Dear Wonderful family of mine!
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY NICOLE! i promise i was thinking of you on your birthday. i'm going to track jon down on monday to get your address! sure love you!
This week has been so great! Relief Society was amazing and President Rasband (yes, as in president of the quorem of the 70s) came for our devotional this week. He talked a lot about the temple. it was so so neat! It made me pay much more attention to specific parts of the temple. We went to the temple this morning. i loved it! There is something so special about the spirit in the temple, almost a heaven on earth. it is neat to know that everyone around me has made the same committments to the gospel that i have.
So, our investigators that are actually our teachers are definitely progressing :) We also went to the TRC three times. Our last visit was with a woman named hailey. She really is catholic but was excited to listen to us. It was nice to teach someone that isn't just acting like they don't already know what we are telling them. She asked some really good questions. I hope we get the chance to meet with her next week. We talked about the atonement. One of my favorite things about being here in the MTC is the incredible resources i have. The teachers, the branch president, zone leaders, district leader, worskshop teacher (especially jon) all work so hard to help us. Although i have no clue who specifically i will get to teach i KNOW that people are waiting for the gospel and i'm excited to work to find them. The gospel of Jesus Christ can bless EVERYONE'S lives. No matter who you are, the personalization of the principles of the gospel WILL bless you! That is why it is so important to take the message of Christ's restored church to everyone. I was advised by one teacher to study and teach the simple things of the gospel. This, according to Wilford Woodruff, was the key to his success. He said pick out the simple things of the gospel then study those simple principles deeply through study. For example, Faith is so simple but we can study it deeply by reading all about it and applying it to our lives. until it is applied, we will never truly gain a testimony nor understanding of it! I hope you all know that i have a personal testimony the Jesus Christ and His atonement. An elder in my district apparently had some problems. I don't understand the details but he met with many leaders many times. He later bore his testimony of the atonement and shared that he didn't expect to still be here. From day one to now, the atonement was a key part in his progression. He is a great teacher now and someone i greatly respect! Like him, the atonement has been a key toi helping me become a better teacher, companion, friend, listener...everything really! All progression in the gospel goes back to the enabling and redeeming power of the atonement! I love my Savior!
Real quick, companion stuff has changed again! Sister Celis and Sister Gomez are my offical companions now. Sister King has a new companion Sister Santos. I'm sad to leave sister King but excited to be with Sister Gomez and Celis. It has gone well but they are both native speakers so sometimes i feel stupid or left out because i don''t understand their spanish. i tell people that i don''t really speak spanish, i just pretend like i do. Sometimes that is really true...especially with jokes.
Thank you, Rachel Miner, Alison Mills, Jake, Janae, Granpa B, Karee, Jeff perry, and Bishop and Sister Bruno for the letters.
Hoorah for Israel and All my love!
Hermana Burrup
