So lots of things will be changing for me this next transfer. I have been released as a Sister Training Leader and will be getting transferred. I will spend my last couple months of the mission in Othello, which is only about 20 minutes from where I started my mission in Royal City. I am getting doubled in to an English speaking area which covers 2 English wards. I'll be in a zebra companionship (1 english companion 1 spanish) which will be good because although we are the english missionaries I'll be able to speak to people in spanish (because there are apparently A TON in Othello) and send the spanish missionaries over to them if they want to learn more. My companion will be Sister Fox and she's been out on her mission about 6 months. I look forward to all the things I'll learn as I focus on being consecrated and diligent. I'm also excited to start with a clean slate and apply all the things I've learned in the past months while serving in a few different areas.
This past week both Desi and Amparo got baptized and their baptisms were beautiful. I'm so grateful for all that they have taught me as I've helped them come closer to Christ and learn about His restored gospel. I have learned so much about change. I know that people can truly change, I've seen it in me personally as well as others. I think something that sometimes makes it harder for people who are trying to change is when others don't seem to let them. They try to bring up what that person did in the past and pull them back to who they were. We need to be willing to let others hand their burdens over to Christ and be there to support them and help them move forward. We can't bring up past sins and mistakes that others have repented for because when we do so we are denying the cleansing and healing power of the Atonement which brings us under greater condemnation. I think it's important I mention though what true repentance is. It is change, it is feeling true sorrow that you've been disobedient to what God has asked of you and then seeking to do all you can to correct what you've done wrong. I love Doctrine and Covenants 58: 42-43 because of how straight forward it is. Those who truly have repented confess AND forsake their sins. They leave the past in the past and move forward while still learning from their mistakes. I believe that is one reason that although the Lord will forget, or forgive, our sins ( meaning He will no longer hold them against us), WE don't forget them. If we forgot the pain and sorrow our sins caused us then we wouldn't want to stop committing the same errors over and over. We are blessed to remember them so that we don't have to make the same mistakes again. We can learn and move forward in our lives gaining that experience and knowledge that we said we wanted when we lived with Heavenly Father before this earth life.
Well I hope everyone has a wonderful week! I love you all so much. I hope you are taking time to really study the scriptures. Start by writing some questions that you want answers to, then prayer, then turn to the scriptures. When you have a true desire to find what God wants you to know, the Spirit will lead you to what you need to study, but remember you have to do your part and put forth effort. Faith without works is dead.
Love,
Hermana Brighton
