The Atonement

Hey Mom and Dad,

It is good to hear those blessings that are happening back home. I feel like (that teacher) asked that question before (asked who Joseph Smith was). I hope she keeps on asking questions.  I know McCall Donovan! She probably doesn't know me, but I know who she is. She's got a twin brother and they both are really tall.

I've felt a little bit like she did when I was sick. (Elder Neifert's mom wrote and told him that McCall spoke in their stake conference recently - "McCall Donovan told about a time on her mission in Utah when she was discouraged and wondered if God heard her prayers.  She felt she had no one to turn to, so she prayed fervently and was given an answer after a long season of trial. ") I just thought since I had the desire to study and work hard and I'm a missionary of the Lord that I shouldn't be sick. But it was only one super miserable day. I think I just forgot that we need the hard stuff. It doesn't seem important during the trial almost always but looking back I wouldn't take them away.             

I love Javier Detrinidad! He is one really kind guy. I will have to ask some of the teachers that work here if they know him.   

Life is really short! Every week keeps on getting faster and faster. This past week was a good one until the last day. My district is now down to 3 people. Probably the smallest district in the world! But we know have 3 because my companion, Elder Patterson, went home this morning at 3 am. The three weeks we've been here he's been really awesome. We've had some pretty awesome times together here. I love him. I've been praying really hard for him. I really want him to get his stuff worked out and come back out. I know he can do it. I know anyone can do it. I wish I could have talked to him a little more before he left. I gave him my email so I'm expecting to hear from him soon, but I wish I told him that God doesn't care about who we were as much as he cares who we are. We've all got the make the choice to be better! Until the perfect day. Everybody's got to repent. EVEEERRRRYBODY. The purpose of repentance is to make better choices, out of Love for God, to change and be as white as snow. I've felt the cleansing power of the atonement when I repent. Its a pretty awesome feeling when you choose to be better.

We listened to a talk by Elder Holland called The Atonement.  I like what he said, not word for word but something like this. "You missionaries can all expect to feel a token of what He felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. Really a minuscule part." But he just talked about expecting hard times among other stuff which I need to look at my notes for. But that talk is helping me understand probably the most central moment in history, the Atonement.

I bear my testimony that He lives. He is the director of the work. It's His church and His gift to us. This work is the best in the world! There is no other place on earth I could be that would be better than where I am right now. There's a lot of comfort in knowing that. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, Amen.
      
Elder Neifert