November 19th, 2012

Family!

Its Thanksgiving week! It's my favorite holiday. Why? Because theres good food, I'm with people I love, I love fall colors and the most important, I get to reflect on all the many blessings Heavenly Father has given me.  What am I thankful for?

•                First off, for a loving Heavenly Father who loves me, believes in me and allows me to be part of His work.

•                A mother who has always and continues to support me in the things I do and is always so accepting.

•                Sisters who have been wonderful examples to me

•                A grandmother who is so selfless and is so loving in all that she does.

•                A tia and uncle who make such cute kids and who always had a home where the spirit dwelled.

•                 For loving companions who are so patient and funny

•                For the people I met on my mission who changed their lives, accepted Christ and desired to follow Him.

•                For wonderful friends who've supported and encouraged me throughout my mission

I could go on....I really could. I hope though that not only this week but everyday we reflect on the many blessings God has given to us.  I know we need to develop an attitude of gratitute because I know we'll be happier and it will draw us nearer to Him who loves us.  I can testify to that. "count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will suprise you what the Lord hath done" amen.  I love this work! I love being a missionary. I love coming home so dead tired. I love seeing someone enter into the waters of baptism.  I love life and I love you all. Amo mucho.

November 12, 2012

Hi family!

So..................it snowed :(.  It was horribly freezing outside on Saturday night.  Of course I wasn't prepared because good ol' colorado is unpredictable. It was a good 65 degrees during the day then bam after our 5 o'clock appointment, theres a foot of snow on the floor. Not cool when your car is parked far or when you drive it looks like you're going into space like star wars so it makes you go cross eyed when you drive haha BUT on to good news this past week we had to drive to Montrose, which is about an hour and a half away from Grand Junction, to go to zone conference!  I LOVED it. It was definitely my favorite one I've had on my mission. But let's be real, I probably said that about the other ones too haha.  The theme was "What does God expect of you?" He told us the changes that will be happening to our mission within the next year.  Right now we have about 170 missionaries. Within less than a year, we'll have 250.  We have 22 sisters right now, that number will go up to 70!! Around the world, theres about 55,000 missionaries...it will become 90,000. Isn't that insane?  So what does God expect of us? Bottom line, alot.  "All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day.  Billions of the deceased and thos eyet to be born have their eyes on us.  Make no mistake about it- you are a marked generation.  There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us.  Never before on the face of this Earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good have been as well organized.  Now is the great day of the Devil's power...but now is also the great day of the Lord's power..." - Ezra Taft Benson.

  So we are sons and daughters of the most powerful being in the universe.  We have so much potential.  I know theres great evil in the world today but I know Satan's power decreases when we choose to be righteous.  Choose the right. You're giving less power to Satan. Be that light.  I know it's hard when theres so many temptations but God's given us everything we need to be sucessful in this life and in the eternities.  It's a time of testing and proving but its also a time where great and marvelous works are happening within the church! It's exciting. I love being a missionary.  I'm really excited for this week. We have our branch thanksgiving dinner, alot of good appointments and Yazmin's baptism!! Pray for her. She'll need it. I love you all! Be righteous and God will bless you.