Week 45: La Rosa

Merry Christmas!!

First full week in Huntington Beach! I honestly love it here so much. I know I am supposed to be here. 

We had a couple good lessons with some sweet ladies who have been learning about the gospel for a while, Araceli and Maria Gaudalupe. They both want to be baptized, have read the Book of Mormon, and received all the lessons. We are just working on growing their testimonies and helping them come to church because they both have one last obstacle they have to overcome before they are baptized. We also had a lesson with Rosendo and Maria, a couple who was on date for December 17th. We went over the Baptismal Calendar and the Baptismal Interview Questions. However, we found out they are not ready quite yet because they are not ready to lice the commandments.

Please pray for Araceli, Maria, Rosendo y Maria, y Luis Vargas. Luis was baptized a few weeks ago but hasn't been able to be confirmed at church. We know that baptism is not complete without the reception of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and he is missing this essential ordinance..

We had back to back exchanges this week (exchanges is when we switch companions with another set of companions to elevate each other). I went with Sister Cox in the Cordata Park ward on Thursday (my first day as an English missionary), and Sister Hall came to La Rosa with me on Friday (my first say flying sola as a Spanish missionary because she can't speak much Spanish). It was really fun! They are both still in their training and have such a desire to improve! I love them both so much! But some crazy things happened on exchanges and throughout the week! Here are the highlights:

-Car problems! We had a flat tire and Hermana Amezquita changed the tire! The next day, when sisters who were at our apartment ended up getting TOWED and we had to go back to the same sketchy tow place Hermana Midence and I went to back in April...guess I didn't learn my lesson the first time. 

-We had interviews with President, which is always one of my highlights of the transfer! And because of all the car problems and exchanges, we were the rides for s of the sisters and ended up being able to stay for almost 3 hours talking to Sister Platt. So fun!!!

-Sister Cox and her companion are new to their area and haven't had any success finding this transfer. We set the prayerful goal to find 3 new people to teach that day and made plans accordingly. Milagro! At the very end of the day we found 3 PEOPLE!

-The Creche! The Huntington Beach stake (group of congreagations) puts on this huge community event with live nativity, live music, gallery of paintings of Christ, light the World donation room, and nativity room filled with nativities all over the world! And free food! It was so fun to go and volunteer at! Really felt like Christmas. 

This week I was thinking a lot about perfection. Lots of the sisters we serve with just don't feel good enough. It's heartbreaking to see. They are serving with all their heart, might, mind, and strength, but all they can see are their flaws. 

I've been reflecting on something that President Platt taught in Zone Conference. When the Savior gave the Sermon on the Mount in Jerusalem, he said: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

It wasn't until He came to the Americas as resurrected Lord that he said: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect EVEN AS I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nefi 12:48)

He did not say he was in a perfected state until after his Resurrection. Perfection is not possible in this mortal life. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a modern apostle of Jesus Christ said:

"With a willingness to repent and a desire for increased righteousness always in our hearts, I would hope we could pursue personal improvement in a way that doesn’t include getting ulcers or anorexia, feeling depressed or demolishing our self-esteem. That is not what the Lord wants for Primary children or anyone else who honestly sings, “I’m trying to be like Jesus.”To put this issue in context, may I remind all of us that we live in a fallen world and for now we are a fallen people. We are in the telestial kingdom; that is spelled with a t, not a c. As President Russell M. Nelson has taught, here in mortality perfection is still “pending.” 

More then ever before, as a missionary I have become aware of my weaknesses and imperfections and complete reliance on Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for His perfect love. 

I hope you can each come to feel of this divine love and help. If you want to know how, reach out to me!

Love yall!

Hermana Dudley

1. HB Zone

2.Hermana Amezquita and I at the Creche

3.christmas lights and the pickleball court. Sister Cox and I beat the Elders today!

4.Tow Place December 2

5.Tow Place April 7

6.w/Sister Kynatson at Pday Activity

7.Hna. amezquita changing the tire

8.Sister Hall on exchanges

9. En el carro