August 15, 2011

Hola,

Well, now I'm here in La Costa del Sol! Fuengirola is about 30 minutes (in car) west and a little south of Málaga. It's right on the beach and it's a little bit lower temperature here than in Sevilla. Elder Stoner is my companion and he is awesome! He and I are the only two missionaries in this mission who entered the MTC on the same day, so we're the only two in our group. We get along really well, and I'm grateful to be here with him.

The experiences I am having here are really helping me learn and grow. Planning and goal setting and discipline are so important. Time is one of the most precious gifts that our Heavenly Father has given us, and the way we choose to use that time will determine what we become and who we become. Heavenly Father's plan for us is designed so that we can be happy. That happiness comes through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I love the words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie when he spoke of the atonement and of the divinity of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Said Elder McConkie, "He is God’s Almighty Son... He is our Savior and Redeemer, and... salvation comes in and through His atoning blood and in no other way. God grant that all of us may walk in the light, as God our Father is in the light, so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, will cleanse us from all sin." I know that those words are true, and that only through Christ will we find peace and happiness.

Love,
Elder Fagersten