Be Not Afraid, Only Believe

Manat Branch Sister Missionaries!

Dapat kasama ito doon sa ireregalo ko, yung printed talaga. Pero di ko na nakuha. So, ito na! :) Happy happy happy birthday ulit, Wyndee! :)

We all have made mistakes in our lives. I, too, have made wrong choices. But our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he has provided a way to be forgiven of our sins. It is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Repentance is a painful process, but it leads to forgiveness and lasting peace. The Lord has promised, “He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” I have a strong testimony about that promise. I asked Heavenly Father to forgive me of my wrong choices. I have faith that through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, my sins can be forgiven. Heavenly Father also wants us to forgive ourselves from the mistakes of the past. I have experienced the sweet joy of forgiveness and peace. It was like a thorn had been pulled out of my heart. I know that our Redeemer lives. Ask the missionaries in your area. They can help you with your problems and teach you the necessary steps of repentance. Repentance is needed before we can be baptized. And continue to investigate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. :)

To my future wife,

      Someday, maybe very soon, we’re destined to meet. You, a choice daughter of God, and me, a holder of the Priesthood of God.

      I think about you a lot and what you’ll be like. Let me say what I hope you’ll be like. I hope you’ll all be soft and gentle, not rough, loud or boisterous like a guy ... but you know … dresses, perfume, soft curls, and all feminine like a lady. Guys like and need a buddy, but a girl that is all girl is what stirs a guy’s heart. I’d like you to be a little bit helpless so you’ll need me. I’ll need you to think I’m terrific even though maybe I’m not … that way I’ll try hard to be terrific, for you. I’d like you to be happy, one who has fun and enjoys life, who is kind and sensitive in others and for your spirit to respond in sacred things.

      It won’t really matter what color your hair and eyes are, nor how tall you are. What really counts to me is what you’re like.

      I hope that you will date a lot of different guys, so that when we meet you’ll have a basis for comparison of the qualities you want in a husband. I’m working to develop all the right ones for you so I can make you happy. But be careful with the kisses … it’s easy to tell someone, “I’m saving them for my husband.”

      I think it will be special when we meet. I’m sure we’ll know very well that we’re attached to each other. As our friendship grows and we feel love begin to bloom, no one will have to tell us we’re in love … we’ll know.

      I want our dates to be fun and exciting and a learning experience for us. We both have talents to develop so let’s help each other do that. We’ll want to have beautiful memories to treasure through the years. There will be times when I’ll look at you and feel a great pain in my heart because I love you so much I will want to kiss you goodnight, I hope you’ll let me. But I want you to be that kind of girl that doesn’t permit necking, petting, and being too close together. No guys respect a girl that is permissive, nor do they seek that kind to marry.

       Because our feelings for each other will be strong, we will have to be careful and keep control. I can think of no greater pain that what we would suffer if we allowed the wrong things to happen. Nor no greater joy than to know we care enough to save ourselves for our wedding day. Can I tell you how a guy thinks about his wife coming to him pure for you … remember if any guy makes inappropriate advances, please be strong and say “No! I don’t do that, please don't ask me or try to entice me to do what I know is offensive to the Lord!”

        I will want to go on a mission because the Prophet has asked all worthy young men to serve the Lord. The Gospel needs to be taken to all the world and this is my obligation. That is what I will do and I’ll need you so much to help me prepare. You can help others you date too by being the kind of girl you are and how you conduct yourself. Wear the right kind of clothes so my mind won’t wander. Boys might whistle at girls in tight pants and slinky clothes but they don’t hold any respect for them.

        Inspire me to do the right things. You don’t know how much a guy wants to please the girl he loves. He has this great desire to make her happy. He has strong desires to protect her, and strong physical needs. You must understand this and not tempt or tease me. I’ll need you to be careful and help me to remain morally clean.

        Be that kind of girl that’s stimulating to listen to. Keep yourself informed about all kinds of subjects but stay clear of yourself. Let me be the one to brag about you and what you do. I’ll want to look and be my very best because I know that’s what you’ll expect. I won’t let you down.

       While I’m gone on my mission, whether we’ve met yet or not, I’ll want you to keep growing in your testimony by studying and active participation in the Gospel. Our testimonies of Jesus Christ will be our most precious possession. That alone will help us to be successful in everything we do.

       If we’ve made mistakes before our testimonies were strong enough to carry us or because ignorance and not understanding, we have the beautiful principle of repentance, which makes it possible to obtain forgiveness. I think everyone needs repentance sometime in his life. That makes us appreciate and love our Savior more than ever because He made repentance possible for us.

      Another thing that is important to me is for you to learn all the skills that are required to be my wife and the mother of my children. I just know you will love being a homemaker and making a happy home for me and our family. That will mean more to me than I can say.

      We’ll want our courtship to be fun, wonderful, and a happy time together. When we become the best friends and communicate our thoughts and hopes and plans about everything.

      It must be this way for us. Because we’re special … we’re different than the rest of the world … we’re Mormons. I hold the Priesthood of God. I was ordained to that in the preexistence. You too were destined to become a wife and a mother. It’s all part of our Father’s plan for us. I know we made promises to Father and mother there, maybe even with each other. Even though we can’t remember our former life, I know that it is true. We must keep ourselves worthy to receive the promised blessings if we obey His commandments.

       I’ll want our marriage performed in the Temple as I know you will. We’ll both need to prepare ourselves carefully for that day, so the Holy Spirit of Promise will be able to seal our marriage. I’ll be so proud of you as you become my wife and sweetheart forever. You’ll be so beautiful because your spirit is beautiful and you will be prepared.

 Oh, how I hope and pray for all this for us …

 Until we meet …

Hey there! :)The Holy Ghost witnesses of the Father and the Son and reveals and teaches the truth of all things. We can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only by the power of the Holy Ghost.

I have baptized brother Joven Ferrer Bandera today, June 1. It was really a great and spiritual experience for me. This is my first time to actually baptize someone. It's also a great feeling to be an instrument of the Lord.

Me (left) and Joven Bandera (right).