July 15, 2013

The Atonement

Friends and family-

Saludos a todos! It gets harder and harder each week to write in English... If I sound awkward, I´m sorry. P-Days are changing a bit, as we´re trying to spend  our time together with Hna Martos and Mena doing fun activities rather than just going to Concepción and doing the usual. As a result, I also haven´t visited the mission office in a while and have heard even less English than before. Forgive me, all!

Speaking of mission office- we have a new one! As a result, we also have a new address, in case you want to write me.

Mision Chile, Concepción
Casilla 2210
Castellón 1063
Oficina Norte
Concepción
Chile

And speaking of fun P-Day activities, we learned how to make empanadas today! These dear Chileans really are just more relaxed- some flour, oh wait, we´re doubling the recipe so put three cups more! This recipe doesn´t have eggs, but I like it better with eggs, so we´ll add three of those. Throw in a couple spoonfulls of yeast. Mix it all up! Stick some cheese in there. Hm, maybe we should try some other filling also? Why not some corn and leftover chicken? It was fabulous. Now I just have to try and get this little grease spot out of my skirt... (I´ll send pictures next week.)

This week had it´s ups and downs, like always. Might I just spend a moment describing one of the big, big ups?

Thursday, we were doing our usual morning studies. The mission has a program called 12 Semanas, or 12 Weeks, which helps guide the developement of a new missionary. Each week has a couple themes and things for us to study, videos from The District to watch, practices to do with your companion. It is really great. (Fom what I´ve seen of it, that is! I´ve only even made it to Semana 8 before starting over with a trainee. One day I´ll get through the whole thing!) This week we´re studying the second lesson, the Plan of Salvation. We were studying the lesson point by point, referencing scriptures, etc. and then doing a one minute practice of how to explain that concept. I´d demonstrate it, she´d practice it, then we´d repractice it.

All was well, and we came to about the middle of the lesson, which is the Atonement. As we studied it, the room became still. After a moment thought, I decided not to put on the timer for that practice, then started to `explain`, or share my feelings about the Atonement. Will anyone be very surprised if I started crying? I am so in awe of this celestial concept. As I ponder on the immense changes I´ve seen in Henry, the pain that I see in the lives of those who live in sin, on the feeling of relief I have after I repent, on the sound of every sacrament cup that drops onto the tray on Sunday, on the verses that describe the incredible pain and anguish that it was for Christ to complete His atoning sacrifice, I hardly know what to feel.

We had lunch with the Bishop that day, and he is honestly one of the most absolutely Christ-like men I have ever known. We had a tender moment sharing a scripture with him and his wife after lunch, and Hna De León and I left their house crying again. It was a day of sheer wonder- How does it all work? This great and perfect plan, how am I so very privileged to know and be a part of it? What a tender, precious gift it is to know that my Heavenly Father loves me, that His son and my brother loved me to the extent that He took upon Himself my every pain. How marvelous, to know that I never have to live in sin, to know that I can overcome any burdern and any trial if I only give my heart to Him.

How great and expansive, the Atonement that He made. It really does cover every sin, answer every pain, heal every emotional wound. I know and testify that it is real- that it applies to you and me, and that all we must do to access it is form a loving covenant with Him (baptism) and live by it each week. It isn´t that hard, my dear people. Repentance is not just a commandment, it is an invitation from an all-knowing Father, an opportunity from an ever-loving Savior. I have seen and felt the pain of those who have turned away from this covenant. Perhaps they don´t think of it this way, but they are literally refusing the sacrifice of the Savior, refusing to see the encompassing light of forgiveness and love that is available to all of us because of Christ´s expiatory act. I pray that each one of us might make better use of it in our lives. It is everything.

Of that, I testify.

Your always,

Hermana Oldroyd


No new pictures this week, except for this one. I'm guessing it was the last mission conference with the out-going Mission President.

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