Week Twelve - Filipinos!

Bom Dias!

I hope everyone was able to watch Conference this past weekend! Can we all agree that Conference is so uplifting? 

The last few days that led up to Conference and the weekend of conference was insane. We were emailing about calling everyone in our online area book and reminded them that conference was that weekend. We challenged all of our investigators to watch conference and majority of them did! As a zone we were able to attend the Saturday morning session on conference. We got the the square and started to contact all of the members that were standing in the standby line at 7:30 am but got to the square at about 7. Talking with the members before the session started was great! I met so many members that where willing to do missionary work back at their homes. It was really easy to commit them to do missionary work but they all were so prepared to share the gospel! I love members that are like that. :) We weren't allowed to watch conference because there were so many people on the square and so many people to uplift. The only talks that I was able to watch were the ones that were speaking on Saturday and two others during personal study on Monday. I unfortunately have no time to really sit down and read them. 

We had a lot of miracles this past weekend. 

Sister Fisher and I made a goal to receive 38 quality member referrals this weekend. It was actually a huge struggle for the mission to get referrals from members because they were already talking/teaching with the people that weren't members of the church. So a lot of the members said "Oh we are working with this one family and are already meeting with the missionaries." Which is great because the members are doing missionary work, but not so great for us because we set this goal and  it was a really small goal to reach compared to other sisters. At the end of every meal we counted all of our referrals and by the end of the weekend we were able to receive 41 member referrals. The number of the member referrals the whole mission received was over 3,000! 3,000 precious souls that need to be saved! It just gives me goosebumps of all the teaching that we will be able to do in the next several months! Ah I'm so excited! 

So remember Amber Sellers? The girl that stayed with us when I was in middle school? Im sure you remember because you were all there too...Ha Anyways I thought about her the other day. It was actually a really random thought. I was in one of the theaters in the mission and all of a sudden I thought "Man, I wonder how Amber is doing. Where is she is even at? I really want to share the gospel with her but I don't even know how I could, or even how the family could even get her number." So after that random thought it just left me. Okay so on Sunday I went on exchanges with Sister Asuncion (she is from the Philippines), the reason why we were on exchanges was because we were going to the Filipino fireside later that evening to get more member referrals. All the Filipino sisters went so that was really cool. So while we were walking to the North Visitor center we ran into GOBS of Filipinos. I knew they were Filipino because they kept on saying "HOY!" and I could understand what they were saying. Sister Asuncion and I stopped to say hi. While we were introducing ourselves, all of the Filipinos said "Hoy! Do you know a Roel Opeda?" Then I said "Yeah that is my Dad." They all started to freak out because apparently the whole group of Filipinos knows Tatay and Nanay! They would say "I know your Dad, we went to school together.", "Or your Grandpa gave me my Patriarchal Blessing."," You're dad and I were missionary companions.", "You're mom and I were best friends when we were kids." Anyways it was cool to see all of these connections. The coolest part was when this lady came up to me and said "Do you remember me? I'm Amber Sellers mom. The girl that lived with you for a couple of months?" I was floored. I started to talk to her about Amber and I asked how she was doing and then her mom gave me her number so I can call her! Crazy right? I thought about calling her but had no way in doing so, then all of a sudden Heavenly Father says "Here you go Sister Opeda! Time to share the gospel with Amber!" Heavenly Father puts people in your life for a reason! The hardest part is to really know the reason why he did. I'm lucky because all of the people I met are meant to hear the gospel. 

So President Gillette really likes to give surprises to mission and on Monday night he surprised us big time! I guess as a reward for all the hard work that we did over the weekend and because President love all of us, he got Jon Schmidt to come and play for us! If you don't know who is he is the piano player that is in the piano guys. Youtube him. He is an incredible piano player. So we had a mini concert with him and we were able to do a questions and answers session with him. Someone asked him "What made you decided to do this as a career?" And he told us of this quote from President Benson that said "Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that he can make a lot more out of our lives than they can."  He told us of some stories on how he gave his whole life to the Lord and never thought that he would be doing something that he loved so much. It made me think about how sometimes when we plan out our lives or sometimes when we need to make decisions. All of the decisions that we make, rarely are counseled with Heavenly Father. Sometimes I think we get so catch up of doing things our way than to really asking Heavenly Father what he thinks about them. He wants to be involved with the details of our life. When we have confidence and faith in knowing that Heavenly Father has a plan for us, a lot of the worry and struggle that we have are then relieved. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and he knows how we can be happy. I hope you all turn your lives to God because it is true, He can make a lot more out of our lives than we can. 

I love you all.

Sister Opeda 

Alma 5:26 

Here are some photos that people with Sister Opeda during the conference weekend. If anyone happened to see here please send us your pictures! Mahalo -Kariza

Sister Opeda and Sister Asuncion with Tita Nedy, Tito Joey, and Tita Geny

Tito Lamber and Tita Geny
These are Kariza's (Sister Opeda little sister) roommate, Gee's parents!

Sister Opeda with ,Kariza's workmate in Hawaii, Amanda Vela!

Week Eleven - Conference Week!

Conference is just around the river bend and I cannot wait!

These last couple of weeks the snow has been melting and the flowers have been blooming. Well actually the gardeners have been working around the clock to make sure everything looks wonderful for this weekend. It is starting to look like spring around here! Since the sun has been shining people are ready to go outside and enjoy the weather with their families. This last week we have seen and taught so many people. Just yesterday, we met families from Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Ghana! It was so great to talk with the members and help uplift them in their struggles. Sometimes I'm surprised at the amount of information people tell me about their life. I sometimes feel overwhelmed and I have no idea on how I can help them, but then I remember the promise in D&C 30:11 "And your whole labor shall be in Zion, with all your soul, from henceforth; yea, you shall ever open your mouth in my cause, not fearing what man can do, for I am with you. Amen." That is exactly what happens, I feel the presence of the spirit when Sister Fisher and I teach doctrine. You can see right in that moment that they also feel it. It is the most wonderful feeling to know that you aided that person on their next step of conversion. Sometimes I still can't believe that I get to do this all day for 18 months! :) We have met so many wonderfully prepared people on the square. We took a tour with this these two men Tom and Jon. They both in Salt Lake waiting for their next plane to leave so they were killing time at Temple Square. We showed them around the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall and we bridged the history to prophets. They were both so interested in the gospel and were asking the right questions. At the end the both referred for local missionaries to come to their house and have them teach them more! It was great because we taught them about the restoration and about the Book of Mormon and they both said "Where can I get a copy?" Wonderful right?! Ahhhh so so so so great!

