Just Another Day in Paradise

Dear Family,

How have you been? This last week was seriously awesome for us. Actually this week is transfers so we will see what happens. I would love to stay with Hermana Villanueva (I have found I get along best with Mexicans than all the other Latin Americans), but, and I dont know if yall have noticed, I havent had the same companion for more than one transfer. I have had a different companion every single transfer. Hermana Villanueva is number 6! Thats more than most people have in their whole mission... its whatever, but its definitely a little strange.

So last week I talked about a guy and his wife that contacted us at the ATM... remember? We had a lesson with them this week and they are perfect all the way down to the dog! (Okay seriously they have a huskey that I am sure dies of heat stroke but he is the sweetest thing I have ever met and that is saying something for Panamanian dogs.) They have such a desire to learn and to act and to be a Christ-centered family. It is such a miracle. Our goal is to be perfectly obedient that God can not deny us even one miracle.

This week was awesome! We had a Conference with Elder Alonso from the Seventy! He blew my mind talking about the Atonement. "Do not seek to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word" If we think about the "word" of God, its his Gospel. The main part of the Gospel is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. So, if we think about it this way, "do not seek to declare my Atonement, but first seek to obtain it". Jesus once told a parable that is very famous called "The Good Samaritan" I cannot explain to yall how he unfolded this parable to its core. The question of the lawyer was "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The parable (I will give you the short version) is the Plan of Salvation. The man is us. We decend from heaven and fall into sin which leaves us practically dead. Jesus is the Samaritan. Only he can save us. 

The question was what shall I do to inherit eternal life. The answer, nothing. We cant do anything. The man was half dead on the side of the road and he couldnt save himself. Likewise, we cannot save ourselves. Only through the Atonement of Christ can we be saved.

I bear you my testimony that the love He has for us is what will save us. That He is just waiting for us, pleading with us, that we accept His Atonement. We have to accept him, follow the commandments, live the gospel, its part of the plan, but we have no right to think that we will be saved because of what we do. It is because of what He did that we will be saved. We need to understand the Atonement. It is what gives us hope, a light at the end of the tunnel, a love for everyone, a desire to follow Christ and serve God. I know our Savior loves us. I know He wants us to return to His presence. We have to repent, which is to have the desire to change (if we didnt have the desire, he couldnt do anything. because God is just, and cannot deny us our agency), then he will change us. Oh how I want to be like Him. 

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your faith, your strength. I love yall so much! 

Love, Hermana Eardley