Hey Everybody!

This week has definitely been a roller coaster ride but this past Saturday was one of the GREAT
highlights of my mission! We have a married couple, Felipe and Perla Saldana, who were both
baptized on Saturday and the Spirit was so strong throughout the entire ordinance. I am so
blessed to know this family and to feel of their wonderful Spirits every time I see them. I am so
blessed to have had the opportunity to work with this family since I have been here. I came into
this area towards the end of them being taught, but they are true examples of faith in following
the Savior to be baptized. There were so many people there, I thought it was a ward meeting!
They recognize how important it is for them to endure to the end, and that has been their
commitment since before they baptized. I am learning to love the people here that I serve, serve
with and bring closer to Jesus Christ in their lives. I hope in my time here in the mission to have
more AMAZING experiences such as this one with other souls of our Heavenly Father who are
searching for the right path. After the baptism I received quite the compliment from a RM who
told me he thought I had been out on my mission for a year with my Spanish. I still think he is
kidding even though he was serious. I suppose I need more confidence in my Spanish and my
companion, Hermana Roman is always so encouraging. So grateful for a wonderful companion
and for the love and support she gives me.
There are two lessons that stood out to me from this past week. The first is exact obedience
brings miracles and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. The mission president has set
the standard of exact obedience in this mission and I hope to live up to that every day. I know the
difference it makes in my life as a missionary when I am exactly obedient and when I make a
few goofs here and there because I am not perfect. The Holy Ghost is able to give me more
inspiration and guidance with my investigators and less actives when I am exactly obedient. This
trait I hope to continue even more after my mission so I can witness even more miracles in my
life. The second you can read in Luke 15:1-7. These seven verses have really made a huge
impact on how I view missionary work now. First, Christ was being mocked for being with the
publicans and sinners; however, those people do not realize that they are sinners as well. We are
ALL sinners and need to utilize Christ's Atonement daily to be forgiven and to change. Who are
we to judge others who sin differently than us? Who are we to limit the people we preach the
gospel to because we think they are not ready or willing to accept it now? The Lord cares about
the one and we will leave His 99 to bring that one back to His fold. My stake president knows
sheep herders and they said the last thing they would do is carry a sheep or lamb on their
shoulders. They are filthy and gross on the bottom, not to mention they are heavy. The Lord did
not care about either of those problems. He carried that sheep back to the fold, and as a
missionary I wonder if I am doing just that. Doing all I can to bring these people to the fold of
God by carrying them on my shoulders through love, support and service. These seven verses
have really made me question myself as a missionary and what I can do better to be the best
missionary I can be.
I love each one of you. This life was not meant to be easy, but as you keep the faith and endure
to the end, you will realize it was worth it. May God keep you all in the palm of His hand!
Con Amor,
Hermana Rackley