Since there is an opposition in all things--Tis the season of Anit's. These last couple of days there have been many people coming to the square talking to the sisters and "trying" to tell us that we are wrong and we have been brainwashed. I've had some anti's come on to chat and some on the phone, but I haven't had any on a tour until yesterday. There was a whole group of them on the Square and I talked to a lot of sisters that said they are all on spring break on a trip of some sort. I was in the Beehive House all day and I didn't think that they were going to ask for a tour of an old house, but they did and I learned a lot! Obviously you never know who is an anti or not but we took a group of 7 of them as well as two guest from New York. At first it started out okay and they were all friendly but then all the crazy questions about sealings, Temples, polygamy, and the Book of Mormon started to come up. My stomach started to go into knots because I could feel my mind blanking. The only thing that came into my mind was "Just testify." So that is what I did and the spirit started to come back and the guest stop with the questions. Then the whole climate changed at the tour because I started to feel so much love for those people. I was sad for them because they looked so lost and confused. Sister Fisher and I just had a desire for them to understand who their Savior is and what he did for us. Some of them still asked questions and we answered them lovingly and prayed that they would be able to feel the spirit.

I dropped Nathan this week. We have been trying to get him to go to church and to have faith in the gospel but he didn't want to change any part of this life. There was no desire at all to come closer to Christ. Every time that we talked to him on the phone it was always really hard because he didn't/want to see how this gospel can bless his life. He has been through a really hard time so he is kinda bitter at life. I told him that there was only so much that I can do for him if he wasn't willing to act. It was hard because I know this can help him through all of his struggle. He has all the tools to succeed in this life but he wasn't willing to use them at all. I have hope that one day he will come back to church, but I just hope that one day is sooner than later.

We have been able to talk to Stephen again. He was the one who was suppose to get baptized two weeks ago but didn't. We talked to him last night and had a great lesson. He said that he would look into another baptismal date that he feels comfortable with. He is moving to SLC for grad school in two months and he wants to wait till he gets here to get baptized. We told him to pray about it first. It would be cool if he did get baptized here, cause then I could go to his baptism. But I think that it would be best if he had it in Tennessee so his family could have a chance to attend.

I hope you are all doing well! Conference is this weekend so I hope you are preparing to be uplifted!!!!

I love you all and pray for you everyday!

Love,

Sister Opeda

Alma 19:6 "...he knew that the dark ^aveil of ^bunbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the ^clight which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had ^dovercome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—"

PICTURES!

Here are some pictures that she recently sent!!

 

 This is what I we do during companionship study

 

    My CRAZY district

 

Better picture

 

 We went to Thanksgiving Point/Dinosaur Museum for Zone Activity

 

Transfer Two: Week Two

Hey Family,

So I freaked when I heard where Kariza was going. I'm slightly jealous that she is going back home, but I know that I was called here for a reason! So it is all alright!

So this week has been insane! There have been so many miracles and new people to teach! Its been wonderful!

So first I want to tell you about this Indian family that we met. So we got a text saying that there was  family that wanted a tour and so Sis fisher and I went to take them around. When we first met them in the SVC they were so nice, the parents where visiting their son Solomon from India for a month and they wanted to see Temple Square. So I was really exited to teach them because we planned to talk about the Restoration at that hour. So we first took them to the Temple model because they wanted to see what the Temple looked like if they were inside. So when we were there I was talking to the Dad and somehow prophets came up and I pointed to a picture of Thomas S. Monson and said "This our prophet here today and his name is Thomas S. Monson." Then he cut me off and said "OOOHH is that not Jospeh Smith?" Then I said "No that is not Joesph Smith." Then he said "Is that Brigham Young?" Haha then I said "No it is not Brigham Young, but I can actually tell you more about our prophets, especially about Joseph Smith because he is actually what I wanted to share with you about." Then he said in his broken English "OHHH no no I already know about him. He was the man the God called to restore Christ church again on the earth. He saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and told him that none of the churches in his day are true." Okay so at that point I didn't know he that is what he believed or if he just knew it. It definitely is a big difference.I'm literally shocked at this point. So then I said "Do you believe that Joseph Smith RESTORED Christ church again on this earth?" Then the Dad said "Yes, yes I believe he did! I also believe that he translated the Book of Mormon!" I could not believe what I was hearing. This man who is from India, visiting his son for a month and researched all about the LDS faith before he even got here and wanted to see Temple Square. So Sis Fisher and I could take them to see the Temple Model and tell us that he believe that this was the true church again on the earth. The spirit and love I felt at that moment and for that family was amazing. I couldn't help but smile and I remember looking in to the Dads eyes and I could tell that he truly believe that it was true! So then I lead everyone back to the front of the visitor center and I gave him an English version of he  Book of Mormon. He said "Wait I can have this? You are giving this to me? Thank you thank you thank you!" He was holding the Book of Mormon to his chest and kept on saying Thank you. Then his wife was just as happy and wanted to take a picture with me handing him the Book of Mormon and he told me to sign the book as well. Ahh I love that family so much. But wait it doesn't end there!

