July 7th 2014

I think it's great that the kids had a BBQ and that that allowed you to clean up a little! I always feel better when I have things organized and clean. And you know, I don't think we stop and enjoy our time together enough. This life is so short! I don't want to look back feeling like I missed something by not enjoying my time with the people I love. 

And also, I think you stress yourself out. And that stresses me out cause I want you to be happy. I don't want you to hide anything in, I just want you to be genuinely happier than you are now. I know that you have a lot more enjoying to do than you are currently doing.

I would love to give my talk on the 10th! I hope you are excited to hear all of my stories and experiences. I have been changed forever.

So... this week has been PRETTY eventful!

I got transferred a week after regular transfers! Guess who I'm ending my mission with?!?!? My very own MTC companion, HERMANA MONTGOMERY!!! I love her to pieces and I am overjoyed to be with her again. She truly has been a great blessing in my life and I will never forget her. We are going to go to college together, talk to each other on the phone, our kids will be friends, and we will help each other by doing each others dishes and laundry. 

By the way, speaking of College.... I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN TO BYU-IDAHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My life long dream has come true :D Okay, maybe not life long, but I truly have wanted to go there for years. I think Aunt Marliett had a lot to do with that. I don't know which track I am on yet so I don't know if I'll be going there for the winter, spring, or summer semester coming up but I sure am going to work my hardest. I have been tremendously blessed. God has strengthened me at my lowest points and has continued to strengthen me daily, hourly, minutely, and secondly. And mili-secondly as well, if there is such a thing. Let's be honest, time is only measured by men. 

I cried for a few days since the transfer was so quick and I didn't get to say good bye to anyone. But I saw one of my investigators here in our area yesterday!!! RAMIRO! A different one haha, the elderly 60 yr old one. I think I have mentioned him. I adore him. I have attached a picture for you. Basically we were driving down the street (looking for his sister in law actually since she was referred to us, we were pretty lost cause we didn't even have an address, just a general idea of the area haha) and I saw him standing outside and yelled, "THAT'S RAMIRO! STOP, THAT'S HIM!" and I opened the door to get out but we weren't parked yet so Sister Montgomery told me to close the door cause we were still driving haha. I was just super excited and thought she was slowing down to park. We parked and went over and he pointed and said, "You never said goodbye!" I explained what happened and he asked me how my family is, I asked him how his was, and there he was at his sister in laws house! They were all there and since I knew Ramiro his whole family there was happy to greet us as well. His Sister in law accepted the Book of Mormon and we are going to meet with her this friday. Something I thought was so sweet is that Ramiro told us that we can stop by his sister in laws place anytime we need anything and she nodded and smiled and agreed haha. He also told Sister Montgomery that he prays for me every day and that he would pray for her too. 

I love these people. I cherish the experiences that I have had with them. They have helped me to realize that my problems really aren't that bad. They have helped me to develop a strong and firm testimony of our Heavenly Father's love for each one of His children. I know that He lives and He loves me. He loves every single person that we walk by, that we see, that we don't see, and we ought to treat each other a lot better because of it. You simply have no idea what someone has experienced in life until you take the time and effort to listen. That takes some charity! That takes patience! It takes selflessness.

Baptism. Why is it so important? I'll tell you.

1. Baptism allows us to be cleansed from sin.

2. Baptism allows us to receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost.

3. Baptism allows us to enter the GATE to Eternal Life.

4. We take upon us Christ's name when we are baptized. We are His. We promise to do things His way.

"We enter the gate to the path of eternal life with the ordinance and covenant of baptism, and then we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Elder Robert D. Hales asks us, “Do [we] understand and do [our] children understand that when [we] are baptized [we] are changed forever?” Rosemary M. Wixom, April 2014 General Conference

"Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins “is the introductory ordinance of the gospel” of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere and complete repentance. “Baptism in water … must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete” (see Bible Dictionary, “Baptism,” 618). As the Savior taught Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)." David A. Bednar, April 2006 General Conference

"The Savior was emphatic about the necessity of baptism. He taught, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”¹¹ The Savior was personally baptized to set the example. What about the deceased who have not been baptized?... The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple work is clear. The Lord in initial revelatory instructions referred to “baptism foryour dead.”¹³ Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families.¹⁴ The First Presidency has encouraged members, especially youth and young single adults, to emphasize family history work and ordinances for their own family names or the names of ancestors of their ward and stake members.¹⁵ We need to be connected to both our roots and branches. The thought of being associated in the eternal realm is indeed glorious." Quentin L. Cook, April 2014 General Conference]

Did you read that word correctly at the beginning of that last quote? EMPHATIC, not EMPATHETIC.

