SPANISH!!!!! WHAT!!

Spanish my second language:

When I received my mission call I was called to learn and teach in the spanish language. Being a missionary is completly voluntary but there are certain standards in order to quaify, and this is a process that takes a little bit of time filling out paper work and being interviewed. After all the paper work is completed the papers are sent to Church Headquarters in Salt lake city where the Prophet (currently Thomas S Monson) and the twelve apostles ask God through sincere prayer as to where He wanted me to serve. I did not have a say in the matter, my calling came from God. The Lord wanted me to serve here in Santa Rosa and to learn spanish and then to teach in this language for all those who speak Spanish living here.
It has been interesting learning a new language. I had 9 weeks of training and then I came here to talk and do 'missionary things' in my new language. I am sure there are many people who know what it feels like to be completely lost in a conversation or to try to answer the question and have someone answer for you because they do not think you are capable. It is frustrating to want to speak with the people and not be able to.

Sometimes I would sit in a lesson and not understand a single thing that went on and then my companions would look at me expecting me to say something. I would freak out thinking, I do not even know what this person has been talking about for the past 10 minutes and now you want me to say something??? 

Sometimes in our lessons there are people who start crying because they are having a hard time with the things in there lives, sometimes there is laughing I didn't catch the punch line.... so I pretend to laugh while everyone else is rolling on the ground from laughter. What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Yeah I did not know what was going on. Or sometimes there is an intense story being told and my companion looks at me and says Do you understand? And I am wanting to say yes but really I have no clue what is going on so she says I will tell you later.

The Lord was teaching me patience. Patience with myself. When I exercised faith and trusted the Lord that he would help me and then I went and did the things that were expected of me I was able to learn and grow and slowly I learned to understand the language and even though I still have to learn more and improve I am almost able to actually communicate with people and they can understand me. It has been three months. I know that with out a doubt that I could not have done this on my own. I have taken one step at a time little by little and with my faith and my diligence I have been given the gift to understand. I am amazed at the power of God and I know that He is looking our for me.

This is one of my favorite Mormon Ads!

It is interesting because this small trial that I have to try to understand and learn a different language is a good analogy of life. Are we not all here not exactly knowing what we are doing? We can't remember anything about where we came from or we don't seem to know or remember anything beyond this life. And yet we are here. Does it every feel like you are lost? My testimony of Jesus Christ gives me understanding of why I am here and what I need to do. I am able to be guided through this life with out getting caught up in all the menial things. It is a process, we learn one thing at a time until one day things connect and start to make sense. (2 Nephi 28:30) Kind of like putting words together to make a sentence or sentences together to make a phrase. When this happens we feel so blessed to be able to live this life, serve God and have pure joy that comes through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Discipleship

I have been thinking of my one of my favorite songs that touches my heart every time that I hear it. The word are so very beautiful and describe beautifully how much we must love our neighbor who ever they may be.

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow being ye are only in the service of your God.    Mosiah 2:17

Think of some one whom you love dearly. Then imagine that they were in some deep trouble. What would you do? 

Now imagine that you are walking on the street and you see someone in need of help and it appears as if they cannot help themselves

What would you do?

I pray that people in the world have a kind enough heart to offer the assistance needed. 

Everyone is loved by someone. 

And we can feel this love if we let Christ into our hearts and feel His love. 

Christ taught:

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:35-41

This is a song text written by James Montgomery. It has a beautiful imagery that expresses our devotion to Christ must be manifested by the way we treat our fellow brothers and sisters here the live on the earth.

"The Good Samaritan"

A poor, wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief              
That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow’r to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.

2. Once, when my scanty meal was spread,
He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread.
I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part again.
Mine was an angel’s portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste,
The crust was manna to my taste.

3. I spied him where a fountain burst

Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.

The heedless water mocked his thirst;

Faking It

I am a swimmer, I love being in the water, I love swimming as fast as I can and then also see how I can pase myself swimming long distance. But as a swimmer, like all sports, you have to practice, you have to push yourself to do better then you could before. I was a Arlington StingRay and their were different levels that depending upon the skill of the swimmer so you would swim your same skill level to push your self.... Shocker right?  But anyway I remember each time that I achieved a new "level" in practice my coach would give us a set to do and I would think to myself  Eeekk that is hard and I don't know if I can make it!!!  But I was no quitter, I gave it all I got and I always came up short of my goal. 