So then Sister Fisher and I took them to the NVC and to the section called Scriptures and revelation. We continued to tell them about the church but the parents knew EVERYTHING! They were so prepared! So we were next to the globe where they have the Book of Mormon in all these different languages. So while we were there and the family continued to take pictures I saw that the Hindi version of the Book of Mormon was right there. So I picked it up and gave it to the wife to see. I said "Hey look they have it in Hindi too!" Then the wife almost about cried. She looked at Sister Fisher and and jumped up and down saying "OHHHH LOOOK! ITS IN MY LANGUAGE!" She was gleaming! Their english wasn't all that great but she was so touched to see that it was in her native language. She held it to her chest like her husband and kept on saying thank you! She thought that we were giving it to her, but we were just showing her the book. I honestly was just going to give it to her because how can you take something from an old lady that was jumping up and down! After the tour I was just going to go down the street and buy a replacement copy so we didn't have to tell her that she couldn't take it. But Sis Fisher is more obedient than I am and told her that she couldn't take it. But she told them that she can get one in her language at Deseret Book. She was all like "OHHH no problem! We go get one now! It okay it okay!" Then after we told them to go to Deseret Book they wanted to end the tour so they could buy one. Then they all said their fast goodbyes and Thanked us again for the hundredth time and left.

Oh, Sister Fisher and I tried to get their information so we could send the missionaries to their house, but I don't think that they understood us.They said they will find them themselves and they know where they are at. I was worried that I wouldn't get their information and that maybe I didn't understand them enough and maybe I was misunderstanding what they were saying the whole time during the tour--but then I felt a overwhelming sense of peace and I knew that God had them in mind and that our job was to give them the Book of Mormon and one day they will be baptized.

The reaction that they had when I gave them the Book of Mormon is one that I will never forget. They both were so excited and joy filled their hearts. They looked like they were holding precious gold. They came so far to get their hand on a Book of Mormon and I have a copy sitting in my locker and two more in my apartment. It made me think "Do I react that same way when I read out of the Book of Mormon?" "Do I hold it to my chest making sure that no one will take it away from me?" "Do I try and strengthen my testimony about the Book of Mormon everyday?" "And if I don't....what do I need to do so I can react the same way like my Indian friends did?"

There are many more miracles that happened this week--but this was one I wanted to share with you. I'm teaching a lady in Georgia and she accepted to become baptized on April 13th. I'm not sure if that is going to happen, because she is moving around that time so we will see!! I let you know that happens

I love you all and I have such a strong testimony about the Book of Mormon along with prayer. I know that when we read the Book of Mormon we will be able to get answers to all of our questions! Spiritually and temporally! I pray for you everyday and I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Opeda

Week Nine - Hi!

ALOHA!

So the other day I wore a flower in my hair, a shell necklace thing that I borrowed from another sister missionary, and my tag that has an America flag (because I'm Filipino and can only speak English...) So I pretty much looked like I was from Hawaii and so whenever I greeted guest I said "Aloha!' But I would end up laughing and thoroughly embarrassing myself that Sister Fisher pretty much said "Sister... I think you are freaking out the guest." So I had to stop...mah bad.

Another funny story....

So yesterday was transfer conference. We had to be at the Tabernacle at 6:50am to get our new companions, zones, assignments, and whether we are moving or not. I'm staying with Sister Fisher again this transfer and we are still in the Beehive House but our p-days changed to Tuesdays to Wednesdays. So guess what... I'm emailing you tomorrow too! :) So since we had to be on the square so early in the morning we didn't have time to eat breakfast so after transfer Conference Sister Fisher and I were going to get something to eat at City Creek (the mall next to the Square). So as we were waiting to cross the street, I saw a gentlemen with his wife, and another man that could be their 20+ year old son. When I saw the family walking I turned to Sister Fisher and said "Hahah Sister Fisher look! Doesn't that guy look like Mitt Romney?" And she glances over and said " Uhmm Sister Opeda, that is Mitt Romney" Then I said " WHATTT!?! asufuiebhjasduiwebh OH MAH GOODNESS YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT IS MITT ROMNEY!" Ha we both couldn't believe that saw him. He was going to the Deseret Book Company. I bet he is writing a book. We also both acknowledged that his son is pretty attractive. I'm actually not sure if he is, but from far away we could tell that he dresses really nice. HA

So later that day we went to Kneaders for lunch. We actually ran out of food, but no worries--we are going shopping today. Nanay and Tatay, I have a Filipino sister who doesn't know how to make adobo...guess who is going to teach her... I AM! I know, you're so proud. So anyways while we are waiting for our food to be done a black man walks into Kneaders, he looks to be about 24, and he looks so familiar! I couldn't remember where I recognized him from. I knew that it wasn't from school and it wasn't from Las Vegas either. Then finally I remembered watching a "I'm a Mormon" video the other day of a black kid who was homeless, and met missionaries then got baptized. So then I turned to Sister Fisher and said "Hahah Hey look Sister Fisher, that kid looks like Paris from the I'm a Mormon videos." then she said "Uhmmm Sister Opeda, that is Paris from I'm a Mormon." So I was obviously staring and looking like a complete idiot and I really wanted to know if it was him. So I went up to him and I asked. Turns out homeboy is Paris from I'm a Mormon! We ended up chatting and asking him how he got on to I'm a Mormon and how he does firesides for the youth in some peoples ward. It was cool. Two celebrities in one day!
Here is his I'm a Mormon video if you haven't seen it yet: http://mormon.org/paris/

So this week has been insane. We are trying to prepare for General Conference so we are constantly calling our member referrals and updating our online areabook so no one gets lost when Conference comes. Since transfer conference was yesterday there are a lot of sisters that are going outbound so they have to transfer all of their investigators to all the sisters that are going to be staying. So that added to the pile of people that we need to call and teach. Its the best when you are so tired and you keep on working as hard as you can and people ask a question about the gospel and all of a sudden something comes out of your mouth and you had no idea what was just said. That is when you know that the spirit is with you helping you teaching to your investigators.