Missionary work for the living is tremendously rewarding. And so is missionary work for the dead. That is one of the first things I have planned to do when I get home, look up my ancestors! I have been so excited to be able to do my family history soon! And with all of the technological advancements it has been made easier than ever before. 

I hope you enjoy your week. I hope you take the time to enjoy your relationships with your loved ones and that you don't let all this beauty pass you by. Isn't it wonderful to live? Isn't it just wonderful to know what we know? Salvation is made possible for ALL men through the charity of our Heavenly Father to give His Son as a sacrifice. It is through Christ, and only Christ, that this is possible. He is the ONLY way. His way is the only way. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring (ENJOYING) to the End. We can't get where we hope to be one day without following Him. Step by step, line upon line, precept on precept. He truly is our Savior.

Hermana Ally Hopkins

June 30th 2014

This week we had transfer meeting and we went so that I could take the Spanish test before it started. We stayed for the meeting and there is a Sister that came out that I went to High School with! Her name is also Ally, cool huh! When I saw her I got so excited because I remembered seeing her at school and wanting her to be so happy. Seeing her here helped me to know that God is working in her life. Serving a mission is the greatest thing.

Prayer.

Prayer is the answer.

Do you feel bitter towards someone? PRAY for them. Pray for their good.

Do you fear that things will not work out? PRAY. Pray that God will help you change your perspective.

Pray for those who you come in contact with, those who you once knew, and those who you still haven't met.

Wes got baptized this weekend!!!!! He is awesome! And Mary is the sweetest thing, we helped her pack a little bit on Friday and she gave us stuffed animal things... haha the little things that I will bring back from my mission may not make any sense to anyone else, but I will cherish them as they remind me of the wonderful people I have met and the experiences we have had together.

We actually went over to help out on Tuesday but when we got their the ambulance was there and Mary was being put on a stretcher... We didn't see or hear from them for two days and our ward mission leader was asking whether Wes would still be baptized... Satan tries and fails at messing everything up. He fails when we have faith. Wes and Mary are so filled with faith. The hospital trip didn't stop them. They know better.

I think that most of us "know better" but that we forget. We know that God is all powerful but we forget that when we get into a tight situation sometimes. But that is where we have to stop and REMEMBER.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation;that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, itshall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a surefoundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12

I know that this is the Lord's work! I love it and I love Him! I love giving and sacrificing for Him. It fills my soul with peace.

Hermana Hopkins

June 16th 2014

 can see how blessings directly coordinate with obedience. If you want more peace in your life, keep the Sabbath Day Holy. If you want more faith, study the Scriptures, don't just read them. If you want more comfort, pray with sincerity and be alert while you do so.

This week was amazing!

-Wes committed to be baptized a week earlier and Mary got a Priesthood blessing before church yesterday. They are just stellar! Wes asked great questions during Sunday School and when we went over last night he expressed his desire to be clean and have the Holy Ghost.

-We started to teach a woman named Stella who committed to be baptized on the 5th of July and came to church as well! She is in her 60s and is doing great study of the pamphlets that we have given her.

-We also started to teach a man named Derek who committed to being baptized on the 12th of July and desires more than anything to be forgiven and cleansed. He is in rehabilitation right now as he had a stroke. He is diabetic and his family lives in Georgia.

-Robert and Dina came to church yesterday as well! I was so happy to see them there! We met them at the pool the other day for a lesson but it seems that Robert always is hungry or tired when we come. Of course he is only 9 haha. Dina wants to wait another month for him to be baptized until she can get organized in life and spiritually so he may be baptized the end of July instead of June.

Something that all of these people have in common is that they were all referrals. We didn't find any of them on our own.

Now lets take a look at those who we have found on our own.

-Ramiro has read all the way to Alma 34! And also some of the talks from General Conference! He loves it, but he still hasn't prayed to know for himself.

-The Martinez family loved the Family Proclamation but the father couldn't accept that the authority was taken from the earth. Both of these people love having us over but fail to see that there was an Apostasy.

We have spent a lot of time walking around and knocking on doors to try and find people to teach. The ward is still kinda split even though we have combined together.

Our mission has been focusing lately on finding and teaching Fathers. That's definitely a challenge! But I know that as we raise our vision and direct our focus on Fathers that we will find along with them their families and strong future members of the church who will be active in their callings. I am grateful forever for the Priesthood and those who worthily exercise it. 

Here is a picture of Wes and Mary from my companion's camera! I love them so dearly :)

Hermana Hopkins loves you!!!