Baptism!

Hello my beautiful Mother!

You are right, we just got back from the Los Angeles temple!  It was beyond amazing. I miss being able to go to the temple whenever I want, so it was nice being able to just sit in the Celestial room and breath.  I didn't have to think about anything-  my Spanish, appointments, laundry, silly things.  It was the first time in a long time that I was just able to sit.  I am so thankful for the time we had there today. And it is BEAUTIFUL! Seriously amazing.  I was in awe the whole time.  So that was our morning!

I had a list of things I wanted to write you about but I forgot it all this morning! Overall it was a good week! 
So to start off, we had our baptism with Jose on Sunday!  He is so cool.  He asked last lesson if there was just a list of "rules" we could print out for him and he would follow them.  Last week, we had a super awesome lesson with him before Sister Moeller and Zollinger left.  It was easily the best day of my mission so far!  In Jose's lesson, we were wanting to really see how he was feeling.  He had a cool experience after he read the Book of Mormon and prayed, where he said he was super happy.  This is how he explained it - "I felt like God brought His hand down and gave me a heavenly high!"  He gives explanations like this all the time.  And he also told us that night that he felt like he had taken a Godly shower from the inside.  His baptism was Sunday and it was great.  There was an awesome spirit there.  If only you could have experienced a Samoan baptism... hopefully you will one day!  

Jose' baptism!  With Hma Zollinger, Hma Warner, Hma Moeller (who originally taught him before being transferred), and Hma Rudd

Second I wanted to tell you about the Lopez family.  They are amazing.  Seriously.  We went on exchanges this week and that is when we had their lesson.  It was probably one of the strongest times I have felt the spirit in a lesson.  There is more to this, but there were just some things going on with them before we had gotten there.  We talked about how the Gospel blesses families.  They both told stories about how they felt that God had blessed their lives.  There was a little contention between the husband and wife at the beginning, but as they talked and were able to feel the spirit, everything went away.  By the end, they both were crying as they were talking to us.  The father gave the prayer and I can't even tell you how sincere his prayer was.  He thanked God for his wife and everything that she does for him.  It was the sweetest thing.  I wish I could fully explain this in adequate words but it is hard.  It was one of the best moments I have had thus far.  They are so prepared for us and they are so open and willing to learn more.  

  

We had a really great lesson with Timoteo the other day too.  He was not progressing very well for a while and we hadn't seen him in about two weeks.  We recommitted him to a baptismal date and he responded completely different.  He is excited to learn and progress towards baptismal.  It was such a tender mercy to see him begin to grasp onto the things we teach him.  He said his second prayer with us and it was awesome!  

So many things happened this week that I feel bad because I literally cannot remember anything at the moment.  But hey, all you need to know is that I am doing well!  My companion's name is Sister Rudd and she is from Idaho.  We are pretty much the same person, which is good and bad, haha.  So I have been working a lot of having patience, not with her but with myself.  Ever since I have sincerely been working on this, things have been so much better.  Let's be real, patience is my worst attribute.  Our area is awesome and I love our wards!  Our members are so wonderful......  

The other day we didn't have a dinner appt and brought our dinner to eat at the church before a meeting.  Well, after this meeting a member had us go into the kitchen and said to us, "my daughter is on her mission right now and I don't ever want her to go without a dinner."  She'd had her son bring food from her house and fed us dinner.  It was one of the biggest tender mercies, from a small act of service.  I thought of you when she said that, because I know you feel the same way :)  Things are going well, and I really do feel your prayers!  Thank you for your support and love for me, momma.  I love you so so much!! xoxo

Hermana Michelle  

P.S.  The Samoan bishopric asked if we were being fed and we said, yes!  (trust me, most nights I have dinner every night and sometimes, two meals!) and the Bishop said, "Well, it doesn't look like it!"  Man, it looks like it alright.  Please don't mind that I have gained about 500 pounds

Hey Daddy!  How are you? Well you guessed correctly, we went to the temple today and it was seriously amazing.  The analogy is perfect to what I am doing right now.  This is so incredibly hard. Like hard beyond words.  But I am doing it, I don't know how, but I am haha. And every day I get a little bit better than I was the day before.  Nothing is easy here, but everything is worth it.  I know that I am doing what our Heavenly Father wants of me right now.  It has been shown over and over again. I hope that everything is going well at home, I think about you all the time!  Send me a letter if you get time :)  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  I love you dad xoxox

Michelle's zone at the Los Angeles Temple