So Sister Fisher and I have this investigator named Stephen and he is from Tennessee. Sister Fisher met him the week before we became companions. Stephen is so great! He was in SLC to audition for a grad program at the U and decided to stop at Temple Square for a tour. So anyways this whole transfer we have been calling him twice a week and teaching him the lessons over the phone. He met with the missionaries in his local area, was reading the Book of Mormon, even bought himself a quad with his name engraved on it. And he was on date to get baptized on Saturday. Stephen is so golden! He would tell us "I don't know why it says the Book of Mormon is ANOTHER testament of Christ. It should say IT IS the testament of Christ, because it teaches more about Jesus than the Bible does!" He got into the grad program at the U and he was getting ready to be baptized. A couple of days before his baptism he got a call from his parents saying that they wouldn't come to his baptism and that he is a grown man and he can make his own choices. His parents aren't at all supportive to his decision and when we talked to him, you could tell that he was heart broken, because he really wanted to have his family support him on this. When we talked to him we tried to encourage him that he was making the right decision and we told him that he should pray for comfort and strength. Anyways its been almost a week since the last time we talked to him...and we think that he backed out. Sister Fisher and I were in the slumps these last couple of days because we are so worried about him. We don't know what happened and he won't return our calls. It is just heart breaking because we know that he is making the right decision and he is a great guy, but Satan is just ridiculous and doesn't want him to be happy. We just hope and pray that he is still continuing reading and praying everyday.

So another one of my investigators Nathan is just a whole other story. Nathan is a less active member and he has so many issues!  He knows that there is a God, but he doesn't believe that he cares at all for him. Last time that we talked on the phone it was a really hard time emotionally to talk to him because he was so pessimistic. His heart is so hard and I have no idea how to help him. He needs to build his faith in Jesus Christ and know that the Atonement covers all of his sins. Not even that--but the Atonement can replace all the guilt and shame that he is holding on to, with joy and peace. He can find comfort in his Savior but he doesn't want to do anything about it. Sister Fisher says that I should drop him in the next week if he is not progressing because his heart is so hard. But I don't know if I can, because he is so lost right now and I know this can help him. Sister Fisher always says "We might drop him, but the Lord won't" Which is true, I guess I need the faith to drop. Ahh the hardest part of missionary work.

Family, I love you. I hope and pray that you are all doing okay. I saw Ryan the other day. That is a whole other story, but he told me that everyone is doing great! That was a tender mercy from the Lord And Krista you're going to New Jersey?! Say What?! Send me a shirt? haha jk. I hope you are all trying your best to keep the commandments
  
Mosiah 7:33 But if ye will ^aturn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all ^bdiligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.
All the love,

Sister Opeda

P.S. Ill send pictures tomorrow!
P.S.S. Send me pictures please!

Week Eight - Herro Famalia

Dear Family,

So before I forget, the First Presidency sent a letter to all the mission presidents saying that missionaries are now allowed to email family, friends and new converts! So if you guys could send my email to Rachel and Tamara and really whoever wants to send me a letter, you can give them my email and I can email them back. Also President Gillette gave us 2 hours on the computer to email family and  friends! WOOT WOOT!

This transfer has been going so fast! We have transfer conference on monday! This transfer is only 5 weeks long because we had to be on the same schedule as the MTC. So next week I might be getting a new companion. Normally Sister Fisher and I would stay together for 2 transfers because she is training me, but she is at the point in her mission where she might get sent outbound. So I might get a new trainer on monday, we will see! Everyday though goes by so fast. I can't believe that my 1st transfer is almost done!

So last night I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you all. I was looking in my journal to see what miracles happened this last week that I can tell you all about. As I was looking in my journal almost everyday this week I wrote "I never want to go back to the person that I was before my mission." Yesterday I went to a meeting with President and his APs. Its called the "Endure it Well" meeting where we talk about what we have learned during this transfer. After we all talked we watched a MTC devotional of Jeffery R Holland talking about how we as missionaries need to be converted to the gospel first before we are to convert others. It was a really powerful talk and in his last few moments he gave the same sermon that he did in this last General Conference about Peter and his sheep. I just remember feeling that I never want to be like the person I was before me mission. I never want to turn my back on Christ. I read in Alma 5 where Alma is talking to his people about Christ. That is a really powerful chapter. I recommend that you all read it.

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the ^aimage of God engraven upon your countenances?

 26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a ^achange of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the ^bsong of redeeming love, I would ask, ^ccan ye feel so now?

I love these two scriptures because I have felt the change of heart. I am striving to have my image of God engraven into my countenance. I feel it everyday.

Something that was said in sacrament meeting was about Jesus Christ Atonement. The atonement is something that we can apply in our lives daily. We can feel that change of heart if we repent of our sins and we look to Jesus Christ for strength.

We are not meant to live in sorrow and guilt. We are meant to be happy and find joy in our life. Jesus Christ is the only way we can have that joy. He wants us to be happy. So be happy and follow Jesus Christ everyday! Make that commitment that you will find happiness. I want you all to be happy like I am, and I know that God and his son Jesus Christ wants you to be happy too.

I love you all,

Sister Opeda

Week Seven - Waddup!

Hello Family!

So this week has been full of miracles! We have been able to contact so many people and really help them understand where they can find real happiness. Uhm we were able to meet a guy this is from Germany and is studying in Austria. He is a really nice guy and when I first met him I asked him what he was doing here in Salt Lake. He told Sister Fisher and I that he was just touring the States by himself and that he wanted to see Utah. He also told us that we were the first LDS he has ever met! We started to talk to him about the Book of Mormon and how it can benefit him in his life. And I just remember thinking "Oh my goodness, this kid is from Germany, touring the states and he just so happened to stop in Salt Lake, decided that he wanted to go to Temple Square, walk into the North Visitor Center where Sister Fisher and I were at, and we just so happened to be the first missionaries that he has ever met?! GOD SENT HIM TO US!" That was seriously my though process and I was just floored. He wanted to know so much more! We got his number and his email and we will be calling him this next week when he is back in Austria. Crazy!

