What is Your Standard of Liberty?

Large Plates 

Pizza & hot sauce & lessons & pure love

This week was great! We started off the week with a very memorable pday. We got some really yummy pizza for a good price which of course I loved. Afterwards we went to the Florida Mall! I almost bought some really cute baby blue slacks but then I didn't, which I'm slightly regretting haha. Also an Elder in my district bought the hottest hot sauce that was available in a hot sauce store and tried it right then and there. He also had some regrets. I honestly thought we were going to have to take a trip to the hospital haha. He's okay now though! And he actually had some more of it later in the week because he's trying to build immunity to spice for some reason. 

We also went on exchanges this week! I genuinely don't remember a lot about it because exchanges just turn my mind into soup. Being in Spanish work and going on exchanges with someone who doesn't speak the language is really exhausting. It was a good day, of course, but I don't remember much.

We had a really cool lesson this week with our friend Carmen! (This is a new one I've never written about, not to be confused with the other Carmens I've written about.) She had been taught by missionaries before, but didn't stick with it. We started teaching her the restoration and instead of discussing it with us, she just interjected a lot to tell us anyone can be a prophet and that's why there's so many churches and that the Bible is all we need. It was honestly a little frustrating for me because she was interrupting us in very unintelligible Spanish and not allowing us to explain what we believe. I was trying not to let my frustration get to me or to show through in my teaching. I did my best to just let the spirit take control. As I did so, I was able to be bold in my beliefs in just the right way. Somehow I was able to explain it to them exactly the way they needed to hear it. She quieted down. Not like she was disappointed or felt rebuked. It was in a respectful and reverent way. She started to listen to what I had to say and we could see the gears turning in her head as everything we were telling her started to click. Everyone in the room grew more and more attentive to what I was saying. Her husband even joined us from the other room. I've never spoken more eloquent Spanish in my life. And it wasn't by my own ability. Words were put into my mouth, just as is promised in scripture. I could feel the spirit working through me as I testified to them that I know this church is true. We exhorted them to read from the Book of Mormon and pray to know of the truth. I'm excited to hear how it goes. That was one of my favorite lessons of my whole mission, even though I felt attacked for the first half of it haha. 

On another note, we had a baptism in our ward this week! The Elders have been teaching this really cool guy named Oscar and he got baptized after church! The Elders got him a suit to wear to his baptism and it made his day, which of course got even better after he got baptized! He sent them the sweetest message after and the Elders read it out loud when they got it, because the 4 of us were talking in the church when they got it. It was so heartwarming and when the Elders finished reading it they gave each other the biggest hugs and it just made me so happy. This is a good life. I love getting to help people help other people. 

And then Sunday just got even better because we got to go to dinner at the Cajas! It's been a little while since we've gone over there but we normally go every week. I love their family so much. Bishop Cajas is such a good guy and he has so much love for the ward. Hermana Cajas is also just so sweet but so genuine and real. I love them all. We also got talking to Bishop about the ward members and it was such a good conversation. We've really been focusing on strengthening the ward and it was so gratifying to hear that our efforts are worthwhile. He had some people he wanted us to check in on and we had actually already visited them this week! So we got to just return and report and make some game plans together for how to continue to help the ward. It was so good. I love this ward with all my heart and never want to leave. 

Small Plates

Raise your standard of liberty 

This week I was reading in Alma 46 and I really loved the contrast between forgetting and remembering. Early on in the chapter it says:

"Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one."

This is right after Amalickiah has led the people away from their beliefs. It only took one evil man to convince everyone to stop believing. They weren't firm in their beliefs, so they lost them. 

They forgot God.

Moroni, being the incredible leader he was, decided to ensure that his people would never forget God. 

"He rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."

He didn't want them to forget what they believed in. What they were fighting for. 

What do you believe in?

What are you fighting for?

And how are you going to remember?

Remembering God. It's a conscious decision. We have to choose to remember. This chapter in the Book of Mormon teaches us just how important it it to choose to remember. The people who didn't make that choice fell into iniquity within a generation. 