 I would think... This is hard  I  am not good enough and I can't make that time and everyone is better than me. It is not very much fun when everyone is faster than you are, it is no fun being last and having everyone lap you. But I always pretended that I could do, I always pretended that I could make the time and that I was a good swimmer. I always strive for that goal and I did not give up, I faked it. I pressed forward and kept my eyes on the prize. After time I improved. I got faster, better, my muscles got stronger. Then I could make to the goal, at first I was out of breath but then after a few times I could make it without a sweat. I could make it!

Charity and Love

Have you every wondered why sometimes you are not happy? Why no matter what you do you are lacking something? You keep on thinking that you will be happy when you have more money are when you get a better job or when you get married or get promoted in your job. Think of the happiest person that you know. Is this person happy because he/she has the most money success? fame? friends? The truly happy people that live on the earth are the people that are not worried for themselves but are caring and loving for others.

I was thinking a lot about this and then we had a meeting as missionaries about this very subject, Charity is the pure love of our savior Jesus Christ, Christ who loved us so much that he suffered and died for your sins and for my sins, he loved us so much that he was willing to give up everything that he had for our well being. He saw past our sins, he saw past our deficiencies, our weaknesses He knows us exactly the way we are and yet He still gave everything, everything in order to give us the chance to have more happiness and to change into someone better, someone perfect. Why? because He loves us.

            I Cor. 13

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I have had the questions why is charity greatest above all these three virtues, because I know that faith is super important being that we are here on earth to walk by faith in Jesus Christ and not by sight, Why Charity above everything else? There are a lot of great virtues what is so important about Charity that makes is trump faith and hope.
All three virtues are related together..."his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God,  he needs [to] have charity;" In order to have pure faith and hope you need to have Charity. So then what is the definition of charity?.... anyone?

45.And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things

46Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— 

Our beloved Savior is Love "and greater love hath no man then this that he giveth he life for his friends"  Jesus Christ did this for us. He gave everything that He had to give us the chance to be happy. He tells us that in order to be happy we are to follow him and keep his commandments. The first great commandment "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
It all come down to Love, Pure Love, the Pure Love of Christ



 We are told to have this same love for everyone. We need to be willing to give everything and anything for the betterment of another. To swallow our pride and love them more then we love ourselves.
Charity is at the height of everything or everything must fail
Through Love we become more like Christ.
Charity suffereth long,
Charity is being kind,
Charity envieth not and is not puffed up,
Charity thinketh no evil,
Charity seeketh not her own [well being]
Charity is not easily provoked
Charity thinkieth no evil

Charity rejoiceth in the truth

Charity believeth all things
Charity Hopeth all things
Charity endureth all things
We become purified
We become more like our Savior
For Charity is The pure love of Christ,
If we do not have charity if we do not have love we are nothing.

47But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

When I am having a bad day it is because I am caught up in me. I am thinking for one reason or another about what is wrong with me, what I am doing wrong or what I do not like about my love, when I forget to think and love and care for someone else. I definitly have my share of bad days but I am trying to do better and think less of myself

48.Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Moroni 7: 44-48

I want to become a true follower of Jesus Christ, I want to become like Him. I need more charity. A true follower of Jesus Christ does the things that Jesus does. I want to know your opinion, read and review.

Baptism!

We had a baptism today! It was amazing! I thank God for the opportunity to teach people who are already prepared to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. We received a gift from God being able to the the conversion of this wonderful woman and my own testimony grew as I saw her faith and her progression toward a life as a faithful woman who makes and keeps covenants (a 2- way promise with our Heavenly Father)  we teach and the spirit testifies to us both of the wonderful blessings that are in store when we follow the commandments of God. We could feel the spirit, despite all the distractions we all were uplifted and the heavens rejoiced! The angels were cheering in heaven for the beautiful evet that happened with the promise of many more joyous things to come.

I say distractions because there were kids, little kids that were rambunctious. The baptism was after 3 hours at church and as a little kids it is hard to stay quiet for that long I remember quiet well... I remember one time when I was six I was twirling down the aisle and I accidentally fell and hit my head in the middle of sacrament meeting.... oops! I not soon after went to the ER because I was bleeding.