HELLO there.

..........REALLY WORTH READING.

My heart is so happy. 

I've really loved being a part of the Lord's work this week. (I always do.)

THIS WEEK: 

I've smiled a lot, 

I've loved a lot, 

and I've tried to serve my best. 

It has been so good. 

Here are some bullet points...in no particular order...(except probably they will end up in the order that makes the least amount of sense because that's how Sister Rendon's brain works)

-Based off of the amount of times I've lost my planner it's incredibly inspired they didn't send me to an iPad mission or anything of that sort. Also even if one day they force us to get electronic around here Fresno, California is still my favorite place to serve a mission. 

-I went on exchanges with Sister Kelly and it was so fun. haha. It felt just like old times.....me annoying her by attempting to self-crush my ice.....her stopping mid-word to notify me the millisecond the stoplight turned green. SHE IS SUCH A BLESSING TO ME....and such a hard worker. We taught some awesome lessons together. 

-We taught Dianne....(she's the one we took a selfie with). I love Dianne, she is sooo funny. We taught her about closing prayers and asked her to say one and it went like this....."Heavenly Father.....we finna depart from here. Now shoo angels go....." Then she started shooing us out of her house mid-prayer. 

-This bullet point features a little story....I learned a lot from it though. We went and visited an investigator who should have been at church on Sunday afternoon. She welcomed us in her home and as we sat down she told us how her morning had gone. She woke up feeling like she needed comfort...she'd had a long night. As she sat down she saw The Book of Mormon that we had left her, picked it up, realized she didn't have her reading glasses on, set the Book of Mormon down, then started drinking the Vodka that was right next to it. CHOICES ARE SO IMPORTANT. I'm absolutely positive that we've all had moments like this. In a place where we needed comfort.....seeing ultimately only two options for comfort. 1. The Lord's way. Honestly probably more inconvenient at first, but far more eternal and 2. The World's way. Initially the easier choice but one that wears of quickly and leaves you worse than you began. I promise that when you are looking for comfort....both choices will always be there, and they will always lead to something. I invite you all to be aware of where your choices are leading you....WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. This little story reminded me of talking to an investigator Cindy...in my last area. She had a history-it included drugs. She told us that she turned to them to numb her pain but when she met missionaries and started turning to the Lord and he took away her pain. The ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE NUMBING EFFECT OF THE WORLD BUT IT IS THE HEALING EFFECT OF THE LORD. 

-WE HAD A BAPTISM. Wow it was so powerful. 

Background on the Domantay family: They are from the Philippines and had a very successful life there.  The parents were doctors and lawyers and Yang -the daughter said that in the Philippines she didn't really know what trials were. They moved to America so they could give Yang an even better life, and here they found trials. They didn't have a car and didn't have a house. Here the parents work as care takers and so they stayed at the homes of those they took care of- moving up to three times a week. In yang's testimony she shared her memories of walking four miles to get to the store with her mom and then four miles back carrying all of the groceries. Now that the family is settled all three of them live in one room and the parents continue to work as care-takers. Yang said that her trials taught her to be grateful.....that when she was walking miles with arms full of groceries...she was grateful she had legs to walk. When she and her parents stay in one room together she was grateful to have a roof over their head. She felt that even though these trials seemed to be dragging her back and it was in reality only to be able to launch her forward....like an arrow. Through it all they have relied on their faith in Christ. Their faith is so strong. Their family is preparing to go to the temple for baptisms for the dead next month, they've started with family history, and they just want to give back to the church by serving everyone. As we were sitting at the baptism and singing the closing song I could not help but wonder why the Lord was choosing to bless me this much. The truth is I have worked hard everyday of my mission, I've always tried to do my best, but despite that I HAVE NEVER FELT that I have worked hard enough to deserve to experience the fullness of joy that I have. I never could work that hard, but the Lord in his infinite mercy has magnified the work that I have done and blessed me in abundance. I love Him for that. 

to my very well loved ones. 

I wish, I wish, I wish, words could say what I feel about this work, but they don't. 

I wish I could say everything that I wanted to, but I can't. I wish you all could experience the joy that I feel, and the good news is you can. 

I need you all to know that 

-I am here for you
-Jesus Christ is there for you

psalms 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know.; for God is for me