July 23

happy july 16th! the day that officially marks my 1/2 mark through the MTC! i can't believe that i have already been here this long!! i am loving it still, and working hard through the hard work. this past week has been the hardest week yet, but again, there are always blessings that follow the prueblas. 

so i'll start off with today-

it's p-day which you think would be the most relaxing day of the week, but that's false! there is so much to do, but i love having a full day. :) we woke up at 5 to do our laundry so we could get it over and done with. we finished around 7, so we went back to the apartments to get ready for the day and catch the bus at 7;30. we planned to eat breakfast as a district up on main campus and then head over to the TEMPLE!!! finally! it's been closed for 2 weeks! i think i was the most excited of everyone to go. i have really learned to love the temple. so i's about 7;29 and we still haven't left the apartment, so we sprint to the bus stop to make sure we make it because it only comes every half an hour. we get on the bus and i realize that my temple recommend isn't in my wallet like it usually is. which was weird because i checked right before we left the apartment to make sure i had it and it was in there. i was really devastated because that meant i wouldn't be able to go! one of the amazing hermanas, hermana mcnaught said she would go back with me to our apartment to retrace our steps and everything and sacrifice getting breakfast. haha. i felt sooo bad. so we go back, look everywhere and cannot find it. i was so frustrated with myself because i knew i just barely had it! we checked everywhere, the lost and found, our apartment, i was staring to get worried too because my visa was with it.. 

so there was about 20 minutes until the next bus came so me and hma mcnaught decided to go get breakfast. she went to the bathroom before we left and while she was in there i prayed that i would find is someway or that some way they would let me go in the temple with out it. I knew heavenly father would help me because i was doing what he wanted me to do. so we went to breakfast and one of the sweet new elders in my zone had my visa!! he found it in a dirt mound by the bus. which i still don't understand how it got there. so i asked if he saw my temple recommend too and he didn't but he said he'd take me to check. soo.. it was there!! it literally was the craziest thing! i don't understand how it flew out of my wallet out of my purse into a dirt mound that i wasn't really even by.. so lesson for all - satan really will do anything he can to keep you from doing the Lord's will. I really had the best experience in the temple. the celestial room always blows me away with it's beauty and peace.. i could hours in there. they had the beautiful picture of christ with his hands outstretched in the clouds. that is one of my favorite pictures of him. 

so another cool thing about today, it was the day that miss kaycee fowers, or sister fowers, came in! she's only in the mtc for 12 days so i have been praying that i will get a chance to see her.. while i was in the celestial room i just said a little prayer for some way to see her and to help me through these hard times.. so i walked out of the temple and a butterfly literally flew into my hands. the big yellow kind that look like a monarch but not. I kid you not, it was straight out of a movie. I felt like heavenly father was giving me a big hug and telling me not to worry about my difficulties, or how hard the language is,but to be still, and know that I am God, and that I love you.. I started thinking of the song "i like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, and ponder on the beauty of the earth made clean again." we too can be made clean again when we take upon Christ's sacred name.. I felt so at peace. As we were walking out of the temple there were so many new missionaries with their families taking pictures! it was so exciting to see them. it definitely gave me flashbacks. my comp was taking a picture for a family right by the gate into the temple so I was waiting for her when all of a sudden a car started to slow down, and I thought wow, that really looks like Stan (kaycee's dad) and then it clicked. I don't know if i started running to the car or crying first but before I knew it I was out in the middle of the road opening the car door. hahahah. i attacked kaycee with my tears and hugs and was blocking traffic. hahah. we were both in tears while tauni was taking pictures and recording us. it was such a tender mercy. what are the odds that her and her family would drive by right as I was walking out of the temple? God truly does know us. and what's important to us become important to Him because he loves us that much. it was so fun to see her and wish her luck. :) 

i love my savior. my relationship with him has grown so much.. he truly is my best friend and i know i can turn to him with anything. without Him and his atonement, i wouldn't be able to do anything here. the work is hard, but so rewarding. i need the enabling power of the atonement daily. my favorite part of the day is putting on my badge over my heart with my name and his name so close together. i know that he lives, and loves each one of us. i know that he suffered for our sins and whatever it is that we are going through, whatever trials, hardships, and joys - he knows exactly the feelings of our hearts and exactly how to help us. I invite you all to turn to christ. use the atonement. not only for repentance, but also for power. when we take the sacrament each week, we are literally taking his name upon us and are entitled to his power. i know that he can make more out of us than we can ourselves and what a powerful thing that is! i know this church is true and I am so excited to go to mexico! i love you all more than you know and pray for you daily. straight is the gate and narrow is the way!

con amor,

hermana hobbs