March 17th 2014

I love you, it's okay that you weren't able to write a lot. I may not write a lot today either as we have a lot to do today. We have to take the car in to the shop due to a little dent that happened with past missionaries (yes, this happened in eagle pass as well and we were on bikes that week) so I am sure you will be pleased to hear that we are going to be getting some good exercise this week on our bikes!! I also love to ride the bus because we meet so many people that way and teach too. So today we are going to be riding the bus.

This week we had Zone Meeting, interviews with the Mission President, and also exchanges. I got to spend the day with Sister Rowe for that day! She and I went to Orem High for a little bit together and we would eat together sometimes at lunch haha. She was Annalise's good friend in elementary so all of our lives are intertwined in such an awesome way. Sister Rowe is amazing and I love her so much. We had a great day and visited with some recent converts that day, Johnny (who Sister Call baptized when she was in this area) and Danny (the awesome man who got baptized the weekend I got to this area). We also ate some German food (probably the first and last time on my mission haha) at the Beal Family's home for dinner.

Sister Breakall got a root canal last Monday and got a temporary crown on Thursday. She was so funny and I laughed my head off seeing her try to smile with half of her face numb. Sometimes we like to make up songs as we drive down the street about the things and people that we see. The other day we saw a man who was pushing an ice cream cart (its like an ice cream truck but they have a little cart with bells on it that they push around everywhere) and he was selling mexican ice cream. We stopped and got some ice ream from him and she took a picture. It has been fun to experience the culture here with her.

Tonya decided that she didn't want to investigate the church anymore. She gave up on the stop smoking program and told us that she felt that church was too focused on Joseph Smith. I was sad because we had worked so hard to help her. I was reminded of the importance of the Savior in our lives and His Atonement. I was reflecting on my past yesterday and remembered just how grateful I am for the Atonement. I remembered how Christ has helped me before and it helped me to remember how He can help those around me. We visited a less active member after that and she feels that her parents were very closed with her growing up and that she doesn't have to go to church to be a good person. The scripture on 2 Nephi 26:24-25 came to mind. I know that the Savior wants us to partake of his sacrifice for us. When we choose not to by choosing not to repent we are denying the blessings that he is offering us. I always think of how it is like He has paid for a really expensive meal for us and we are choosing not to eat it. If I paid a lot for a meal for someone I would want them to eat it! He already paid for all of it! And we need what He offers us, even if we don't realize it. The feeling of being forgiven is the most liberating and peaceful and joyful feeling that I have ever felt in my entire life. I need to feel of His forgiveness and that joy and peace is something I crave.

My companion started talking to a man the other day that was sitting outside the gas station begging for money. He only wanted a quarter. I didn't have one and apologized but when we got back to the car after getting our receipt Sister Breakall grabbed a quarter and we went back to give it to him. We listened to him as he expressed his pain. He had been beaten up and had wounds on his face and his hand. He talked about not having strength and wanting to know what God wanted him to do. He wanted answers and truth. My companion is Christlike. She told him how much Heavenly Father loves him. We asked him if he had a place to stay and he said he did. We shared with him Ether 12:27 as people looked at us weird on the way into the gas station and we gave him a Book of Mormon. We invited him to church and he said he could come. He didn't show up at church but we prayed for him. I think we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle sometimes that we simply don't think about the opportunities that lay before us every single day to just listen or to simply say hello. Christ is our Savior and Redeemer from sin, sorrow, and guilt. He saves us from an awful shame and sadness that we will experience if we do not partake of his love and strive to become more like Him. I know that He loves us and desires so deeply that we come unto Him and find rest.

I love Him and strive to get to know Him better each day.

I hope that this email finds you well and I apologize again that it is so short. Truly amazing things happen every day and every week.

Hermana Hopkins