So I am finally passed off! So here at Temple Square all the sisters have to give our Zone Leaders a tour of Temple Square and we need to be able to include church history, gospel doctrine, bridge any resource to doctrine. So you need to be passed off in order to take investigator lessons and any tours from West Gate (People that walk in and want a tour). Investigator lessons are when Elders from the Salt Lake City Missions take their investigators. So there have been a lot of investigator lessons coming in and Sister Fisher and I couldn't take them because I wasn't passed off yet. So I finally was able to be passed off this week! We planned on getting passed off the first week but our Zone Leaders schedule and our schedule never matched up. If was perfect timing because right when we got done with the pass off, there was a last minute investigator lesson that wasn't scheduled and Sister Fisher and I took it. 

The people we took on tours were actually from Samoa. Faithful and her Auntie are already baptized but they are inactive. So the commitment was to get them to church. It was such a powerful tour. We helped them understand that church is a commandment of Got and when we got to church is when we can show our love for our Savior by partaking of the sacrament. We also get the blessing of being forgiven of our sins and having his spirit to be with us. We were trying to figure out the reason why they haven't been going, they said that work gets in the way and sometimes it's hard to get it off. We told them that if they committed to go to church that God will provide a way so that they can make it, because it is so important that  we do go to church. Anyways after we showed them painting of Church we took them to God's Plan and at the very end Faithful's  Auntie started crying and she said that she wants her whole family to be embraced in God's arms. She said that her family in Samoa haven't accepted the church and that she not understands that she needs to be an example to them so one day they can be sealed in the Temple. She also told us that reason why they haven't been going to church is that they don't feel welcomed in the ward that they are assigned to. Auntie said that she hears people talk about her and that she doesn't feel like she can be around those people. Faithful agreed too because on one has tried to reach out to her. It broke my heart hearing that because the only reason why she hasn't' been going to church was because no one tried to make her feel welcomed which is something that could be easily fixed. Not going to lie, it also reminded me of our family and I couldn't help but tear up a bit as well. The spirit was so strong and Auntie and Faithful went to church the next day! I told the Elders afterwards that he should find someone in the ward who would be their friend. Miracles happen family!

So after the sisters get passed off the sisters get to ear at the Lion House FOR FREE! Best meal ever! We went with Sister Bahr and Sister Lee. Sister Bahr and I came to Temple Square at the same time. I ate the salmon and it was DA BEST! Not as good as the family's but it was much better than the ramen I have been eating lately. No worries Nay (It means 'mom' in tagalog-Kariza), it's p-day so I'm going to buy real food for real people!

I love and miss you all! God loves us, Christ lives, and they can make us happy if we let them. 

Sister Opeda

P.S. Kuya you should come to the "Music Around the World" March 15th 7:30. The seats are first come first serve. Just saying. If you can't no biggie!

We had a tour of all the Organs in Temple Square. Coolest thing ever!

 We were able to attend Music and the Spoken word. AMAZING!

 Look Nay! God sent me to a place where I am able to use phones and I can chat with people! HA

 After I got passed off we ate at the Lion House for dinner. Dinner was on the mission!

Week Six - Miracles

Family!

It feels like I just emailed you yesterday. The days are long, but the weeks go by so fast. Its the weirdest thing I tell you! It is so great to hear from all of you! Your emails are so inspiring and I'm

 really feeling the love guys. (I hope you can hear my sarcasm). On the realies no emails?! Its okay cause I know that you all love me. But I want to know what is going on with the family too! I teach families all day and I have no idea what is going on with mine. :P

So you know how I was telling you that we are the missionaries that people chat with when they go on mormon.org? Well to be perfectly honest I really don't like chatting. For one, I'm a slow typer compared to my companion, and most of the chats that I have received are trolls. Trolls are people who go on chat and like to mess with the missionaries and ask stupid questions like "How do magnets work" I hate it, because I feel like that I'm wasting my time talking to people like that. Anyways Sister Fisher keeps on telling me that there are so many chat miracles and that they will come. So earlier this week we were blessed with a chat miracle. Aimee is a student in Missiouri. She came on chat and the first thing that she said was "I really want to go to a Mormon church, but would it be weird if I attended if I wasn't a member?" We continued to tell her that everyone is welcomed to come to church, and we asked if she would be willing to meet with the missionaries in her local area. She said that she would love to! She also agreed for us to call her and teach her more about the church! The cool thing is that she is so prepared! She said that she has always been drawn to the Mormon faith and she wants to have the same truth and knowledge that her member friends have! I know that God is preparing people for me to teach. He is preparing all of his children to come unto him.

We are also teaching a Southern baptist from Tennessee who is getting baptized in two weeks! Alex is also an investigator that I met my second day here. And we have been teaching him over the phone and last night he agreed to meet with missionaries and to receive a Book of Mormon. I love teaching the gospel and it makes me so happy! I hope you all can understand if I don't want to come back home! :P

Cool thing that our mission is doing, is we are having a production called "Music from around the World" Where all the Temple Square sisters are preforming a song/dance from their country. I'm actually participating in the Polynesians number. We are singing a song from Hawaii and I'm in a Samoan dance thingy! I'm also in the Choir which is cool! They say that the Prophet is invited, so this is the only reason why I'm actually doing it. Haha how cool would it be if I were to sing Aloha Oi to Thomas S. Monson?! SO COOL! It is on March 15th and it is free and open to the public. It is going to be in the Assembly Hall at 7...7:30? It is open to the public so if you so happen to be in SLC that day you should come and watch! 

