Dear Everyone,

 

It sounds like everyone had a great week with Dad´s birthday celebration in California! How fun. I sure thought about him on Saturday.

 

Well, this week we were luxuriously enjoying our electricity and hot water! Oh, how blessed we are to have such accomodations! We also had a Zone Meeting in Setúbal that was interesting and a division with the Sister Training Leaders. I hate to say it, but I´m not sure much happened this week that was so eventful that it would make it in this email, nevertheless it was a good week doing the Lord´s work. We are still on a high from Conference and saw Elder Godoy´s talk again in our integration night on Friday!

 

As a mission we are studying about the Atonement a little more deeply with a packet that President Fluckiger and the office Elders made. It has been really wonderful and mind opening. Every time I study more, I realize how little I know and understand the Lord´s sacrifice, love and power. The Atonement is so powerful. It is so powerful that it came into effect even before Christ was born of Mary. It is the supreme act of God´s and Christ´s love for us. It´s real. It helps me everyday out here in Portugal to just simply survive through all that life throws at me. True success is making the Atonement an active part of one´s life through faith, obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and repentance. Oh how grateful I am!

 

I love you all and I hope you have a nice week.

 

Sister Derrick