I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of the fun things that you have been creating and how you are helping the kids so much! I know that the quality time with Nathanial, Andrew, and Victoria are all appreciated. They will look back later on and remember with a smile and a good feeling in their heart the good times that you spent with them. :) Also it makes me happy that you decided to go to the Hope of America! I don't remember if you went to mine or not, but there is something about knowing that you have got your mom out in the audience somewhere. It makes you a little nervous but also determined to do your best :) I think that's how it is with our personal accountability to the Lord. At the end of the day we tell God what we did that day and it makes me a little nervous if I haven't achieved all that I had hoped but I feel more determined to do my best the next day. I am grateful for prayer. :) I am also very grateful for Uncle Ben. I prayed that God would send somebody to help Andrew. What a blessing that is to both of them, you, and me! I know that our prayers are heard! I feel such a deep love for my Savior and Heavenly Father when I think of how wonderful that probably was for Andrew to learn with Uncle Ben for 8 hours :D I too have been taking a personal interest in cars as well! When I was trying to decide what to major in recently one of my bigger desires was to go into auto mechanics! I think it is so fun and I love to work with my hands! I fixed a less active woman's VCR for her and it made me feel good to fix it and know that I helped her. Buuuut... I decided to go in to music because I really love to sing and I want to do something I enjoy and progress in it! I am so excited to get better :)
So I am going to go to UVU! I don't know how it is all going to play out but I applied again and have sent an email to my academic advisor. I hope to go right when I get home as to keep the good schedule and working habits that I have here on the mission. I don't want to get lost in laziness or boredom. I know I will have to work so that I can get out of the house so that housing doesn't make the rent go up... I don't know how long that will take but I have been praying hard for help with that when I get home. I know a lot will be expected of me and I will have a lot of things to take back on again, one being paying cash for medicine....... car payments, insurance, cell phone, rent, etc... So pray for me as well!! The thing that makes me most nervous is paying for medication and such since I won't have insurance. I feel that I can't function without the medication but I can't have the medication of I don't have money... but I can't function at a job with out my medication... so its a never ending circle of bleeehhh. The older couple that came and gave the ukulele to you have a son who has a few businesses and they said they could line me up with a job when I get home, so that's nice. Also I am excited to be close to the family when I get home. Even though I will have a lot to do I am excited to spend time with you all! I want to be apart of my brothers and sisters lives and help them stay close to the Lord and be happy. I also am excited to tell you all the experiences that I had and introduce you to the wonderful people I have met either by phone or email! Or when they come to visit eventually! I am excited to go to UVU because there are still great student wards but at the same time not everyone is a member so I will still be able to do missionary work as a member in my classes! Wahoo! My mission president said that if I were his daughter he would send me to BYU to get married but since I don't have the grades for that, UVU will just have to do. I can transfer to BYU-I in the future. Maybe in January or even in the spring next year. What is important is that I stay strong in the church and don't get bored.
Now Mom, You ARE awesome! I like you a lot! I think you are so funny and I love your smile! I also like your way of joking around when things start to get frustrating. Sometimes we need to just not get so frustrated by the little things and just let it go. Laughing is a great substitute for stressing out ;) I love it when you hum and rub my back. You truly care about me! You love your children, you are charitable and compassionate. You serve your neighbors and older people because you want to help, you are kind and desire to do good! There are many blessings that God has promised people like YOU because of such attributes. You are also experienced. You have lived through abuse, divorce, confusion, hatred, anger, depression, belittlement, poverty, stress, disappointment, and STILL you have come out ON TOP. You have a beautiful daughter on a mission! That shows a lot!! Your children watched AND enjoyed listening to the Living Prophet who you have taught them to follow and they felt the Spirit! You provided that environment for them by living worthy yourself and emphasizing the IMPORTANT things in life! Your faith and trust in the Lord is strong and He makes YOU strong because of it. You cannot fail because your foundation and your rock are our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. You pray for me, I know it because I am blessed each day. You follow the Spirit. You wouldn't treat anyone the way that you treat yourself. Those words and negativity towards yourself are not from God. I am so grateful that you know that and are thinking positively instead! I love how the prophet said this quote
I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
Be kind to yourself too :) I know for me I get nervous that if I'm kind to myself I might get prideful, but I think it's good to recognize what the Lord rejoices in about you. My Mission President's wife once had me write down a list of the things that the Lord rejoices in about me and told me to put it in my scriptures. I did, and I put it there in Alma. I have not looked back to see what it says, but when I open to that page, I know. I love you so so so so much, Mom.
As for this week... The father of the family that we are teaching decided that he is not ready to be baptized but he is excited to see his children baptized. We think its because of the word of wisdom. It is hard sometimes to give things up that we have held on to for so long. Especially if they have become part of us, whether they are good or bad things. He is a wonderful father, and because I know that, I know that he will get baptized in the future. But the two children are going to be getting baptized this Saturday! They are all going to be there. We are teaching them again tonight.
We also met another family that really has an interest in coming to church and also in giving us their full attention. The father said that he can tell that we are serious about what we do so he is too. He said that he wants his whole family to be there when we teach and give us their undivided attention. It is not often that we hear that! He is a good man and his wife is searching for the Lord in her life as well. They are such a beautiful family! Their little boys are the cutest :)
We had Zone meeting this week and Sister Breakall and I gave a training on "Talking to Everyone" and "Not Beating around the Bush." At first I laughed inside when the Elders asked us to give that training because I felt like I beat around the bush sometimes. So in the few days we had between then and when we would give our training we got to practice. We were teaching a second lesson to a man from Sai Pan named Jessi who listened to us but can't let go of partying and drinking. His friend showed up in the middle of the lesson and was working on Jessi's car. Jessi said that he couldn't come to church until he fixed his car cause he didn't feel right getting a ride from anyone. So I went up to his friend who was rummaging through some things in his truck and said, "Kyle, will you come to church on Sunday? Jessi needs a ride and this is the only true church on the earth today." He laughed. He looked at me and laughed saying, "I'm sorry, haha, but you said that all with a straight face, I couldn't help myself haha" He was surprised because he thought I was joking but I wasn't! We all laughed together and then I said, "But really." Haha what an awkward experience! He laughed again and then said he couldn't come because he had training. We ended the lesson on a positive note as we included Kyle as well and ended with a prayer. As we got into the car Kyle asked if we had a book for him (referring to the Book of Mormon) and of course we did so we gave him one. He opened it up and started turning through the pages. We left and laughed, blushing because of how awkward it all was but as we reviewed what just happened we came to the conclusion that missionary work in general is just gonna be awkward! We talked about in our training about the time that we rode the bus for a week and what a great opportunity it was to talk to everyone. We did a roleplay with everyone where they had between 5-45 seconds on a bus to talk to those around them. I think it really helped because they seemed excited to go out and strike up conversation focused quickly on our message. We found out from the Zone Leaders that the numbers for new investigators this week in our zone was the highest its been since December. So that's good! It was a fun roleplay to do :) We meet a lot of people that only speak spanish so we refer them to the elders in the spanish ward and they told us that half of their investigators come from part member families and the other half come from the referrals that we give them haha. It's good to still be able to speak spanish everyday and help those that we find to be taught in their own language. With just english sisters in this area in the past they have only been able to give them a card since they couldn't understand! But since I have been here those people get passed on to the missionaries :) I love to hear how those people are progressing from the elders when we talk to them.
I love you all, keep your chins up!
Hermana Hopkins
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