at the end.

This is probably my last post as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Let me tell you, 18 months have gone by faster than I could have ever imagined. Well, looking back on it it's gone warp speed. I feel like two weeks ago I was waving good-bye to my mom at the airport. But if you'd asked me how fast it was going 16 months ago, I would have told you that this day would never come because it still felt impossibly far away.

These past 18 months have been full of a lifetime of experiences. The good kind, the bad kind, the laugh-til-you-cry kind, the learning kind, the heart-breaking kind, the tears-of-joy kind, the frustrating kind, the friendship making kind, the spirit-filled kind, the tender mercies kind, the hidden blessings kind. But at the end, they've all been blessings.

If there is one over arching theme to what I've learned in the last year and a half, it's that

we have a Heavenly Father who loves each and every single one of His children.

No matter who we think we are or what we may have done, we are never too far away from the love of God. No one can take that love away from us. We can try to say that it doesn't exist, but we're only kidding ourselves. He loves us. And I'm living proof. 

I'm proof that he gives us infinite second chances through the Atonement of His son--our Savior, Jesus Christ.

He wants us to return to live with Him. So he has a perfect plan for all of us. It's individual. And it's prefect. We don't have to doubt. We just have to have faith. And trust. Because He knows us perfectly. He knows our weaknesses and faults, our triumphs and successes, our talents and abilities.

And as we keep His commandments, He has so many more blessings in store for us than we can even imagine.

I love the Lord. And I've fallen in love with His work.

I'm eternally indebted to Him for this opportunity I've had to serve him.

oh the south.

"...Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

[2 Nephi 32:2] 

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

[2 Nephi 31:20]

the Book of Mormon.

The whole world's talking about it.
It's probably become a household name by now.
Why not figure out why it's so important.
I promise it will change your life.
Because it's changed mine.

My story is a simple and fairly common one.
I was 7 when my family met the missionaries. They'd met them many times before, but this particular set of meetings led to us eventually all being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I grew up in the Church. I always thought that I knew it was true because of how I felt when those missionaries taught us. As little as I was, I felt the truthfulness of the message they brought. I remember them sitting on the couch in our living room with my sister and I teaching us how to pray. And I received answers.
But when I was in high school, like for so many others I know, there came a point when I needed to know if it really was the church that my Heavenly Father needed me to be a part of. I could only listen to what other people told me was true for so long. I had to find out for myself.
So I set out on a quest for the truth.

And as part of this quest, I read the Book of Mormon.
Cover to cover.
I prayed every day to find answers.
I went to church.

And one day, after praying to know if the Book of Mormon was true, I got my answer. The answer that I knew in my heart the whole time. It was an answer that came from the Spirit directly from my Heavenly Father in special "Hermana Jordan" packaging. It was an answer that helped me to know that my Heavenly Father knows me. He is aware of me. And He loves me.
I promise that this type of answer can come to all of us. We just have to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and keep the commandments of God, like coming to His church.

So I invite you to set out on your own quest for the truth of the Book of Mormon.

If you live in Graves County, Kentucky, come to church with us at
1036 Coplen Rd, Mayfield, KY

Or find a church building near you here!

It will change you life for the better!
I promise.

change.

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have to life that is waiting for us.
-Joseph Campell

Change.
Sometimes it's a pretty scary word.

But you know what word makes all of the change in the world not scary?
Atonement.
[the reconciliation of man with God though Christ.]

President Boyd K. Packer taught,

“There is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ”

Through our Savior, Jesus Christ, all change is possible.

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ is available to each of us. His Atonement is infinite. It applies to everyone, even you. It can clean, reclaim, and sanctify even you. That is what infinite means—total, complete, all, forever."  -Elder Shane M. Bowen

He has faith in us. He will help us do the things that we think we can't do. He will guide us by the hand if we but follow Him.
He enabled the way for us to change from our "lost and fallen state" [Mosiah 16:4] and it's only though Him and His teachings that we can change and become the person that our loving Heavenly Father wants and needs us to be.
I know that we don't have to go back to who we were or what we did. With the help of our Savior, we can change.

i'm a mormon.

