ward. He was given the responsibility to getting the boys on missions. I
had the most powerful feeling that I could do the same thing with the Young
Women. I could work with them on Personal Progress and prepare them for temple
marriage. I feel such a strong connection and love for this age group and I
want to help them build strong foundations. I want them to have great lives. I
love them so much and I don't even know them yet! I can't wait to see what work
the Lord has in store for me.
We hung out a bit with our Branch President and talked about getting ready to leave the MTC. They are such great people and I'm really glad we got to know them better!
So to wrap this party
up, what they heck, I'm going to Mexico on Monday. The time honestly flew
by so fast! I'm riding a serious roller coaster of "heck yeah let's do
this!" to "wait, what did I get myself into again?" I think my
biggest fear is that I'll give into the fear to be discouraged. I want to be
upbeat and positive and let jokes about how I speak roll off my back. I want to
always trust in the Lord and know that He is with me. I just fear that I might
give in to the temptation to get down. I really don't want to! Today I realized
that as long as I am pouring my heart out to the Lord in prayer, I'm studying
hard, I'm working hard, I'm loving people and my companion, it will all work
out. I know that the Lord trusts me with His work and is going to help me with
it, I know that He will support me in all things. I know that He will pick me
up on the hardest days and that if I'm willing, He will help me to have the
best possible attitude.
I love you all so
much! I pretty sure I thank Heavenly Father like twenty times a day for y'all.
Every time I hear people tell stories about how they grew up .. I'm just learning more and more and I realize how
incredibly blessed I've been. Thank you for all of the packages, letters,
emails, Dear Elders, etc...it's all great! Please let me know if there is
anything I can help any of you with!
Love you to the moon
and back! Wish me luck in another country!
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