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