Panama Panama City Temple!‏

Dear Family,

First of all, how are yall doing? It would just be nice to know.

This last week was crazy. My companion had to go to immigrations in the city (I am still illegal, but they are hoping the FBI does my paperwork before my "tourist days" expire, but it is really likely that I have to go to Costa Rica for a little bit and then I can re-enter legally). So, Monday we had a normal Prep Day and headed to Bugaba, that night we got on a bus and travelled all night, the next morning arriving in Panama City, then we went to immigrations and after that we went to the Panama City Temple. It is small, but its on top of a hill and is absolutely beautiful. I took so many pictures, but I cant send them until the next time I go to Bugaba or somewhere besides Volcan, but just know you will get them eventually. ALSO, great news, I did my first temple session in SPANISH! It was so awesome, especially because I understood almost everything. I felt so cool, and I had a lady ask me if I wanted to speak in English or Spanish and I told her Spanish is cool and I wanted to try it. I felt like a boss. 

After the temple we got on the bus and traveled through the night to get to Bugaba, and there we slept at the sisters house because we had a meeting there the next morning. Needless to say, I was really tired. 

This week was weird, it was one of those weeks where our plans just didnt work out, people werent home, and we just had a hard time contacting people. 

I want to share something that I learned about the Atonement this week. I was studying in Alma, and it has one of my favorite scriptures about the Atonement in chaper 7 verses 11 to 13. I learn something new every time I read this scripture, but we had a lesson with a family this week and we talked about the Atonement. This family consists of a 17yr old Recent Convert, his mother who is against the church, his little sister who almost never speaks, and his grandma who believes in the Gospel and loves learning about Joseph Smith, but wont be baptized because she says its bad to be baptized many different times, and had already been baptized twice. Anyways, we were talking about the Atonement, and I read this scripture and something caught my attention that I hadnt noticed before. It says, "a fin de tomar sobre si los pecados de su pueblo" (sorry I dont have my English scriptures and dont remember how it goes in English, its something like "to take upon him the sins of his people"). There is an interesting way to look at this scripture. Its like when he invites us to "take his yolk upon us" so that our burdens will be light, but in Alma its not an invitation like it is in the New Testament. He says he WILL do it. He DID do it. He took upon himself our infirmities, weaknesses, sins, everything. By doing so, he made our burdens lighter. But, with the pure love he has for each one of us, He again invites us to take upon ourselves his yolk that our burdens may be even lighter. But what exactly is HIS YOLK? I used to think it was the Atonement, but now I am more sure that his yolk consists of what President Monson said last year, when we take his yolk upon us we are "walking as he walked". I am more and more convinced in my mission that when we follow his example, when we follow his commandments, and when we try to be more like the Savior, we are taking his yolk upon us and our burdens are not made light because he takes them away, but because we are strengthened through the Pure Love of Christ that we are actively seeking to obtain.

I know that through our Savior and because of our Savior we can do all things as long as it is in line with the will of Heavenly Father. When we give ourselves to the Lord, not just our time, but our thoughts, actions, desires, and our lives, we find a greater joy and purpose of life, just like when Jesus said, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it". 

I love you all and hope your week is wonderful! You are always in my prayers. 

Love, Hermana Eardley