I'm a girl who sincerely believes that dark chocolate has the power to fix bad days.
I'm a girl who doesn't really have a hometown.
I'm a girl who would wear rain boots everyday if she could.
I'm a girl who could school you at Jenga.
I'm a girl who takes serious situations humorously and humorous situations seriously.
I'm a girl who would eat pizza or Taco Bell for the rest of her life.
I'm a daughter of God.

And I'm a mormon.

______________________________________________________________________


Soy una chica que cree sinceramente que el chocolate oscuro tiene el poder de hacer mal día mejor.
Soy una chica que no tiene una ciudad natal.
Soy una chica que se usaria botas de lluvia todos los dias si pudiera.
Soy una chica que podría vencerlo en Jenga.
Soy una chica que se toma con humor las situaciones graves y situaciones de humor en serio.
Soy una chica que se come la pizza o Taco Bell para el resto de su vida.
Soy una hija de Dios.

Y soy mormona.

just a little rain.

You know those days or weeks or months when you just feel like you're not sure that you can do any more? Or that you're stuck? Or that your life has reached the point of insanity where you need to try something new but you don't know what? Or even that you're not quite sure that Heavenly Father is aware of you anymore?

For that, I have a scripture from the Book of Mormon.
It's 1 Nephi 1:20
"... But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of  deliverance."

And when you've hit that point, and often before, that's where the tender mercies of the Lord come in.

What is a tender mercy of the Lord?
Elder David A. Bednar tells us in this talk. He says:
"the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ."
He also says that, "the Lord suits 'his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men' (D&C 46:15)."
and that "... the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience, and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord’s timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings."

A few weeks ago, my lovely companion and I were just having some off moments. We just didn't feel like we were where the Lord needed us to be in order to help Him.
This pattern went on for a few days.
And we didn't like it.
Until one Sunday. When everything just seemed to click back into place and life was well again.
This particular Sunday night, we were at the church building and we left to go out and teach some people and it was pouring rain. We're talking buckets. And there was lighting and thunder right over us. There just aren't storms like that where I'm from so I wasn't exactly sure what we should do.
Being missionaries, we knew that the Lord needed us to work. So we put on our hypothetical, big girl rain boots and braved the rain from the church to our car.
By the time we got to the car, we were drenched. Head to toe, all the way through.
And as we tried to drive, we couldn't see where we were going and lighting was crashing around us and we missed the exit out of the parking lot and we decided that it wasn't the safest idea for us to be driving. So we parked the car, braved the rain again, and ran back inside the church.






So what on earth does this have to do with tender mercies of the Lord?
Well, the Lord's tender mercies come in all shapes and sizes.
And for me, this was one of them.

It was Him saying, 

"Stop worrying. 

Stop stressing.

I've got it all under control and everything will be fine.

This rainstorm is for you.

Because you love them.

And because I love you."

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance."  -Elder Bednar.

I know that the Lord delivers us. Even if it's just from stress. I know that He makes us "mighty even unto the power of deliverance" from much harder things as well. I know that He listens and is aware of us. And I know that He loves us. More than we can even know.

today's thought.

"Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. 

Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. 

This is the day of our opportunity, 

and we must grasp it."

-President Thomas S. Monson

Oh how I love our wonderful prophet and his words of pure wisdom.
Last week I was thinking a lot about the future. and my particular, very near future consisted of a place that I wasn't really sure that I needed to be.
So I worried about it.
a lot.
And quite frankly, I wasted a lot of time.
and energy.
on something that didn't need to even be worried about.
Because I love it here.
And because I wouldn't be here if Heavenly Father didn't need me to be.
Isn't it great how he just knows so much more than we do?

If there's something I've learned these last 16 months, it's that Heavenly Father's will is always greater than mine. and it's always smarter than mine. and it's always easier and happier than mine in the long run and in the immediate future.
Because He loves us.
more than we'll ever know.
and I love Him.

So take it from me.
If we don't take what our loving Father in Heaven gives us now, and just keep on daydreaming or wishing or waiting for our perfect moment, we miss the best things that life has to offer us. The best things that our Heavenly Father has to offer us.
And those aren't things that I want to miss.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"A veces permitimos que los pensamientos de mañana ocupen mucho del presente. 

