Hola queridos!
Hope you has a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year! I want to share three quick stories to summarize some experiences I had and lessons I learned this week. It all comes together at the end, just bare with me. Hahaha!
Story 1: On Christmas Eve I was able to talk to very special people that I love. I was nervous though cause I really wanted to help one particular family member feel the spirit during our call, I wanted that person to really see how much my mission has meant to me. Like a good missionary I organized what I thought was "the perfect lesson". It involved bullet points with key points I wanted to make, scriptures, conference quotes, etc. I was sure I'd get all emotional and the spirit would be felt. I was set - I thought. Well, the lesson was nothing like I thought it would be. The Skype call was on and my mind went blank. I couldn't remember anything and something stopped me from popping out my perfectly organized outline. Instead I felt the spirit prompt me to just say what I truly felt in that moment. The words that proceeded from my mouth were nothing like what I had written down. They were not scripted, rehearsed or cookie cut out phrases. It was my pure testimony. It was filled with love, sincerity, passion and the spirit. The spirit was guiding my every word. And for the first time, this person I so badly wanted to help feel the spirit got emotional. They finally felt and understood what the gospel and my missionary service meant to me.
Story 2: As a Sister Training Leader I go on one day exchanges with sisters in the mission to minister to them, help them build their teaching abilities, uplift and comfort them. I got to go on an exchange with an incredible sister this week. She shared that prior to coming to the mission she had doubts about the gospel. She sincerely has a hard time believing in certain parts of the gospel but is here because she wants to believe. She shared how her short time on the mission has drastically impacted her testimony and how she still has doubts but is patiently working through them. She shared that entering the temple was something that was hard for her to understand and shook her testimony. As she said that I reflected on my personal testimony of the temple... what had helped me gain a personal witness that it is the house of the Lord? I realized there was a lot I didn't know and a lot of questions that have gone unanswered. But I didn't need to know everything in order to know it was true. It was the silent, personal experiences I had inside the temple that confirmed to me that these things were true not a perfect knowledge of all that was done inside. As I had faith and was patient with my doubts answers slowly came little by little.
Story 3: My last Sunday in the MTC 16 months ago I found myself in the Provo Temple nervous to leave to my mission. I worried about not knowing enough to be able to teach. As I was on my way out with my companion (and best friend) Hermana Rocio Vasquez, a Sister pulled us aside and randomly decided to share her conversion story with us. She was the only member of her family. She often worried that she did not know enough to teach them. One day the spirit brought her comfort as she heard the spirit say, "They won't always remember what you say but they'll never forget how it made them feel."
Okay, why would I share these stories with you? Because, this is it! This is the key to conversion! So often we stress about knowing everything and having a perfect knowledge of all things. But that is not the result of a testimony. It's in the still and quiet moments. It's when we can just move out of the way and let the Holy Ghost take the lead. This definitely doesn't mean we shouldn't try to obtain knowledge, we just need to look for it with patience, faith and be lead by the Holy Ghost. I definitely do teach people the doctrine of the gospel. That is important but if the spirit isn't involved it won't be understood or felt. It all comes a little at a time.
Hope you has a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year! I want to share three quick stories to summarize some experiences I had and lessons I learned this week. It all comes together at the end, just bare with me. Hahaha!
Story 1: On Christmas Eve I was able to talk to very special people that I love. I was nervous though cause I really wanted to help one particular family member feel the spirit during our call, I wanted that person to really see how much my mission has meant to me. Like a good missionary I organized what I thought was "the perfect lesson". It involved bullet points with key points I wanted to make, scriptures, conference quotes, etc. I was sure I'd get all emotional and the spirit would be felt. I was set - I thought. Well, the lesson was nothing like I thought it would be. The Skype call was on and my mind went blank. I couldn't remember anything and something stopped me from popping out my perfectly organized outline. Instead I felt the spirit prompt me to just say what I truly felt in that moment. The words that proceeded from my mouth were nothing like what I had written down. They were not scripted, rehearsed or cookie cut out phrases. It was my pure testimony. It was filled with love, sincerity, passion and the spirit. The spirit was guiding my every word. And for the first time, this person I so badly wanted to help feel the spirit got emotional. They finally felt and understood what the gospel and my missionary service meant to me.
Story 2: As a Sister Training Leader I go on one day exchanges with sisters in the mission to minister to them, help them build their teaching abilities, uplift and comfort them. I got to go on an exchange with an incredible sister this week. She shared that prior to coming to the mission she had doubts about the gospel. She sincerely has a hard time believing in certain parts of the gospel but is here because she wants to believe. She shared how her short time on the mission has drastically impacted her testimony and how she still has doubts but is patiently working through them. She shared that entering the temple was something that was hard for her to understand and shook her testimony. As she said that I reflected on my personal testimony of the temple... what had helped me gain a personal witness that it is the house of the Lord? I realized there was a lot I didn't know and a lot of questions that have gone unanswered. But I didn't need to know everything in order to know it was true. It was the silent, personal experiences I had inside the temple that confirmed to me that these things were true not a perfect knowledge of all that was done inside. As I had faith and was patient with my doubts answers slowly came little by little.
Story 3: My last Sunday in the MTC 16 months ago I found myself in the Provo Temple nervous to leave to my mission. I worried about not knowing enough to be able to teach. As I was on my way out with my companion (and best friend) Hermana Rocio Vasquez, a Sister pulled us aside and randomly decided to share her conversion story with us. She was the only member of her family. She often worried that she did not know enough to teach them. One day the spirit brought her comfort as she heard the spirit say, "They won't always remember what you say but they'll never forget how it made them feel."
Okay, why would I share these stories with you? Because, this is it! This is the key to conversion! So often we stress about knowing everything and having a perfect knowledge of all things. But that is not the result of a testimony. It's in the still and quiet moments. It's when we can just move out of the way and let the Holy Ghost take the lead. This definitely doesn't mean we shouldn't try to obtain knowledge, we just need to look for it with patience, faith and be lead by the Holy Ghost. I definitely do teach people the doctrine of the gospel. That is important but if the spirit isn't involved it won't be understood or felt. It all comes a little at a time.
"Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line. ... We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. ...
Remember Nephi’s words: 'I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.'"
(You Know Enough, Elder Neil L. Andersen)
Like Nephi I don't know everything about the gospel, I don't have the Bible or Book of Mormon memorized from cover to cover. But I've learned that I don't need to. The spirit has borne witness to me that this is the church of Jesus Christ, that God is real and He loves me, He knows I am trying my best. Have faith he will reveal more and more truth to me. For this I am thankful.
Okay, rant over. Here are some fun pictures/events from the week. Love you people! Talk to you next year. (Bet ya haven't heard that one yet.
Bu dum tissss 🥁)
Okay, rant over. Here are some fun pictures/events from the week. Love you people! Talk to you next year. (Bet ya haven't heard that one yet.
Christmas Skyping some of my people who I love so much.
Exchanges
Christmas p-day spent at the Reston outdoor mall with the Reston sisters.
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