Conference is around the corner and we are all preparing for it. I heard that conference is crazy but so much fun. Everyone says that people are so prepared when they come to watch conference. Also all the members are so willing to give us referrals so we can call their friends and share with them the gospel. Plus we get to go watch a session of conference too. There are a lot of perks to being a missionary in Temple Square. Like how we get General Authorities speak to us during Relief Society and Sacrament. On Sunday Elder Richard G. Hinckley and Sister Jane Hinckely came and spoke to us sisters. When Elder Hinkley was speaking I would close my eyes and he sounded just like his father! For Relief Society we were able to hear from Carol Ann Stevens a counselor for the General Relief Society Presidency. The spirit that they bring in and the uplifting they give is amazing. Some told me that Temple Square missionaries are spoiled. They're right.

I love you family and I hope you email me soon!

Love,

Sister Opeda

P.S. Here are more pictures of my first day here.
P.S.S. Kuya may you please send me the pictures of when the family dropped me off at the MTC? I have no pictures of anyone and I would like some of my pretty, pretty family! :) 

Week Five - Temple Square

Dear Family,

I HAVE ARRIVED! I am finally at Temple Square and I absolutely love it here! I have had the best days of my life so far. I love teaching about families, temples, Jesus Christ and meeting the needs of everyone that I meet. When I teach the investigators, I feel the Gods love for all of his children and I get the opportunity to feel how God feels about that individual. Goodness, it is too wonderful to even describe. But know that I am so unbelievably happy here! I pretty much dread thinking about leaving and I just got here.

So I got to Temple Square last Wednesday. We woke up at 4:15 packed last minute things and waited for the bus to drive us up to Salt Lake. It was obviously a short trip, but it was nice to take a nap right before I met President. So as soon as we got there we went to the mission home, which is actually the basement of the South Visitors Center. As soon as we got there we were able to meet President and Sister Gillette as well as my Trainer, Sister Fisher! Sister Fisher is from Dallas, Texas and is amazing! If I express any sort of concern she always says "It's alright.." in the most Texan accent ever. At first it was slightly annoying, but its grown on me. She definitely helps me understand that I wont become the best missionary overnight. But just as long as we are working hard everyday is all that matters. Before I came Sister Fisher had some investigators that she was already teaching. Tanja from Croatia, Harold from Malawi, and a few others here in the States. Ill tell you about that a little later. I've learned a lot from her. She is really good at  teaching things simply and powerfully. That is something that I need to work on. I found out that I tend to ramble...and it makes guests really confused. But don't you fret familia, I'm working on it. I thought that I would have a problem going up to strangers and talking to them, but it is so much fun. You really don't know who you are going to meet at all on the Square so it is such an adventure. I met this one guy from Sweden and he was telling me how he thinks that Jesus Christ was a great guy and all, but he doesn't understand how it was at all divine. I really wanted to say "UHMMMM is it divine because he DIED for your sins so you can make it back to your Father in Heaven who loves you! DUH!" But I didn't say that cause that would have been rude. I just bore him my testimony of Christ and he walked away. I do know that he felt the spirit because I could see it in his eyes but he denied it anyways. That's okay because he will remember the time he was in Temple Square and this little Asian girl talked about Jesus Christ. I planted the seed. :)

We get so many teaching opportunities here at Temple Square. We teach so many people everyday, on the Square and over the phone and on chat. So half the time on the the Square, the other half I'm either in the Beehive house give tours, or I'm on chat talking to people all over the world. You know on mormon.org it says "Chat with us today!" It is actually a several sister missionaries in all Visitor Centers and Elders too. So that is where we do a lot of teaching, is in the Teaching Center. That is why we are teaching people all over the world. There is a Filipino sister in my district and she is teaching people the lessons over the phone. I'm not sure if they are getting baptized, but Sister Macaldo is trying her best! We actually have a guy named Stephen in Arkansas and he has committed to be baptized! YAY! He is definitely prepared! He loves reading the Book of Mormon and he prays to God all the TIME! Last time we talked to him he was praying and he said "Well God, thank you for sending me these sister missionaries to teach me more about you and your son. I'm so glad that I can prepare to see you again...well actually to prepare to live with you again..." At that moment we knew that he understood about his purpose here. He understood that we can live with our Heavenly Father again wasn't just a nice idea! He knew it was the truth! Sister Fisher and I about died of happiness.

As a missionary "Our purpose is to help others come unto Jesus Christ by helping them..." helping them, not forcing them to follow the commandments, we are simply just guides to help them understand that they are loved and that they can be happy. Sometimes I want to force it in their life, but I know that it wont do them any good. They have to accept it for themselves in order for it to really something to them. We helped Stephen understand that there happiness that he can receive here in this life. He doesn't have to settle in this life! He can have all the blessings that God is WILLING to give us. We just need to show him that we want it.

Family, I love you so much. Family is really where we can have the purest form of love and joy. That is why God gave us families is so we can feel loved. Know, that I have so much love for all of you! You are all the BESTEST EVER!



-Sister Opeda


P.S. Tatay may I have all the names, addresses, phone numbers of all the family in the Philippines. I have filipino sister missionary friends that would LOVE to make new friends. :)
P.S.S. May I also have the birthdays and the names of everyone in our family.....extended family included? I only want the dead ones...I want to do my genealogy.
P.S.S. Ill send more pictures later. :)

Week Four - Visitor Center Training

FAMILY!

So first I want to say thank you for all the packages that you sent me. I've received a lot of letters and packages yesterday for my birthday and it really made that day special for me. Being at the MTC is really hard and when you get letters it really makes your whole day turn around. Tatay thank you for all the chocolates and manon! I pretty much died when I saw it because I was really  craving it the other day! Way to listen to the spirit Tatay! :) Also can you please relay a message to Jacqueline. Tell her thanks for my birthday package as well. We weren't able to open the sparkeling cider, but we are going to open it before we leave for the field. Also I got a cookie cake from the Flores family in the card they mentioned seeing Tatay at the CES convention last month! Thanks Kuya for the cupcakes. I went to get my mail and all the Elders around were all "Whoa Sister you need help eating that?" haha I gave some to my district and my Branch Presidency. Ive seen Sister Wright a couple of times and her and her comp are going to come and grab a cupcake too. I still have a ton left over even after I gave some away. So needless to say my 22nd brithday was great. The only thing is that I got so much sweets I dont know how I will be able to eat them all!