El soñar en el pasado y el anhelo por el futuro quizás brinde consuelo, pero no tomará el lugar de vivir en el presente. 

Este es el día de nuestra oportunidad, 

y debemos aprovecharla."

-Presidente Thomas S. Monson

¡Oh, cómo me encanta nuestro profeta maravillosa y sus palabras de sabiduría pura!
La semana pasada estuve pensando mucho en el futuro. y mi futuro inmediato consistió de un lugar que no estaba seguro de que necesitaba estar.
Entonces me preocupaba.
mucho.
Y francamente, perdí mucho tiempo!
y energía.
en algo que no tenía por qué preocuparme.
Porque me encanta estar aquí!
Y porque yo no estaría aquí si nuestro Padre Celestial no necesita que yo este aqui.
¿No es maravilloso cómo El sabe mucho más que nosotros?


Si hay algo que he aprendido en estos últimos 16 meses, es que la voluntad de nuestro Padre Celestial siempre es mayor que la mía. más inteligente que la mía. más fácil y más feliz que la mía en el distante y en el futuro inmediato.
Porque Él nos ama!
más de lo que se sabe!
y yo lo amo!


Entonces creame!
Si no tomamos lo que nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial nos da ahora, y sólo seguimos soñando o deseando o esperando nuestro momento perfecto, perdemos las mejores cosas que la vida tiene para ofrecernos. Las mejores cosas que nuestro Padre Celestial tiene para ofrecernos.
Y esas no son cosas que quiero perder.

want to hear a joke?

Q:  Why were all the Lamanites limping?

A:  Because of all the Nephites!!

Want to know who the Lamanites and the Nephites are?

You can find out

here.

nunca estamos solos.

El Senor de la vina--o sea, nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo--siempre esta con nosotros, trabajando a nuestro lado. El nos ama y el nos ayuda a obedecer para que pueda morar con nosotros.

Yo amo a mi Salvador.

otra vez.

Bueno pues. Aqui estoy orta vez.
A veces otras personas dicen las cosas mucho mejor que yo.
Esta vez, se llama John Bytheway.


"Algo maravilloso sucede cuando realmente sabemos, sin duda, que Dios nos ama. Nuestras preguntas cambian completamente. En lugar de preguntar,

"¿Por qué me pasó esto a mí?" O

"¿Por qué Dios no se preocupa por mí?"

decimos: "Bueno, sé que Dios me ama, lo sé. Entonces, ¿qué puedo aprender de esta experiencia? "

A veces pensamos que nuestros pruebas vienen porque hicimos algo mal. Eso no siempre es así. La adversidad es simplemente parte de la la vida terrenal. A partir de ella podemos crecer y progresar si lo elegimos. Sí, algunas pruebas vienen a causa de nuestra propia desobediencia, pero muchas pruebas simplemente son parte de la vida.


Las Escrituras contienen muchos ejemplos de personas justas que han sufrido: Abraham, Abinadí, José de Egipto, José Smith, e incluso Jesucristo. La verdad es que las cosas malas le suceden a gente buena.
Hermano Truman G. Madsen, una vez le pidió al presidente Hugh B. Brown, de la Primera Presidencia (1883-1975)
por qué el Señor le puso a Abraham a través de la experiencia de que le pregunte a sacrificar a su propio hijo? Obviamente, Dios sabía que Abraham estaba dispuesto a hacer cualquier cosa que Dios mandó, y si así fuera, ¿por qué el Señor lo puso a través de una prueba?
El presidente de Brown respondió:

"Abraham tenía que aprender algo acerca de Abraham"

(Joseph Smith the Prophet [1989], 93).

Dios ya sabe de lo que estamos hechos, pero tal vez él quiere que aprendamos de lo que estamos hechos. Creo que todos estamos de acuerdo en que aprendemos más de nuestros tiempos difíciles que de nuestros tiempos fáciles. A veces las cosas malas le suceden a gente buena. No sabemos el significado de todas las cosas, pero sabemos que Dios ama a sus hijos! Y porque nos ama, Él nunca nos abandonará."

[puede leer el resto del discourso aqui en ingles.]

tiene razon, verdad?

