July 1 2013

It's that time again! Here's another letter from Hermana Hopkins!

Aaaawww that is so sad! Hmmm, that reminds me of a member in our ward that last her baby a few weeks ago. That was really hard for her. We visited her and the Relief Society did too. 

Concerning the heat... haha it has been in the triple digits all week and it will only get higher as I have heard. I got heat exhaustion myself a couple of days ago, I just need to drink more water. It really is a blessing though how the work is never interrupted. I think that the Lord really puts a bubble around His missionaries of protection. I hear about bad stuff happening around us and to other people but we are always safe. The Lord takes perfect care of us. Especially when we are obedient.

I went on my first Companion Exchange on Friday. Basically my companion is a Sister Training Leader and so she needs to go with other companionships every once in awhile. When our companionship was a trio, Sis
Lund and I would just stay on the area. But now that there are just the two of us I have to go spend a day with another companionship when Sis Alfaro needs to help/evaluate other Sisters. It was honestly shocking for me to see other missionaries not doing exactly what they should. I am soooooooooooooooooo grateful for an obedient companion. We have seen miracles in the work because of our obedience. Other missionaries ask us how we do what they do... In my head I just think "EXACT OBEDIENCE". I strive to live the white handbook to a T. I know that obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles. And our investigators need miracles, so I am exactly obedient.

We are teaching Jorge, he will be baptized on the 20th of this month. He is a really chill guy who works a lot. He asked one of his friends in the ward yesterday if he would be willing to baptize him and of course he said yes. Jorge understands why it is so important to go to church every week. He knows that the Sacrament is where we renew our baptismal covenants and remember the Savior's sacrifice for us. We taught him at the church last night and just went over the Plan of Salvation since he has been taught before. He didn't say much and so the next lesson we are going to ask him some really inspired questions to get him to express his thoughts/concerns if he has any. 

We are also teaching Andrea. She is 9 and will also be baptized on the 20th. Her older brother will baptize her. How cool is that???? We are teaching her again tonight. She is sassy and cute, it makes me think of Victoria. 

I have decided that me two favorite kinds of people are young children and really old people. That's just a side note haha.

I Love being in a Spanish Area :)

I love speaking Spanish.

I love working hard.

I was thinking about all the members that have come out to lessons with us and how cool it would be if my family went out to lessons with the missionaries. If any of you aunts or uncles or cousins or anyone has gone out with the missionaries I would love to hear about your experiences! You can relate to just about anybody! So you should go with the missionaries too to help fellowship the investigators so that they can see a real life person with real life experiences doing their best to live the gospel. I promise that if you do that you will recognize the many blessings that you have and your days will be happier. I promise.

I know that this church is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that exact obedience brings miracles. I love love LOVE you all and think of you often.

Hermana Hopkins