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. :)
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