Por mi parte, he tenido un montón de los "oh. Así que el punto central de esta experiencia es que Hermana Jordan tenía que aprender algo acerca de Hermana Jordan"

En el momento, no es tan divertido. Pero sabe lo que he aprendido?

La diversión es poder mirar atrás y ver lo lejos que hemos llegado. Porque es en los tiempos difíciles que crecemos.

Y es por eso que estamos aquí.

Como el presidente Thomas S. Monson dijo en esta última Conferencia General:

"Cuán agradecidos debemos estar de que un Creador sabio formó una tierra y nos colocó aquí, con un velo del olvido de nuestra existencia anterior, para que podamos experimentar un tiempo de prueba, la oportunidad de probarnos a nosotros mismos con el fin de calificar para todo lo que Dios ha preparado para nosotros recibir ". [aquí]

Y yo estoy eternamente agradecida por un Padre Celestial y Salvador que nos aman lo suficiente como para ayudarnos a aprender las cosas que nos hacen mejor. Incluso si parecen duro en el momento. Y estoy agradecido por el plan perfecto que tiene para mí y para cada uno de nosotros para volver a ellos, todo lo que tenemos que hacer es seguir y obedecer.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ok. back at it again.

Sometimes other people just say it better than I do.

This time, it's John Bytheway. [who according to my mother has the coolest last name ever.]

"Something wonderful happens when we really know, without a doubt, that God loves us—our questions completely change. Instead of asking,

“Why did this happen to me?” or

“Why doesn’t God care about me?”

we say, “Well, I know God loves me; I know that. So what can I learn from this experience?”

Sometimes we think our trials come because we did something wrong. That’s not always true. Adversity is simply part of earth life. From it we can grow and progress if we choose to. Yes, some trials come because of our own disobedience, but many trials are simply part of life.

The scriptures contain many examples of righteous people who suffered: Abraham, Abinadi, Joseph of Egypt, Joseph Smith, and even Jesus Christ. The fact is, bad things happen to good people.
Brother Truman G. Madsen once asked President Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency (1883–1975)
why the Lord would put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son. Obviously God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test?

President Brown answered,

“Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham”

(Joseph Smith the Prophet [1989], 93).

God already knows what we’re made of, but perhaps He wants us to learn what we’re made of.

I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We don’t know the meaning of all things, but we know God loves His children! And because He loves us, He will never desert us."


[read the rest here.]

Pretty neat, right?

I for one have had a lot of those "oh. So the whole point of this experience was that Hermana Jordan needed to learn something about Hermana Jordan" moments lately.

At the time, they're not so fun. But you know what I've learned?

The fun is being able to look back and see how far you've come. Because it's in the hard times that we grow. 

And that's why we're here.

As President Thomas S. Monson said in this past General Conference:

"How grateful we should be that a wise Creator fashioned an earth and placed us here, with a veil of forgetfulness of our previous existence so that we might experience a time of testing, an opportunity to prove ourselves in order to qualify for all that God has prepared for us to receive." [here]

And I am so eternally grateful for a Heavenly Father and a Savior who love us enough to help us to learn the things that will make us better. Even if they seem hard at the time. And I'm thankful for the perfect plan that they have for me and for each one of us to get us back to them, all we have to do is follow and obey.

unoriginal thoughts.

El relato que sigue es una cita del Presidente Thomas S. Monson que recientemente lei in una revista de la Iglesia. Me encanto! Y se que le puede ayudar tambien.

No hay mañana para recordar si no hacemos algo hoy, y para vivir más plenamente hoy en día, tenemos que hacer lo que es de mayor importancia. No dejemos para después las cosas que más importan. 

Recuerdo que leí el relato de un hombre que, poco después del fallecimiento de su esposa, abrió el cajón de la cómoda donde encontró un artículo de ropa que había comprado cuando visitó la parte oriental de los Estados Unidos, nueve años antes. Ella no lo había puesto porque lo estaba guardando para una ocasión especial. Ahora, por supuesto, esa oportunidad nunca llegaría.
Al relatar la experiencia a una amiga, el esposo de la fallecida, dijo,

"No guarden algo sólo para una ocasión especial. Cada día en tu vida es una ocasión especial."

