Comfort from Home and Comfort From Heaven, and a Budding Testimony of a New Member

(The picture is of Yesica and Migdali at their baptism)
It's another beautiful day in Guatemala. The sun is shinning, yay! Today we have changes, my first official time in the mission. Normally, we'd know about changes before e-mailing, but we wont find out until the afternoon this time. My companion and I think she might be going to a different area, she doesn't really want to. I don't want her to either, but we trust Heavenly Father's will. That's one thing I've really learned. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's will. Knowing that He is all knowing, all understanding, and all powerful brings me so much comfort. His plan is right, no matter what it is. I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven and for the opportunity to communicate with Him through prayer constantly. I learned something very interesting, life changing and comforting through all of this.

I was feeling so sick when I called Dad a few weeks ago. I needed to talk to someone that knew me, someone that I trusted, and someone that would listen and understand. Knowing me for my whole life, knowing the true desires of my heart.

It was such a comfort to realize that my Dad knows me and that he understands that I really want to be the best missionary that I can and that it's not my character to just feel sad because I have to do something hard. Then I realized that's how our relationship is with our Father in Heaven as well. He has known us for so long. He loves us unconditionally, He understands our pains and joys, and He only wants the very best for us - He wants us to be happy, and He wants us to return honorably home to him. Just like our father and our mother here.

We are so blessed with our parents. We are so blessed in our family.

Through all of this, as I have felt my relationship with my mother and father on Earth growing and strengthening, I have also felt my relationship with my Father in Heaven growing and strengthening. My appreciation for prayer has multiplied. I feel my Father in heaven so close to me. He is so close to us. He knows us. He really does. He hears our prayers, have faith in that. We can communicate honestly and openly with Him, just like we can with our mom and dad here on Earth.

Last week, the youth in the stake went to the Temple. It's a two, sometimes three day trip here. Yesica, who my companion and I baptized a few weeks ago, had the opportunity to go. Yesterday she bore her testimony in Sacrament meeting. She said, "I am so grateful for my baptism. I am so grateful for the Temple. I know this church is true. I am grateful to Hermana Finch and Hermana McGaughy for baptizing me and changing my life." She's 15. My companion and I both had tears in our eyes. I cannot explain how wonderful it feels to hear a recent convert thank you for changing their lives, and then feel the gratitude and love of Heavenly Father touch your heart at the same time. Those few moments more then recompensed all the pain and suffering I have felt on my mission so far.

I know that this Church is true, and is so important. Nothing matters more then the saving ordnances of the gospel and the will of Father in Heaven. I am humbly grateful to be here and would not change this experience for anything.