Dear Family,
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! I really enjoyed mine. We had teriayki chicken with home made teriayki sauce-so good! We had dinner with the Ta'a Family. They are just awesome. Sister Ta'a is Tongan and Brother Ta'a is half Samoan and Half Irish and is a convert to the church. We definitely had a lot of good laughs at their home. We are also going to start teaching their son's girlfriend, Brittany! She is so nice and she is just trying to learn what she can about different churches. I told her about Dad's conversion story and I think that really peeked her interest. Church was wonderful as well. All of the talks were about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Brother Bolles talked a lot about how Jesus Christ is there for us over and over and over again. We can never overuse the Atonement. When we hit our lowest lows, Christ picks us up and we are able to keep going, and we realize after the fact that we were able to keep going because of him. It's very similar to the message that was shared in that video that I shared with you last week called "Because of Him." I hope you all were able to watch it! It's so good!
We had interviews with President Eaton this week. I just feel so blessed to be in this mission. He is great. I feel very inspired and motivated, especially with this week being Easter, to really make changes within myself. I've obviously been working on this my whole mission, as we all do throughout our lives, but I really do feel a new drive in my heart to let Christ in. And that requires a lot of faith. But that's what I tell people to do every day! I was thinking, as I was sitting in church listening to the talks, about the phrase "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." And in reality it isn't! I'm not sure why we as human beings make up this idea that we want something different than what we have, and if we get something different, then we want what we had before. At least, I've experienced this. Anyways, I just started thinking, I need to focus more on making the grass green where I stand! The grass may sometimes look greener on the other side, but I think more often than not, it's just a figment of our imaginations. Heavenly Father gives us certain things in our lives for a reason. He loves us, and He wants us to be happy. "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25) "For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) I need to spend more time making the grass green where I stand. We can only find true peace when we are happy with what we have been given in life, especially concerning our own weaknesses and shortcomings. That's not to say that we should settle. We are to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" as we live the gospel, and that won't happen in a day. (Moroni 10:32) But we are commanded to "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power," trust in Christ and keep moving forward. (D&C 123:17) In metaphorical terms we are to get down on our hands and knees and nourish the grass where we stand, do our best to make it green, and then rely on the Lord for the rest! In doing this, I know that we find true happiness! Dad, you used to bug me about "Y," when I started complaining too much. I would say "why do we have to do this" or "why do I have to do that?" Just like that ungrateful attitude I had when I was little and had to do something I didn't want to, we can fall into the trap of feeling that way about life. But if we turn it around ask "why does Heavenly Father want me to go through this? What does He want me to learn?" we become much happier!
Things here in Auburn are going great! We meet wonderful (and very interesting people) every day. And I love all the members here. The gospel is just wonderful, I must say! Let us hope and pray that we might be able to share that light and happiness with others as we serve them and as we serve our Heavenly Father. I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! Mother's day is just around the corner! Along my 22nd birthday-I'm gettin' old! Can't wait to see your faces!
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