So I just want to let you know the events that has happened in this last week. My district left on monday morning for New Mexico. The night before they left we all had a testimony meeting and all the Elders gave Sister Hillam and I a priesthood blessing. All of the Elders are 18 or 19 and are all great missionaries. When I first met them I was so annoyed because all they did was goof off. Marjoity of them are really immature and just messed around. It was so hard to get the spirit into our class the first week. Eventualy I can see the change in all of the Elders. I'm really not doing justice on how they really changed, but I really grew to love each and everyone of the Elders. That night when they gave us blessings I couldn't stop crying. I have such a hard time saying good bye to people and especially since I know I will probably never see half of them again. Elder Bowman gave me the blessing and I really felt the love that God has for me, but I also felt the love that the Lord has for those men. It was a really great experience and I wish I was eloquent enough to really describe to you how it was. Just know that it was really hard to say goodbye.

Since our elders left it was only sister Hillam and I as a district so the until wednesday we combined with the other girls that are going to Visitor Centers. Then on wednesday we were put in another district full of just sisters. everyone in our district are either going to Temple sqaure, San Diego, Washingon D.C., or the Winter Quarters. There are 13 of us and we get more training as missionaries. On wednesday we actually got the opprotunity to go to temple square and have a tour from one of the sister missionaries there. On saturday we are going to go back there and we are going to go on splits with missionaries there and actually have our tours with real people. At the MTC we do a lot of role playing so all the teaching opprotunites Ive had are ones that were made up. So it will be so awesome to actually go there and get a taste of what Ill be doing for the next 17 months. The visitor center trianing is amazing. We have THE best teachers here in the MTC. I have learned so much in the last two days than I have ever learned in the last three weeks Ive been here. It is so wonderful and challegning. I know a lot about the gospel but I have never thought that it would be this hard teaching it. I think that Im doing pretty well as a missionary and with all the fundamentals that they have taught me, but there is definitely so much room for improvement!

I only have 5 mintues left before my time is up, but I want to let you all know that I love you all so much. I pray every night that you all will be okay. I really worry about you all the time. But in this last devotional that we had, our speaker said "If you worry about some elses (family), then the Lord will have someone worry about yours." That really hit home for me because I just want the best happiness for you all and I know that the best happiness that you can ever have his through this gospel. I know that ALL of you know that! I know you all have a testimony like I do! So please DO NOT PRETEND that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father arent there for you! CAUSE THEY ARE! Please know will all the bottom of my heart that I have a testimony of this gospel. I love Jesus Christ and for everything that he has done for me.

I love you all,

Sister Opeda

P.S. Kariza can you please do me a favor and get everyones birthdays for me? Also you can post all the letters that I send to you on my blog. I really don't have any time or the talent to write two meaningful letters in 30 mintues. So you can post all of them!

P.S. You do know that the Spanish call was a JOKE right?! Hahah Goodness Ive had so many Dear Elders and letters from so many people congratulating me on going Spanish speaking. I'm speaking English, and if I had to speak another one I would DEMAND Tagalog! 

Week Three - Part Two

Dear Family,

So I don't think that you guys got my joke about serving Spanish speaking. I was kidding. My friend emailed me and said congrats on speaking English and mentioned how excited he was that he could see me here in the MTC before I left. I broke the news to him that I wasn't going Spanish speaking hah If anything I should be called to Tagalog speaking! REPRESENT!

So this is my last week here with the Elders in my district they leave on monday to New Mexico. Its going to be hard because I have really grown to love each and everyone of them. I have considered them as family and its hard to say goodbye knowing that I probably won't see them ever again. Some of the Elders went to BYUI before their mission so they said we all need to hangout when they get back but I would have been graduated by then. I told them that I hope I get sent to Farmington, New Mexico for my out-bound so we can serve together again. Elder Linds birthday was yesterday, so Sister Hillam and I decorated our classroom and got him a couple of his favorite things as a gift. We also made him a rememberance journal and had our branch presidency, our district, and some other Elders and Sisters in our zone write in it. He loved it. When he started reading some of the things in it, I swear I thought I saw a tear forming.

Sister Hillam and I have one more week here in the MTC. We have to do Vistor Center Training and learn how to give tours by the spirit. Sounds easy enough, but its hard to know what you need to teach your invetigators. We need to discern peoples needs within minutes of talking to them. I'm sure Tatay and Kuya knows what I mean. Its harder than people think. But it is worth every minute of it. I have had THE BEST time here. Everyday I learn something new and I'm always striving to become better. There are days when things get really hard and other days when you are on cloud nine. I have learned to trust more in the Lord and not think too much about hard days. Brother McClain and Brother Combs are my two teachers here in the MTC. Bro McClain served his mission in California and Bro combs served in Uganda. They both teach me so much. Bro McClain really knows how to challenge us so we can be better than the class before. And when Bro Combs talks about his mission, you know that he loved every minute of it. He gets so excited when he talks about talking to investigators or when he tells us that the Lord is preparing people for me to teach already. I can really explain it, but trust me when I say that they were meant to teach me. Its going to be hard to say goodbye to them too. But I told them that they both need to get married in the Salt Lake Temple so we can see them get married!

