I Love The Heat

Grand day to be alive.

Spiritual: We have been so blessed with friends that are growing their faith and testimonies of Christ from reading the Book of Mormon AND are progressing towards the next step on the covenant path with God (BAPTISM)!!! We have talked a lot about the promises we make with God when we are baptized.

1. Take the name of Christ upon ourselves

2. Serve Him

3. Keep His commandments

We get SO MUCH IN RETURN.

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, … lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace" -President Ezra Taft Benson

When we have a covenantal relationship with God (and we keep our side of the promise), we will receive more power from on high and experience a downpour of celestial blessings. It is a fact.

Confession, I literally did not know the importance of my baptismal covenant until my mission. Imagine a world where every person who was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints took 10 minutes to review and act on their baptismal covenant. THE WORLD WOULD SO DIFFERENT. The world would be happier because service would be our main priority. The world would have more peace because we would all resort back to Christ in all circumstances of life.

We can continue to grow our relationship and receive more blessings as we make more covenants (promises with God) in temples!! WUJUUUU (woohoo)

Highs:

-Hermana Vasquez

-MARLON WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED

-JUAN WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED

-Juan pulling out a paper he carries with him with all of his favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon

-Juan telling us the Book of Mormon is like no other Book he has ever read and teaches with clarity and power.

-Juan describing how the Book of Mormon is changing is helping him change his nature

-Matching blanket sweatshirts (thank you mom)

-Zone leaders competing with us on our key indicators

-Interview with my mission president (HE IS SO INSANELY INSPIRED AND AMAZING)

-I am actually the worst person in the world at following directions and my comp and I got so lost on our way to a meeting in Santiago (we live an hour and a half ish outside) and went to the very north of our mission and realized we went WAY TOO FAR so then traveled back down and still made it on time to our meeting

-3 week trainee/trainer conference with Hermana Vasquez and other missionaries

-ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY MISSION:

After the conference Elder Fields and Elder Patterson challenged us to see how many contacts we could make on the way back to our áreas (we share a border) and IT WAS THE MOST EXHILARATING THING!!!! We were on a bus with 4 other companionships and every single person was talking to groups of people about Christ and the Book of Mormon. We were legit DECLARING the gospel to everyone. At one point I passed my notebook around the bus and people were writing names and numbers so we could teach them more. Such a highlight. (Cherry on top...Hermana Vasquez and I won the competition)

-French toast

-Singing with Marlon

-Playing ping pong in the park with our new friends

-Singing with Nanis

Lows:

-Halloween isn't a thing here

-Juan not coming to church

-Carrying a huge box of Books of Mormon for a long time

-I am going blind

-Actually had to start being gluten free lol

-Me giving a talk in sacrament meeting and a 12 year old telling me she loves MY language

-I have the most gringa accent