**Spring Cleaning**

What is it about the spring time that makes us want to be outside, love life, clean up and frolic in the flower fields? I think it’s the sun! I love the Georgian sun. My companion compared me to a solar panel haha she said I need the sunshine to function…I agreed. This week was full of some of the best “spring cleaning.” Why? Because it was spiritual spring cleaning - repentance.

Someone told me if you break down the root meaning of the word repent, “re” means again and “pent” means embrace. Repentance literally means to re-embrace the Savior. How cool is that? Repentance is beautiful! Not scary, but joyful! We like to teach this like so…imagine this, you’re covered in mud and you see a beautiful white mansion, everything is white inside, everything it pure and bright and clean. There are happy people, families inside all in clean white attire. But you are dirty. Would you feel comfortable going inside that pearly mansion? How do you think the owner would feel if you came in filthy dirty? Now what if Jesus Christ was there, offering you a warm clean shower and nice white clothes He had already laid out for you? You’d take up the offer, huh? We can all repent, be washed clean, feel worthy in the glory of God. We can change. We can be fully healed, cleaned and transformed. Believe all these glorious truths. They will set you free!

Our sweet Nicole had the ultimate spring cleaning. Just four weeks ago we met this woman who has changed my life and many others and will continue to bless my life with her friendship through the eternities. You know those scriptures saying that the Lord will gather His elect? Nicole is elect, she is a chosen daughter prepared to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We were privileged to be her missionaries but surely we had no real part in her conversion. Her heart was softened and she accepted so loyally. The ordinance and spirit of her baptism was something remarkable. She was literally born again; she walks with a “newness of life.” I'm honored to know the lady. I'm thankful God knows us. It's my testimony that we succeed when we try.

May we all this Easter season do a little spiritual spring cleaning.

All my love,

Sister Avery Miyahara