Transfer to Downey!

Momma!

Well my dear, I don't know what to write about first!  Sister Wright is staying and training in our area. I am leaving the area this transfer.  I will be a Sister Training Leader in Downey, where I started, but am in a different area from where I was!  Still Spanish, awesome area!  My new companion is Sister Landon.  

We had a few meetings and temple service this week, so we didn't get as much time in our area.  It would take too long to go into detail about this week, but it was seriously amazing.  This was one of the most spiritually and personally uplifting weeks of my mission.  I think sometimes people see missionaries as perfect (unless they're not so obedient, then you can tell off the bat by how they act), that because we are set apart we don't have as many struggles.  Well there are still lots of struggles in missionary work, kind of like normal life!  Even when times are good.  I had a lot of prayers answered this week .  Like a lot, it was amazing.  This week I learned about faith.  I think that sometimes we make faith way too complicated and confusing.  We try and figure out how to gain more faith, what it means, why it's there, etc.  Faith is so simple.  Faith is knowing that Christ really is the Son of God.  That is literally all it is.  Of course faith branches from there, if we know that He is the son of God, we know that through His Atonement, we can be healed, cleansed, and purified.  So I changed my prayers and tried to make them prayers of faith.  I am a perfectionist, and had felt a little down on myself this week.  I was praying for those feelings to leave.  As I was praying in the back of my mind, I was thinking, well they're still here, they're not leaving!  But I caught myself.  I realized that I really had no faith in my prayer!  I took a second to think, and remembered that Heavenly Father has the power to do anything, He could take away that feeling.  As I did that, those feelings were lifted off my shoulders.  Coolest thing ever!  My faith has increased so much this week.  I have had some experiences that have helped me grow tremendously.  I am so grateful for prayer.  Prayer helps us develop more faith.  I know that we receive answers.  If we are listening for the promptings of the Spirit, we will feel it.  No doubt!  It is an amazing tool we have.  Pay attention to your prayers this week.  Make sure you aren't praying just because you are supposed to.  Remember who you are talking to.  You are talking to the most loving being!

We had a training for Sisters this week, and it was awesome.  Sister Weidman shared a story that will stick so close in my heart.  She showed a picture of her granddaughter.  She explained how much light and love she had.  And also how much they have to correct her.  She makes mistakes, she forgets things, she doesn't listen sometimes; but they still love her.  With such a deep love.  She compared it to our relationship with our Father in Heaven.  We makes mistakes alllllllllllll the time.  Does that mean He doesn't love us anymore?  No, not even close!  We forget, we don't do everything right, and we fall a lot.  But He still loves us with a deep and everlasting love.  He loves every one of His children like that.  Remember that with family, friends, coworkers, and strangers - He loves them.  

I have grown a lot this week.  More than I will be able to explain.  I realized yesterday as I was reading through my journal from a year ago, my mission has changed me and matured me.  I don't know where I would be without it.  I love it here!!  I have so much joy.  I love you so much!  

Love, Hermana Michelle

P.S... Fernando quit his job because they wanted him to work on Sunday, and he doesn't have a job right now. But, he said that he knows that God will bless him.. he's amazing.  Please pray for him :)

Sister Wright and Sister Warner outside of the Los Angeles Temple, while doing temple service.

Daddy, I am so so happy that you liked my letter!  I could have gone on for ages about you, but I'm a missionary and never have time.  I hope you were able to see from that, that you really are such a huge example to me.  I talk about you all the time to my companions! This week we got to do temple service!!  So we got to go inside and clean the temple!  I had one of the most incredible experiences while we were in there.  We went in and sat in the Celestial room, I will have to tell you about it when I get home.  It is something really sacred that I will hold to my heart.  So, I am going back to where I started my mission, in Downey, but a different area.  I am going to be a Sister Training Leader which is like a zone leader for sisters.  Yeah, I am scared out of my mind, but I know without a doubt that the Lord will make up for my weaknesses.  I just hope I can be a good example to the other sisters.  This morning in my studies, I made some transfer goals about who I want to be this next transfer.  I have a goal for the rest of my mission to be diligent, so I have been studying about it a lot. I am excited to get to my new area and just work!

I didn't feel any earthquake today... they have little ones all the time, when did it hit?  I hope everything is well with you, keep going to the temple with mom!  I love you so much!

Love,  Michelle