Esa amiga dijo más tarde que esas palabras le cambió la vida. Ellos le ayudaron a dejar de poner a un lado las cosas más importantes para ella. Dijo que:

"Ahora dedico más tiempo con mi familia. Yo uso vasos de cristal todos los días. Yo uso ropa nueva para ir al supermercado si quiero. Las palabras 'algún día' y 'un día' van desapareciendo de mi vocabulario. Ahora tomo el tiempo para llamar a mis familiares y amigos más cercanos. He llamado a viejos amigos para reconciliarnos. Les digo a mis familiares que los amo mucho. Trato de no retrasar o posponer cualquier cosa que pueda traer sonrisas y alegría a nuestras vidas. Y cada mañana me digo a mí misma que esto podría ser un día especial. Cada día, cada hora, cada minuto es especial. "

Presidente Thomas S. Monson

Me encanta esto. Pero favor, no pierdan el tiempo.
Es uno de los regalos mas grades que Nuestro Padre Celestial nos ha dado.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The following is a quote from President Monson that I read in the Liahona recently. I loved it! And I know that it can help you too. :)

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most. 

I remember reading the account of a man who, just after the passing of his wife, opened her dresser drawer and found there an item of clothing she had purchased when they visited the eastern part of the United States nine years earlier. She had not worn it but was saving it for a special occasion. Now, of course, that occasion would never come.
In relating the experience to a friend, the husband of the deceased wife said,

“Don’t save something only for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”

That friend later said those words changed her life. They helped her cease putting off the things most important to her. Said she:

“Now I spend more time with my family. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket if I feel like it. The words ‘someday’ and ‘one day’ are fading from my vocabulary. Now I take the time to call my relatives and closest friends. I’ve called old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I tell my family members how much I love them. I try not to delay or postpone anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute is special.”

[Treasure of Eternal Value] -President Thomas S. Monson

I love that. Please don't waste time.
It's one of the greatest gifts our Heavenly Father has given us.

this one goes out to my mom.

el templo de San Diego - 2/18/11

"Your heart is all of one kind. You have a testimony and conviction concerning His living reality. You pray unto the Father in Jesus’ name. You understand the efficacy of prayer.... No one can calculate the tremendous force for good that you can become.... You are the manager of the home.... your power is limitless. You can accomplish anything you wish to accomplish. And oh, how very, very great is the need for you in a world of crumbling values where the adversary seems so very much to be in control."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

 "Sus corazones albergan el mismo propósito.... tienen un testimonio y una convicción de Su

realidad viviente; oran al Padre en el nombre de Jesús; reconocen el poder de la oración.... Usted es la guardiana. del hogar... su poder no tiene límites; pueden lograr lo que quieran. Y cuánto, cuánto se les necesita en un mundo en el que los valores se están viniendo abajo, donde el adversario parece tener tanto control."

-Presidente Gordon B. Hinckley

Love you Mom!

por si las moscas. [just in case you need a reminder.]

Usted ha sido hecho para ser alguien especial.

[mas del New Era]

Creo en Cristo.

 Un devocional musical titulada "Creo en Cristo" se presentara en

La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias.

Encuentra en 902 East Clark, Murfreesboro, TN. 37130

domingo, el 29 de abril a las 6:30 p.m.

Esta presentacion incluira los misioneros de la Mision de Tennessee Nashville que vienen de todas partes del mundo, ofreciendo su tiempo y recursos, para ensenar un mensaje muy especial acerca de Jesucristo.

Invitamos a vecinos y amigos de todas las creencias para asistir a esta noche llena del espiritu, de la musica y la palabra, centrada en nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo. No se lo pierda!

A musical devotional entitled “I Believe in Christ” will be presented at

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Located at 902 East Clark, Murfreesboro, TN. 37130

Sunday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m.

This presentation will feature missionaries from the Tennessee Nashville Mission who come from all over the world, volunteering their time and resources, to teach a very special message about Jesus Christ.

We invite neighbors and friends from all faiths to attend this spirit filled evening of music and the spoken word centered on our Savior, Jesus Christ. Don't miss out!

"Whatever comes, comes."

Good line right?
I thought so too.
It came in a letter that I received today from my friend Alex.
He was telling me some funny stories about how, more often than not, life seems to take us by surprise. Now these surprises can be good, bad, ugly, exciting, funny, nerve-wracking, sad, happy, beautiful or any other adjective you can think of.

