We must be filled with integrity!!

                                                                                                                                            Sept. 9, 2013
Hola mi familia!!! Cómo están? Gracias por todo sus cartas! Me encanta leer de sus aventuras cada semana! Ustedes son maravillosos, y gran ejemplos para mi. Gracias por todo su ánimo y diligencia en viviendo el Evangelio de Jesucristo! ok, that is enough spanish. I absolutely love Spanish and I enjoy writing and speaking and learning the language better, but it might be a little challenging and boring to read if my whole letter is in Spanish.

We are getting excited to celebrate the dia de independencia in Chile on the 18th of September. Everyone says that they celebrate for days, and engordar, or get fatter because of all the food they eat. I need to diet so i can disfrutar, or enjoy the holiday here! They also have cultural outfits that they use on these days, and my companion and I want to buy one of the dresses for this holiday and for a souvenir.  I love Chilean food and can't wait to make some for you when I get home! I am learning to cook here!! Who knew everything I would learn on my mission! 

This week was so great! We worked harder and the Lord is blessing us with more people to teach. Paul and Josue are progressing a lot. This week we had Paul teach us lesson 3 about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We made him a little plaque with Elder Paul written on it. it was just paper with a pin on the back, but he used this, and we were the investigators. he had to teach us everything and it was amazing because we were able to still teach him as we asked questions as the investigators that he had to answer, such as what is a covenant? This works so well for him, and we are excited for tonight as he is preparing to teach us the restoration. My companion had done this before with other investigators and it is so awesome! You can suggest it to the missionaries in our Ward, if they are working with youth. Paul came to church yesterday, as did Josue, and both are progressing towards baptism and changing. I love seeing how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes people.  Please pray that they can resist the temptations that they have, and that they can be ready.  Thank you for praying for all the people we are teaching. They are so special and precious to God, and to us, as are all of God´s children. But we are so grateful that they are prepared and that the Lord leads us to them.

 

Yesterday my companion and I had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament meeting! We were able to choose our topics. Hermana V. spoke on Faith, and I spoke on Repentance. The Spirit was so strong, and we were so grateful to speak on topics to help our investigators that were there, and all of the members and new converts. I am so grateful for the testimony that I have of repentance and that I could share it with the people of Frutillares. We truly love it here!

 

This week I continued to learn about sharing my testimony, not just with those that don´t believe, and not just during the lessons, but also when we are contacting.  It is my goal this week to speak to everyone, and bear my testimony as I teach the doctrine. If we live the doctrine, we have the authority and the Spirit as we bear testimony of how living the Gospel blesses our lives.

 

I want my mission to be filled with integrity. I want to make sure that I am always working for the Lord! I want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to honor Him and our Heavenly Father. My challenge to each of us is to take a step back and look at the activities that we are participating in and ask ourselves if we are representing the Lord.  And if not, what I can I do to change, and to be a representative of Him at all times and in all things and in all places? This is something that I am trying to do every day, and perhaps it is different in the mission field as we have the calling to talk with everyone about the gospel, but it applies to members in another way. As members we are not asked to use all day every day to share the gospel, but we are asked to represent Him in everything we do. As we pray for the strength to do so, and the ability to change and repent, I know that the Lord will help us to become like Him. I know that we will become closer to Him. We will have a love for Him and for our Heavenly Father as we strive to honor Them, and we will have a love for the people all around us as we allow them to "see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven." Have an amazing week and know that I love you! Can´t wait to hear about your adventures next week! Hasta luego!