Final Week in the MTC 7/7/12

Dearest Family and Friends-

Where has the time gone? I feel like I just arrived and suddenly I am doing in-field training. This week was busy and different with the 4th of July in the middle. For the 4th of July it was a regular schedule until about 8pm, when we had a special devotional/fireside. They really made it a celebration on freedom around the world as we recognized the many Latter-day Saints gathered here from around the world. A local judge spoke and they presented all the flags of the world. Afterwards we were able to go outside and watch the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire. The only problem was that we were allowed to be out latter than normal and didn't get into the halls until 11ish. I felt like I'd turned into a pumpkin. It didn't help that they''d given us ice cream and many of the sisters were a bit hyper : ) But on this holiday, when I miss Charley a lot, I was able to teach the Plan of Salvation in one of our lessons. As we taught about being with our families for eternity, I started crying. The elders pretended not to notice, especially since I never cry in front of them, so I think they didn''t know what to do. But I know Heavenly Father gave me that blessing to teach that to bring comfort to my soul.

Being our last week here, our district has been working hard to get prepared and stay focused at the same time. Not an easy task. We''ve pushed ourselves and each other really hard with the language - and we all speak fairly fluently. So we tried to be a bit kinder on ourselves this week and focused more on the gospel and our testimonies. Within my companionship, with Elder Hill and Elder Childs, we set a goal to focus on the Atonement. And when you set a goal to study something it always seems to be in every workshop, class, and lesson. I''m so grateful for that! Monday we had a workshop on how the Atonement is the central part of the Restoration. When we talk about the apostasy we tend to focus on the loss of the priesthood authority, but we must realize that the heart of what was lost was how to access the Atonement. And that is part of the fulness of the Restoration. For the Atonement is the gospel and the gospel is the Atonement. Even if everything else had been restored, we would still not be able to return to Heavenly Father. We talked about how if we  don''t include the Atonement in our message, then we are just sharing information. But when we testify of the Savior and the Atonement, we are offering salvation. I also focused on the light of the Savior and the Atonement throughout the Libro de Mormon. There is a beautiful and direct relationship between teachings of the Savior and references to light in the entire book! I could study the Atonement my entire mission and still not begin to comprehend less than one percent, but I''m going to study it anyway.

At one moment last week, I was feeling a bit discouraged and lonely. After working so hard, I felt that I almost couldn't give anymore. I opened up my scriptures immediately for some relief and it fell open to Mormon 5:23- "" Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?" I do know that I am in the hands of God. When I can't give anymore, the enabling power of the Atonement makes me better than I am and the person I want to become to serve Heavenly Father.

We studied and discussed a lot about becoming this week. Who we want to become through our missions, not just what we want to do. I think I''m realizing personal a mission experience is. I can share thoughts and scriptures with you all, but it is hard to share this process of becoming. I always wondered growing up why Dad didn''t talk more about his mission, but I think I understand better. Dad became someone on his mission- the father I know and love. And the things he did on the mission were secondary to that. I set some goals on who I want to become so I'll share those quickly before I'm out of time.

I want to be a woman of light.

I want to be a woman who knows exactly who she is and allows that to change everything.

I want to be a woman who understands true power- that it comes from her divinity and her Father in Heaven.

I want to become a woman who "turns out".

I want to become a woman who moves forward with faith when the storms come.

I want to become a woman who is constantly progressing.

I want to be a woman who lets go of anger, bitterness, pain, and tragedy.

I want to be a woman who embraced the Atonement and applies is daily.

I love you all! It was so good to hear from Cortney this week through email!!! I''d love to hear from others as well. I fly out Wednesday morning and am allowed to call from the airport!

Love, Hermana Kristi Koerner