An example:
When I found out that I was coming here to McMinnville, you can bet that I was super surprised! Excited to be going to a town that I've spent the last year hearing nothing but good about, scared that we were both going to be new in the area, sad to leave the members and friends that I had grown to love in Hermitage, nervous for the unknown.

An example:
When I found out that I had been called to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Nashville, Tennessee, I was surprised.
Excited. Nervous. At peace.
When I found out that I was going to be learning Spanish there, the surprise doubled. [And the peace went away..]

An example:
When the spirit told me that I needed to serve a mission, I was surprised. [And reluctant.] It wasn't in the plan. I was supposed to go back to school. I didn't like that surprise. So I took the easy way out-- I didn't listen. I kept on going on with life as if the Spirit hadn't told me anything.

But surprise! Here I am! Full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Some days I think that it would have been easier if I had just kept ignoring those promptings to serve. But then I remember that Heavenly Father is a whole lot smarter than me. He knows what I needed then and He knows what I need now. He knew exactly who I needed to meet and what experiences I needed to have. He knew the person that I was, and He knew that I needed to be

better.

braver.

more humble.

more patient.

more loving.

more accepting.

more Christ-like.

He knew that I needed to be all of these things so that I would one day be accepted into His presence. He knew that I wasn't good enough then, and trust me, I'm still not good enough yet, but if I had never accepted His will in the first place, I wouldn't be the tiny bit closer that I am right now. That's what brings us back to Alex's thought: "Whatever comes, comes." I know that when we accept the plans that Heavely Father has for us we'll also receive the blessings that He has for us.

So I say, "Follow the path that Heavenly Father has for you."

Alex says, "Whatever comes, comes."

And Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, apostle of the Lord, says,

"Come what may, and love it."

I'd say we're in pretty good company :)

10.

Pues, hoy no tengo ideas propias, entonces, vamos a usar las ideas de un apostle del Senor.

Diez Axiomas para Guiar Su Vida: por el Elder Hales
1. No es el obstaculo que cuenta, sino como superarlo.
2. Perseguir sus metas con todo su corazon, alma, mente y fuerza.
3. Desde una chispa pequeña puede venir un gran fuego.
4. Nuestros puntos mas fuertes pueden llegar a ser nuestras mayores debilidades.
5. El fracaso es uno de los mas grandes maestros, si tenemos la fe necesaria para aprender de ella.
6. No es la forma de empezar la carrera, o cuando usted esta en la carrera. Lo que es importante es la manera de cruzar la linea de meta lo.
7. "Si quieren ser ricos, ahorren lo que obtengan. Un tonto puede ganar dinero, pero se requiere un hombre sabio para ahorrarlo y de la misma para su propio beneficio."
8. No puede saber el voluntad de Dios sin el ejercio de su albedrio y llegando a ser uno que renda sus cuentas.
9. El cambio mas las cosas, mas permanecen igual.
10. El templo de Dios es la mejor universidad.

Una entrada un poco raro? Tal vez.
Pero estos puntos me ayudo? Si.
Van a ayudarles tambien? Yo se que pueden. Espero que se los dejan cambiar.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Well, today I don't have any of my own ideas, so we're going to take from the nuggets of knowledge of an apostle of the Lord.

Ten Axioms to Guide Your Life: by Elder Hales

1. It’s not the obstacle that counts, but how you overcome it.

2. Pursue your goals with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.
3. From a tiny spark, can come a large fire.

4. Our greatest strengths can become our greatest weaknesses. [And vice versa.]

5. Failure is one of the greatest teachers if we have the faith to learn from it.

6. It is not how you start the race or where you are during the race. It is how you cross the finish line that matters.

7. “If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money; but it takes a wise man to save and dispose of it to his own advantage.”

8. You cannot learn the Lord’s will without exercising your agency and becoming accountable for your decisions.

9. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

10. The temple of God is the greatest university.

Random post? Maybe. But I don't think it's cliche when it comes from one of Heavenly Father's chosen servants.
But did these points help me? Yeah. They did.
Will they help you too? I know they can. And I hope you let them.

