Week 54: Swollen with joy

Hello everyone!! How goes it? :) This week has been very, very good! Sorry again about the short email last week, I have all the pictures ready this time since we're in a much better computer shop.

I've been pondering and think a lot about repentance lately. As a missionary, we teach about repentance a lot, as we invite people to change and become closer to Jesus Christ. I think before my mission I was always a little scared/embarrassed when I thought about my need to repent. I often hid my mistakes and sins deep in my mind trying to hide them and figure it out by myself. I think I've been a little disappointed and let down in myself as I have spent the last year on my mission realizing just how imperfect I am, I have so many mistakes/habits that I need to work on.

I think we can all get a little overwhelmed when we think about just how imperfect we are. What has helped me with this way of thinking is the concept of "daily repentance" which has been the focus of a lot of my thoughts the past few weeks. Repentance is a process, a daily process, of change and improvement.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon and came across this scripture about a very wicked and prideful people who found true peace and happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in perserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

33 And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; an they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction."

I love these verses, and I'm learning to love to repent each and every day, to become better and more like Jesus Christ. As I have repented, I have truly felt swollen with joy as I feel the forgiveness and the love that my savior has for me.

I love you all! Have a great week :)

Elder Ansel Childers

Pics!

5/7/19 Some great delicious food at a members house. Good cook.

5/8/19 Beach pictures. Dinner at our branch mission leader's house.

5/9/19 Another dinner at a member's house :) She is one of the very nice Nanays here that keep me sane and alive.

HIT MY ONE YEAR MARK. 365 DAYS. 3 egg sandwhiches, 6 burger patties, and 5 mountain dews. Gross but worth it.

Burned a shirt, followed the tradition of missionaries. When you hit your 1 year you burn the shirt you wore that day :)

5/10/19 made some onion rings for lunch :) Also a mud picture. Butik!

5/11/19 Some of the people were teaching. Ah I love this family.

5/12/19 they made it to church!! Ahhh YES

*didn't have a pic that corresponded to this one...must not have uploaded

5/14/19 We had Zone Conference this week, I got see a lot of my great friends. This is me and one of my New Zealand sisters :)

5/15/19 this is my desk :)

some more beach pictures. We taught a lesson about faith on the beach next to a fire. I live in paradise!

5/16/19 another family we're teaching.

made dinner with some members and their friends :)

5/17/19 another family we're teaching, they just moved to our area and were about to get baptized in Batac but they had to move. So now they're with us and I'm happy because they're super cool :)

5/19/19 Another family we're teaching. I absolutely love teaching them because the father asks a LOT of questions and it's fun answering them all with the Book of Mormon :)