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Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts

Monday, April 14, 2014

Mexico Week 8 -- Covenants and Promises



First things first...we ate these taquitos in the street and they changed my life.  Wanna know something even cooler? I liked them better with the sauce that had chilis!  Who’s Mexicana now?  Rach, I miss the Hot Cheetohs days, but guess what??  They have hot taquitos here in chip form and they’re pretty close! 

This week, after conference, I started something new. Every night, I write my blessings of the day.  It is changing my life! I go to bed so happy and all I do is take five minutes to write down kind of some funny things that I consider blessings.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.  We honestly have so much to be grateful for despite all of the business in life. 

Remember Hermana Claudia? She’s the one that takes care of Antonio’s wife. She is a doll and one hundred percent Catholic. We’ve been going to Antonio’s house every day and I think he’s really going to get baptized.  Hermana Claudia is like our mom. Really, she is.  She bought us shirts and always talks to us about everything.  The three of us secretly call Antonio our abuelito.  


It is perfect.  We’ve talked a little bit about the gospel, but she’s so great and so prepared!  With Antonio, well he can’t see, so we’ve started reading the Book of Mormon out loud to Him.  It is such a special experience.  I know that we need the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY.  It has the power to heal whatever pain we may have, whatever thing we may be lacking, it will change our perspective of so many things. READ IT. 

Remember Hermana Infante?  She’s also kind of my mom here.  She came with us to a lesson and afterward, we were in her car talking and it turns out that they are having some family struggles.  It blows my mind how open people are with us and then I remember that we’re representatives of Christ and people truly trust us with their burdens.  Hermana Infante is the Primary President.  She talked about a lot of pain in her family.  She talked about how much comfort she finds in the sacrament and also in us.  She told her that her patriarchal blessing promises her that if she endures her trials faithfully, her posterity can live in righteousness.  She was crying and just told us that it is all worth it for her kids and grandkids.  She’s like the strongest person I know.  


This is why we have the commandments. Because in all honesty, wickedness never was happiness.  This is why we have the Law of Chastity, the Word of Wisdom, all of it, because Heavenly Father is protecting us from pain.  She honestly blows my mind.  She always sees the bright side.  She’s working things out with her husband, and she’s putting everything she has into her calling and service and trying as hard as she can to not have bad feelings toward others. This is how we face adversity ... by turning TO the Gospel, not AWAY from it. 

Last little thing, I’ve been studying a lot in Alma lately, toward the end. Remember the war chapters that used to be boring?  Well now they’re changing my life.  We have to be faithful to the end. We have to strengthen every weak point that we have with diligence.  It is not enough to receive a testimony one time, to feel the Spirit one time, to forget the commandments that are harder to live.  We have to be crazy flippin diligent and then fortify every weakness.  You want to know what else?  Covenants are the real deal.  The Lord NEVER forgets and He lives up to every promise.  Will we do the same?  The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s were about to break their covenant. They had buried their weapons, but the war was hard, their brothers were dying, but guess what?  They left their weapons in the ground and not one of their sons was killed.  No matter how hard it is, we can’t break covenants, we have to trust that the Lord will keep every single one of his promises. 


Y’all are so great!  I thank Heavenly Father daily for how incredible every single one of you is. Keep your covenants, trust the Lord, and share what we have. 
LOVE YOU!!

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Mexico Week 5 -- Princess Hair and MTC Hermanas

My dearest family! Mondays are so great. I love y'all.  So we were walking down the street the other day and who do I see?  Mr. Fredericksen!!



This week we had lunch with a Hermana in our ward and her daughter is two and loves Disney.  Frozen may or may not have been playing in the background as we ate .. I was literally dying.  I felt so pumped after we left!  I think it's because Disney has such a strong connection to our family .. and of course, families invite the Spirit.  I started thinking about when I'll be a young mom with young kids at home.  We can sing and dance around the house and watch Disney movies and it'll be great!!  I had to repent for being a little distracted after my Frozen moment, but in all honesty it was great. 

We also visited the Infante family that same day.  Their grandma lives with them and she's a member, been through the temple and everything but says that God told her to go to a different church now.  After we met with them, we were in the car with Hermano and Hermana Infante.  Hermana Infante broke down and told us that she just feels like Satan is working so hard on her lately.  The grandma always tries to talk to her teenagers about religion and so she's constantly trying to run damage control there.  She just really wants her kids to be strong in the gospel and that's what keeps her going.  My heart just went out to her.  Hermana Valdez told me there's some stuff going on between them, like maybe her husband had an affair, but we don't know for sure.   As she was crying, he didn't do or say anything.  It was kind of crazy awkward and I'm not really sure how to help them.

I am just learning so much about exactly what I want in a spouse and in my future family.  I want a spouse that's my partner, that loves me for real and is committed to our family. One person can raise a family, but it is not an easy road.  I want someone that's committed to the Lord and committed to covenants.  I just want someone I can always turn to, a best friend to lean on.  I don't want to feel like I'm raising a family by myself.  It just sunk in to me how much every decision counts.  Who I decide to marry will determine my eternity. It's not a decision to take lightly and I want to be 110 percent sure!  My heart goes out to Hermana Infante because she's honestly so great and working so hard with righteous goals, but everyone needs a buddy.  Hermana Valdez and I both wrote her letters and we gave them to her yesterday.  She teared up again and told us that she's been feeling her Savior's love and this was just a confirmation of the words she needed to hear.  My heart!  I realized that we are literally representatives of Jesus Christ.  We're not just here to baptize people or even just to teach.  We're here to stand as representatives of Him to every person, members included, to lift those that need help, to offer comfort, to offer His words.   It is something so beautiful and I just love being here. 

Flor Contreras, she´s the granddaughter of Carlos.  Her mom is less active, but they're slowly coming back. We did her hair like a princess!  She always says "las misioneras" and then she laughs like Boo from Monster's Inc.  Pretty much, she's coming home with me because she is the cutest thing EVER!!


    
  

Today we had a meeting with all of the missionaries that arrived with me and the mission president! I got to see all of my MTC buddies! It was so great.  I am so grateful that Heavenly Father always gives me strength to bounce back.  I learned that some of them have been a lot sicker than I was.  It was a good reminder to focus on the positive things and how truly blessed I have been since coming to Mexico .. with the language, my health, with my companion, and so many other things!  I need to count my blessings every day.


Hermana Camarillo told us today that we are like lighthouses. There are storms all around us and we have to live through trials.  We have been built strong enough to withstand the storms.  In the middle of the storm, we can still give off light and be a big help to those around us.  We can lift others, even in the middle of our own storms.  That is a beautiful thing!!

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Te Amo


I just want you all to know how much I love you .. especially my family!  I thank my Heavenly Father for my family every day because I have been so blessed.  I am blessed with selfless parents that work with their kids.  I am grateful for your example and know that I am where I am today because of it!

I am blessed with the best little sisters anyone could ask for.  They are my best friends!

I am blessed with the best support system in teachers, friends, ward members, etc.!

So here's a double shot of love from me to you -- TE AMO!!



Y'all should be smiling now!!

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