Happy!

I am so excited to tell you how happy I am! It has been a crazy six months since I last saw each of you. I am so excited to tell you that I am happier every day as I continue to apply the Atonement in my life. I love the Atonement and I love my Savior. I am Happy because over these last six months, I have had so many trials and now I know how to overcome them. I know that through the Atonement we can have joy! As I have struggled the best relief has come when I have really put my faith and trust in Christ and I know that is what I have been learning. As I continue to put my trust in Christ I am growing as a person and my confidence is growing as well. I love knowing that at the end of the day all that matters is what He thinks of me and He is happy when I am working hard to do my best. I am so grateful that He loves me and is patient with me and He is trying to build me. I have found so much joy as my testimony of Him continues to grow. I can’t tell you how many times He has shown me He is there. Sometimes we just have to look harder. I am so grateful for each of you and the way you have suppórted me and helped me face my challenges. 

Not much has changed with the work. We are trying to help strengthen the base here first. I think that is key. Some of my ideas are to have Family Home Evenings with two families at a time, because it creates a good environment. Also, to invite less active and investigators to these Family Home Evenings. Some of my other ideas are to extend more direct commitments to members to visit a less active or nonmember and invite them to church. Some of the basics that I think we can apply. Now that I know how to overcome my challenges and I feel more confident, I am excited to start being a little more bold. 

Missionary's I graduated with at Olympus Highschool 

I was so grateful for dad’s email last week and I think Heavenly Father was clearly trying to send me a message because earlier that day we were eating lunch in a restaurant and as I climbed the stairs to the bathroom I noticed an old “It’s a Wonderful Life” movie poster that I hadn’t noticed the week before and it was stuck in my mind all day as I thought about George Bailey, someone who went about doing good and changed the entire town, but also someone who went without great recognition or honors in life. Then when I read dads letter it was confirmation. I am so grateful for little miracles like this. I love this way to look at life. We never know, we may change someone’s life by just smiling at them. This was the same message President Martinez shared with us in the conference on Wednesday as well. We got to meet the two missionaries that taught him when he was a teenager. He talked about having an eternal perspective and seeing people for who they can become. These missionaries blessed his life so much, and now he is blessing hundreds of lives. 

I got my packages this week thank you so much! I also got Claire’s letter. Claire’s letter helped me so much and she continues to help me develop such great perspective! Claire, I love you. Thank you for lifting me like you lift everyone else, and I loved the cowboys!

It is starting to get cold pretty fast here. I switched over to my sleeping bag this week and I cannot tell you how much I love it!  

Love you all tons!