I believe in Christ. and I'm not the only one.

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is launching a 3 day advertising campaign to help everyone out there know that we are Christians! 

We believe in Jesus Christ.

He is our brother,

our Savior,

our friend,

our Redeemer,

our Master,

and He lives.

I know it. 

And so do others.

Visit mormon.org/easter

or

facebook.com/mormon

Cristo ha resucitado!

“Reímos, lloramos, trabajamos, jugamos, amamos y vivimos; y luego morimos…

"Y permaneceríamos muertos de no ser por un Hombre y Su misión, sí, Jesús de Nazaret…

"Con todo mi corazón y el fervor de mi alma levanto mi voz en testimonio, como testigo especial, y declaro que Dios vive; Jesús es Su Hijo, el Unigénito del Padre en la carne. Él es nuestro Redentor y nuestro Mediador ante el Padre. Fue Él quien murió en la cruz para expiar nuestros pecados. Él fue las primicias de la resurrección y gracias a Su muerte todos volveremos a vivir”

[Presidente Thomas S. Monson.]

mas aqui.

Se que Jesucristo resucito y que por medio de El podemos tener todo el gozo que nuestro Padre Celestial quiere que tengamos. Podemos vivir orta vez tambien. Y podemos tener esta esperanza unicamente por medio de Cristo y su Expiacion.

 _________________________________________________________________________________

“We laugh, we cry, we work, we play, we love, we live. And then we die. …

“And dead we would remain but for one Man and His mission, even Jesus of Nazareth. …

“With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again.”

[President Thomas S. Monson.]

more here.

I know that Jesus Christ resurrected and that through Him, we can have the joy that our Heavenly Father wants us to have. We can live again too and we can have this hope only through Christ and His Atonement.

la hora del cuento. [story time.]

Ayer estvimos en una reunion con nuestro presidente de la mision. Y el nos dijo una historia.

Habia una vez cuando el Presidente Boyd K. Packer [del quorum de los 12 apostoles] era presidente de una mision, el estaba hablando con un misionero. El Presidente Packer pidio que los misioneros hicieran algunas cosas para ayudarles ver mas exito en su obra. Pero este misionero en particular se sentia que el no podia ver ningun exito del trabajo que estaba haciendo, aunque el pansaba que estaba haciendo todas la cosas correctas. El no podia ver los frutos de sus labores y todo lo que habia hecho.
Este exasperado misionero fue a hablar con el Presidente Packer preguntando

"Presidente, que estoy haciendo mal?"

A lo que la respuesta fue,

"Usted no esta haciendo nada malo.

Usted simplemente no ha hecho las cosas

correctas el tiempo suficiente todavia."

Si yo tuviera una moneda por cada vez que he tenido que aprender una leccion asi, bueno, podemos decir que yo tendria mas dinero...

Se que nuestro Padre Celestial nos contesta. Pero se que El nos contesta en Su tiempo.
Es dificil esperar? A veces, si.
Pero, testifico con un apostol del Senor que

"La fe en Dios incluye la fe en Su tiempo."

-Elder Russell M. Nelson

Y cuando hacemos esto, podemos tener mas paz y consuelo y tambien felicidad.

_____________________________________________________________________

Yesterday we were in a meeting with our mission president. And he told us a story.

One time, when President Boyd K. Packer [of the quorum of the 12 apostles] was a mission president, he was talking with a missionary. President Packer had asked these missionaries to do certain things to help them see success in their work. But this particular missionary felt like he wasn't seeing any success in the work that he was doing, even though he felt like he was doing everything right. He couldn't see any fruits coming from his labors and all that he felt that he was putting in.
This exasperated missionary went to President Packer asking,

"President, what am I doing wrong?"

To which the reply was,

"You're not doing anything wrong.

You just haven't been doing the right

things long enough yet."

Now if I had a nickel for every time that I have had to learn that lesson, well, it's safe to say that I'd have a considerable amount of money...

I know that Heavenly Father answers us. But I also know that He answers in His own time.
Is it hard to wait? Yeah, sometimes. Ok. Most times.
But I testify with an apostle of the Lord that

"Faith in the Lord includes faith in His timing."

-Elder Russell M. Nelson

And when we do this we can have more peace, comfort and happiness too.

