6 Months This Week!

September 13th 2010

Buenos Dias! Today is a good day :) This weekend was amazing! And overall things are going good. Mom, Dad, and to all my four beautiful younger sisters- thank you so much for sending me that recording of you guys! I loved it! It wouldn't work at first, but where there is a will, there is a way, so I found out the only way it would play would be on a computer. SO the Burnett's, being as kind as they are, let me listen to it on their computer. I loved the talks Mom and Dad, and you made me sound better than I am. But it was tender to hear from you that you are proud of me and the changes you've seen over the last 6 months. I feel so incredibly different than I was when I first entered the MTC. Through every experience, both good and bad, I have learned and grown so much. I hardly even recognize myself anymore :)

I started feeling a unique sense of spiritual maturity these last couple weeks. I have noticed these leaps in seeing myself mature more spiritually at different turning points throughout my mission thus far. But this feeling I've had these last couple weeks, stems from I think the mere-fact that I am coming up on my 6 month mark this Friday! Can you believe I have been out here for that long? Well, I can't. And for these last couple weeks, I've been really beginning to feel like an "experienced" missionary. Now, I know that I'm no where near perfect as a missionary, but I've really begun to feel like reaching this land mark of 6 months is a huge stepping stone. Of course, my goals as far as hoping to be fluent in the language by this point on my mission might have been a little incredulous, but the language has been coming little by little, day by day. And with transfers coming up this next week, I can't help but also feel that the Lord has been preparing me for another opportunity to be stretched and to grow, as well as maybe another opportunity to lead as it was stated in my setting apart blessing. Whether that means I will be leaving the area, or that I will be training again, or what...I do not know. But I do feel that there is definitely something significant in the works that will be coming my way in the near future. Maybe not this transfer, but I'm leaning toward it happening sooner than later. Sister Perez and I have now been serving together for almost 2 full transfers (that's 3 months) which is a long chunk of time in the real world. We have become very close and work well together as a team, which leaves reason to believe that now after serving this long together, it is time for us to grow a little more and share our experiences with a new companion. SO sadly, yes, more than likely Sister Perez and I could be separated..but we both have accepted the fact and will do whatever it is that the Lord asks of us. Our prayers have been with President Palmer a lot these last few weeks. If there's one thing I do know about him, is that he is truly an inspired man and that He will do what the Lord asks of him to do. So, you will all hear the verdict of what will be happening next transfer next week! Be excited! Because in the life of a missionary, these are the types of things missionaries get kind of "hyped" up about lol.

Well let's see, well now for one of the bigger highlights of the week. Yesterday, Neftali was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood in the office of Priest. Wow was this such a powerful experience to be apart of. I have never before sat in on a blessing where someone received the Priesthood. I already have a significantly strong testimony of the Priesthood, but being able to sit in when Neftali was ordained was just amazing! Brother King ordained him and the blessing that proceeded was truly inspired. Oh how amazing is it to be able to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ truly take hold on someone and change their life! I feel so incredibly blessed to have been a small part in teaching and bringing him unto Christ. Also, Koty gave his conversion story in Sacrament meeting yesterday. It was interesting to hear everything from his perspective and how he shared the different significant events that happened while we were teaching him. While he was speaking, the spirit washed over me like a warm blanket and my heart was truly touched by the power of the spirit. My entire being it seemed was full of so much joy, and it made me think of the scripture that says something along the lines of, "how great shall be your joy if you shall bring one soul into the gospel, and how much greater will be your joy save you shall bring many souls." Being able to witness the miracle of conversion take place within these two fine young men. They are going to change lives and will be the legacy who brought their future posterity into the true gospel that is here upon the earth today!

Well, once again I'm out of time. I hope you enjoyed my last 2 tapes. I miss you all so very much! Thank you for all you love, support and prayers. They are needed daily.

I know this work is truly the Lord's work. I know that this church is true and that we do have a living prophet on the earth today. Conference will be coming up in just a few weeks, so I hope you all can take some time aside to help prepare yourselves spiritually to receive divine guidance and answers to your own personal questions and concerns. I know that Heavenly Father does hear and answer prayers and that He loves each and everyone of us beyond compare. One more year family, and I will be on a plane coming home. I pray that this next year, you each will be able to discover more profoundly the beauitiful blessings that this gospel brings to us in our lives. As we are faithful and obedient, the Lord will watch over us and help us to become the men and women in whom we were foreordained and destined to become. I know this to be true! I love you!