Hello beautiful people of America + beyond~

This week (from Wednesday-now) was superb!!

My first Zone Training Meeting was a success! I didn't sleep like at all two nights before but...minor details. I was nervous because there are some pretty stellar missionaries in my Zone that have been out for quite some time...and who am I to be counseling them 3 months out? But my favorite one came up to me afterward and pretty much praised our training and made me feel like a million bucks so wahoo! I didn't mess it up!

Sister Fausett and I trained on goal setting and how we have to have a desire and a vision to flourish our areas in the way the Lord requires of us. I can't reiterate all that it was about because it was purely by the Spirit and not me so that's always an awesome feeling! 

Also Saturday we hit up the Los Angeles Temple for Sister B's Birthday! 

First off we had the best week because hello, birthday week! And everything she did or got, I pretty much got it too so... Happy bday to me too ;) 

Beautiful LA Temple

The LA Temple is outrageous. I have such a tender portion of my heart for it considering my cute parents were married there. I feel the strength of my family there so strong. 

In preparation, I came with a couple questions hoping to be answered in the course of our endowment session and ,I learned a lot. It is amazing to see the power of the Lord reaching into the desires of our hearts and caring enough to give us comfort. I couldn't say I necessarily got answers but prayerfully sitting in the celestial room I started to really seek out what God would have me know right then. 

A crazy thing happens when you open your heart up to God. 

My heart burned. I felt like my body mass doubled because my heart was so full.

So much gratitude and comfort knowing that God knows what He's doing. He's got it under control. We must not doubt or fear because that is when faith falters. 

I hate opening up. I hate feeling. I hate it. But I'm continually learning that it's okay to let ourselves feel. Everything hit me at once during fast and testimony meeting and the water works flooded. I embarrassingly wiped about a 1/2 gallon of tears off my face. But as my mom wrote to me quoting from Alma 28 "their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy" 

Life is hard- trials are real. But there is no doubt that I have so much joy in my heart. The knowledge that this gospel gives elevates me to incomprehensible joy and gratitude, there is no denying that. 

The power of prayer is so real, my friends. Always remember that. 

I love you all! 

Have the best week!

-Sister Chelsea Zosia Dohner