...

Sabe esos dias cuando nada va bien?
Cuando no sabe que decir ni que hacer?
Cuando se siente inadecuado?
Cuando se pregunta si realmente va a poder hacer todo lo que las demas personas esperan?
Cuando no tiene paciencia?
Y peor que todo, cuando no siente el amor de Dios?
Pues, esta manana fue uno de esos dias..

Entonces, que debe hacer?

Yo no sabia tampoco.
Como misionero yo debo ser la persona que trae alegría y felicidad a los demas, ayudandoles a recibir el Evangelio restaurado de Jesucristo. Un mensaje de gozo. Un mensaje de esperanza.
Pero aveces, todos tenemos dias cuando no se siente estas cosas. Y dejeme decirle. Esto es Satanas.
El es engañoso. Él hará cualquier cosa para hacer que nos sintamos tristes. Especificamente cuando ya tenemos lo que va a darnos la mayor felicidad para la eternidad--El Evangelio.

Entonces, que hice?

Ore.
Y rogaba que mi Padre Celestial me ayudaria saber lo que necesitaba hacer para encontrar consuelo.
Y como siempre, El me guio.

Hacia una de mis excrituras preferidas.

"...confío en que tendré gran gozo en ti, por tu firmeza y tu fidelidad para con Dios; porque así como has empezado en tu juventud a confiar en el Señor tu Dios, así espero que continueis obedeciendo sus mandamientos; porque bendito es el que persevera hasta el fin.

Te digo, hijo mío, que ya he tenido gran gozo en ti por razón de tu fidelidad y tu diligencia, tu paciencia y tu longanimidad...

Porque sé que estuviste atado; sí, y también sé que fuiste apedreado por motivo de la palabra; y sobrellevaste con paciencia todas estas cosas, porque el Señor estaba contigo; y ahora sabes que el Señor te libró.

...quisiera que recordaras que en proporción a tu confianza en Dios, serás librado de tus tribulaciones, y tus dificultades, y tus aflicciones, y serás enaltecido en el postrer día."

[Alma 38:2-5]

Se que Dios nos conoce y que El siempre nos guia. La unica cosa que tenemos que hacer es pedir su ayuda y escuchar la respuesta.

___________________________________________________________________________

You know those days when nothing seems to be going the way that you want it to?
When you don't know what to do or say?
When you feel inadecuate?
When you wonder if you're really going to be able to do everything that everyone else expects of you?
When you don't have patience?
And worst of all, when you don't even feel that your Heavenly Father loves you?
Well, this morning, it was one of those days..

So what do you do?

I wasn't exactly sure either.
As a missionary I'm supposed to be the one bringing cheer and happiness to others by helping them receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. A message of joy. A message of hope.
But sometimes you just have days when you're just not feeling it. And let me tell you. It's Satan.
He's tricky. He'll do anything to get us down. Especially when we already have what's going to make us the happiest for eternity--The Gospel.

So what did I do?

I prayed.
And pleaded with my Heavenly Father to help me know what I needed to do to find confort.
And, like always, He led me.

To one of my favorite scriptures.

"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.

I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering...

For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was  with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee.

...I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your  trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

[Alma 38:2-5]

I know that our Heavenly Father knos us and that He guides us. The only thing that we have to do is ask for His help and then listen for His answers.

la reunion general de las mujeres jovenes.

solo un recordatorio muy rapido!

La Reunion General de las Mujeres Jovenes sera esta noche a las 18:00 en Salt Lake City, UT.
Y eso significa que sera a las 7:00 p.m. aqui en Tennessee!
Pueden mirarla aqui. O puede ir a 1004 Woodridge Place, Mt. Juliet, TN y mirarla alli!

Que disfrute de esta oportunidad de escuchar a nuestro profeta viviente!

Aqui estoy

otra vez!
Pues, ha sido mucho tiempo y la unica cosa que puedo decir es que

amo a mi Senor y Salvador, Jesucristo

y "continuare proclamando [el evangelio de Senor] hasta que sea llevado."  [Doctrina y Convenios 99:8]

Entonces, si hay algo que quieren saber del Evangelio de Jesucristo, aqui estoy!