Elder Gonzalez Kept Saying My Name, And I Felt Almost Famous Because A Seventy Was Saying My Name

August 25, 2015

First of all, I GOT THE PACKAGE AND IT WAS SOOOO PERFECT!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!!!! 

My zone was making fun of me because I got a package,

 a letter from Dad,

 and some more notes...I felt so loved!  Seriously, thank you sooooo much! I was so happy to see all that you sent me! The Mo Tab with David Archuleta Christmas CD probs made my day.... 

We opened it when we got to the house and listened to it while we ate lunch.

Today we went to the Temple to do a session and iniciatorias!!!! Sorry I forgot to tell you last week! But it was SOO amazing!!!!! I love the Temple! The Santiago Temple is so beautiful! I am so thankful it is in our mission, and we have the opportunity to go every three months! Love it! Hermana Alcantara and her companion also went, so that was so fun reuniting in the temple! So presh! The four hermanas from our ward went together. We took a bus to the Temple and we almost did not make it! We woke up at six, and left around 7:15....the bus came at 7:35 and we got to the temple at 8:45...for the 9:00 session jajaja! But there were not a whole of people...mostly all missionaries! Good times!

I know the Temple is the house of God...the peace I felt this morning in the temple is soooo different than ANY other feeling I feel outside of the temple. It always brings back memories of going to the Newport Beach Temple.... We took a lot of pictures, and when we were leaving I saw one of my MTC companions, Hermana Rivero. That was fun! Love her! I will send a picture!

So, the BEST part of last week was a special meeting we had with Elder Gonzalez, a seventy! He came and had two meetings with our mission. One- half of the mission on one day, and the other half the next day. It was sooo fun! He is from Uruguay, and has a presh accent. We all got to shake his hand and hug his wife too. His wive’s name is Zuma.... So cool, right? Love it! 

He wanted to divide all the missionaries into five different groups. So we divided ourselves by our stakes/zones. Elder Gonzalez went with one zone, Hermana Zuma with our zone, Presidente Morgan with one zone, Hermana Morgan with another, and Los Asistentes with their own zone. It was sooo cool! Elder Gonzalez is the new Area President, so he and his wife are touring the missions. He said we are going to do something we have never tried, so we will see how it works out jajaja. But it turned out amazingly. So Hermana Gonzalez taught us about the doctrine of Christ. We read in 3 Nephi 11:19-37. She wanted us to count the number of times Jesus said the words, "baptism"..... 14! We discussed the fear we feel sometimes to talk about baptism. But baptism is apart of the doctrine of Christ.... whether we have fear or no, it will ALWAYS be essential to our salvation! Why? Because the Gospel is ETERNAL. The Gospel has always existed, and it is important we let the world know that everyone must be baptized! It was soo great. It made me thing about a scripture Madison sent to me the day I entered the field....like a year ago! It talks about how there is no need to fear man...because we are disciples of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We can take heart because we stand with our perfect Savior. His doctrine is true and eternal. It leads us to our Heavenly Father. It leads us to TRUE and EVERLASTING happiness. Who are we to fear man? 

So anyway jaja. After about twenty minutes of our mini class with Hermana Zuma, we all sat back down together with the missionaries. Each zone had to pick a "spokesperson" to give a five to ten minute report of what they learned to the other missionaries...You probably know where this is leading jajaja. No one wanted to be the spokesperson in our zone, so I volunteered! Good times! I went first, and before I started Elder Gonzalez asked Hermana Zuma if she wanted to say anything to me...so she stood up and gave me a hug and whispered, "You can do it!"......so presh!  So I told everyone what we learned. I felt the Spirit, and I was happy I had the chance to do it. Afterwards, Elder Gonzalez made some comments and kept saying my name, and I felt almost famous because a seventy was saying my name (heeey!). 

We knocked a LOT of doors this week.... Some success. Still looking for people. The search is ongoing! I know the Lord is testing our diligence and our faith. It would be soo easy to just go to the house and nap or eat or chill.... But I want to serve the Lord. I get home so tired and exhausted, and a little spiritually weary...but I know this is helping me! It is probably just karma from what I said in the paragraph above jajajaja! But I shall not surrender....We are in the work of saving souls. My testimony of the Atonement is strengthening. 

Ok, this is really long, but I am doing well! With one year on the mission.... I am definitely learning about myself. I think I have learned most about my self worth and my divine nature. I am learning that I can do hard things.... When I am standing with the Lord. It is a lot easier to take rejection, humiliation, etc. when I think to myself "I am doing this for Jesus." My eternal perspective has grown too. My testimony of the Temple has grown A LOT! The Temple is so essential to our happiness and to our salvation. I realize I am nothing without God. I feel like Ammon when he rejoices in God. 

scripture.

I know I depend on God. Every day, I need Jesus Christ. I think I am learning most upon my personal dependence on Jesus and Heavenly Father. I am becoming more humble. I am learning I can change! It is such a miracle, and I am so grateful for these precious experiences I am having in Chile. 

My family is so special, and I love all of you! Que Dios les bendiga, que que tengan una linda semana!

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Mittleman