"Am I the One You're Looking For?"

So first of all I have to mention how amazing General Conference was. It was a different experience watching conference as a missionary in the field.  I felt more connected to all of the prophets and apostles, because of how much I've thought of them as I testify of them almost daily.  I have realized a lot how important it is for me personally that there is a prophet to whom God speaks today, and through whom I receive direction and instruction that I know comes right from my Father.  I felt changed after the conference. I felt instructed of things such as the importance of family, prayer, true conversion, the blessings of sacrifice, and forgiveness.  One of my favorite talks was President Uchtdorf's talk about loving and forgiving others ("not judging").  I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately and realize that I need to do it more than I even realized.  Like, when people in the bus do something rude, or someone you know makes a mistake.  I liked the bumper sticker "Don't hate me because I sin differently than you do." It's true.  Sometimes we even think badly of people because they have the same sins/weaknesses as we do.  Christ's way is to let go and remember that we all depend on One.  Alex Boye said once, "Because of Jesus Christ, I can forgive and be forgiven."  What a beautiful and simple and spiritually healing principle is forgiveness. I'm sincerely grateful for a Savior who taught us to forgive each other.

Things are good in Cheras, and going to get better.  We are teaching a 40+ single Chinese man named Anton, who is the sweetest soul ever. He works at McDonald's.  He has some kind of condition, so he is like a young boy in an older body.  But he can understand what we teach him and he ALWAYS comes to church and does nice things for us and tells people he loves them.  He is full of love and happiness.  He wants to be baptized and "serve Jesus all [his] life."  He so sincerely wants to do what is right and true, it is an inspiration and a joy to teach him and help him prepare to make the covenant his humble heart is so willing to enter.

We are also teaching a little old Indian man named Kripala, who is also so sweet and a little kooky.  He loves and trusts the missionaries and wants what is right, and has smoked since he was 12 years old but is finally beginning to stop so he can be baptized.   He's gone from 20 cigarettes a day to almost half, and yesterday he smoked 5.  He's always a joy to teach... I'm not sure whether or not he has teeth. He's another person I wish you could just meet.  He always sings.  When the missionaries found him, he was sitting in the park singing "Am I the One You're Looking For." :)

Not much else has been going on, a lot of technical things (apartment, visa, etc.) finally almost done so we can get into the "groove" of this area after mass transfers in the mission.

Life is good, KL is wonderful, the Gospel is true. God hears our prayers.  The scriptures are powerful spiritual protection against temptation.  Our families are the most precious of our possessions.  Easter came and went, and I know that we will each be resurrected one day because Jesus Christ paved the way.

Sister Gopinath