So I don't know if I told you this but we do A TON of role playing here in the MTC. Bro Combs and McClain pretend that they are someone else and the companionships teach them all the lessons and try to commit them to be baptized. Well I want to tell you about Stephen. Stephen is actually Bro McClain, he is someone that he taught on his mission. But anways Stephen is 22 and really shy. He has a girlfriend that is a member and works at some travel place. He is really logical. He believes in God but he thinks that God is too busy to anser his prayers. So anyways this is our third time teaching Stephen and we have committed him to read the Book of Mormon. At this point he hasn't read it and doesn't see the reason why it is going to benefit his life. So Sister Hillam and I decided that we should all read together so we can help him receive revelation from the Book of Mormon. So we proceeded to read from it, but I knew that Stephen wasn't being receptive to what we were saying. He said something about how his girlfriends dad would read at FHE the times that he went with his girlfriend. I asked him if he felt anything when he went to FHE and he said no. Then he said something about how his girlfriends dad knows a lot about scripture and how he cant receive his own revelation because he is not as knowledgable about the Book of Mormon than others. I asked him why he thought that and he said that he didn't have a father that read scriptures with him. Then I said, "Stephen, dont you know that your Father in Heaven is reading along with you?" Pure silence came and the spirit was so strong. I looked at Stephen and he started to cry. He told us how his dad wasn't the best and he asked me if his dad would ever change. I told him that if he committed to read, pray and get baptized that his father would change through his example. I started to cry when I bore my testimony of Christ. Though the whole lesson was a role play, the spirit was so real. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. When you have the opportunity to change the lives of the people you meet is so rewarding.

I love this gospel so much. I love Jesus Christ and what he did for me. Please don't ever forget that God loves you, and that Jesus Christ loves you. Go to church. Do not deny the blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give to you. I love you all so much. I think and pray for you guys all the time.

Love you,

Sister Opeda

P.S. Sorry for all the typos. I have to type fast cause I'm running out of time to type. Plus Kuya stole all the computer talent from the family.

Week Three - Part One

Hola Familia!

Guess what?! My mission president send me a letter and they told me that I'm going to be speaking Spanish in Temple Square! So I'll be here for another 7 weeks!!!! AHHHH SO CRAZY RIGHT?! JUST KEEDING!

This is not my weekly letter, I just want to send you guys some pictures. I'll send you an email later today!

So majority of the pictures are me and my district. There is one of me in the laundry room. One with me, my comp, and my teacher Brother Combs. Some of my roommates at the temple as well. I'll write later today!
Love you all!

Sister Opeda

P.S. Kuya I sent you tie clips.
P.S.S. Kariza my email address is on my FB already.
P.S X 10 send me Dear Elders. So its easier to email you later. I only have half an hour on the computer so my time is limited.

Week Two

Hello Family,

I'm not sure if you guys received my email last week or not, but I just want to tell you all that I'm alive! Saturdays are my p-day and I'm going to be here in the MTC till February 13th!

The MTC is amazing. The spirit is so strong here and I can't believe that I've been here for 10 days already. Someone told me something that relates to my experience here in the MTC. The MTC is like trying to take a drink out of hose that is bursting in your face. The MTC is a tad overwhelming. The reason why I say that is because they really make sure you know what you are talking about. As representatives of Christ we need to make sure that we conduct ourselves in a way Christ would. I always thought that I was really knowledgeable about the gospel. But here in the MTC, they make you think about the gospel in a different way. Our job is invite others to Christ by helping them understand the importance to follow Him in every way. I simply can't just walk up to someone and tell them our church is true if I cant relate it to them. The investigator needs to understand the importance of this gospel in their lives. We as missionaries need to make sure we make the connections that they would need to better understand that importance of following Christ. It sounds easy, but the hard part is making your investigators know how much you care to help them. We have to ask personal questions about their lives so they can see the connection we are trying to make for them. Its hard because some people don't want to open up. How do you make someone know you care in just a matter of minutes? I have felt Gods love for his children as I taught role play lessons in our class. God really wants us to come follow Christ and I know that! I want everyone I meet to understand that. I know I have good intentions, but to the world I'm just another nut case trying to convince them to follow our church. That's not true. This is the true church here on earth. I feel it in the very deepest part of my heart. Its just been a struggle trying to let someone know that!! Anyway, I know this letter is short, but I'll try better this time. I want all of you to know that this is the true church. Goodness, I hope you can feel how strong my conviction is about this. I have been loving every minute here in the MTC. I'm going to be THE BEST MISSIONARY in Temple Square.

I love you all. I miss you too. Write me back. I want to hear from you!

Love,

Sister Opeda

P.S. If you sign up for a Dear Elder account, you can write me a letter online and I will get it the same day that you write it. Then when I get on here I can write you a massive letter and respond to what you have said on Dear Elder. :) Just go on Dearelder.com or google it.

Week One

Hello Family!

Everyone here says that if you make it to sunday then you will be golden. I'm not really sure what that means. I think they are saying that things will get easier. Sundays are the days that you get spiritual upliftment and everything that you learn on that day is really needed for us new missionaries. There are a lot of people here who are new to living away from family. I guess since I've been in college for a a couple of years it's not that bad for me. So saturdays are my P-Days here in the MTC and I'll be here till Feburary 13th. So how are you all? How was the drive back to Las Vegas?

So Im really enjoying my time here in the MTC. The second day was rough. I think the reason why was because I now have someone else that follows me and that I need to mak sure is doing okay. Sister Hilliam is my companion and she is from St. Louis. She is really outspoken and is the person that is always willing to comment. Which is great. Sometimes its hard to get a word in because she is so outspoken. But that is probably the reason why she is going to Temple Square. Needless to say I've learned a lot about patiences with Sister Hilliam. There is ten of us in the district and everyone is 18 or 19. Ha Yeah talk about feeling like an old lady. Everyone assumes that Im 19 as well. Little do they know that I'll be turning 22 in a few weeks! A lot of the Elders in my district are from Idaho which is really cool. Elder Bowman was Kuya's neighbor at Bountiful. Seriously I come to the MTC and SOMEONE knows Kuya.

So I don't have a lot of time. But my Branch President said something that I will never for get "An average missionary is never remembered". That hit me really hard. I've only been here three days. but I have such a strong conviction of this gospel. I want everyone to come to Christ.  I want to live by exact obedience. I want to change the lives of the people I meet. AHHH goodness this church is so true. Sorry I have to cut this short. I just met Elders who are going to Las Vegas!

I love you all!

Sister Opeda