It is up to us. It's up to you. To choose God. 

And you have to choose to remember Him every day. 

We have to find our own standard of liberty, and raise it high, to help us remember Him every day. What's your standard of liberty? 

It might be a sunrise, or the music you listen to, or your family, or your friends. Whatever your standard of liberty is, whatever helps you remember Him, I invite you to raise it high. Let the things that remind you of Him surround you. Actively make Him a part of your life. 

Don't forget God. 

I love to see the Temple!

Large Plates

Busy busy as usual! Trying to become best friends with all the members

This week was super good, and super busy! We went on a bunch of visits because we're trying to get to know the members better. I know a lot of the members here because I've been in the ward for over 5 months, but I would love to get to the point where I know every member and their needs and interests. This ward is incredible but there are a lot of members who haven't been to church in a while. It takes an army to build up a ward after a pandemic.

There's a lot more I could write about but my highlight was definitely our temple trip! 

Small Plates

I love to see the Temple

Okay, so Friday was pretty much the best day of my entire life!!! We got to go to the temple! I don't have words to describe my experience, but I'm going to try to do my best anyways. 

Everything about the experience was incredible. The Orlando Temple is beautiful. I got to go as a missionary, alongside some of my best friends and examples. 

We also got to go with the future temple president. He's currently serving as a service missionary at the Bishop's Storehouse, so we work closely with him every week. He's like the father figure in our cute District Family. He's so wise and one of my favorite things about serving at the storehouse is being able to learn from his example and his wisdom. He's taught us a lot about temples in the last few weeks in preparation for our temple trip, and he made arrangements to come be in the session with us! 

The spirit was so strong there. There were countless times where I was moved to tears by the spirit and by gratitude. There are so many things to learn in the temple and I will be honest, most of them go over my head. But there are a couple of things that I did learn, or rather, a couple of truths that were reconfirmed to me:

The church is true.

Our Heavenly Father loves His children.

Jesus Christ is our Savior.

I know this church is true because of the spirit I felt in the temple, among other reasons. The ordinances we do in the temple are so sacred and inspired and are a testament of the Restoration. And they are a testament of God's love.

There were countless times in the temple where I was just so immensely filled with gratitude for everything Heavenly Father and Jesus Crist have done for me because of Their love for me. I'm so grateful to be on a mission. I'm so grateful for the incredible examples that surround me. I'm so grateful for temples. I'm so grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. 

I know I can have the Spirit to be with me always, but the degree to which I felt that spirit in the temple is incomparable. 

I could have stayed in that Celestial room for the rest of the day. All of my worries and stresses were taken away. The temple is a sanctuary of peace and a source of power. 

Not only was my experience in the temple incredible, the effect it had on our missionary work was astounding. We saw miracles left and right and I have consistently been filled with love for every person we meet and work with. 

The temple was the spiritual rejuvenation that we all desperately needed. Missionary work is exhausting and at times it can be extremely disheartening. But if the spirit is there in every step of it, miracles happen.

It's only been 2 days since the temple but I've already seen such a turn around. I've seen it in myself. I've seen it in the missionaries I serve around. I've seen it in the ward. And I've seen it in this Work. 

Temple attendance brings miracles. We're already seeing them. I am seeking and expecting miracles, as the prophet instructed in this last conference. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for me and for the people we're teaching.

I wish we could go to the temple every week. It genuinely was one of the best experiences of my life. I admire the missionaries I serve around so much, and it was such a special experience to be able to spend time with them in the temple. 

One thing I love about missionary work is the unapologetic love the other missionaries have for this gospel. It's so heartwarming to hear my friends tell me how the temple made them feel. I love being in this chapter of my life. I was reminded today that I have less than a year left and I'll be honest, that kind of put me in a bit of a crisis. I never want to leave. 

My attempt to summarize my thoughts and feelings about the temple may be all over the place, but I did the best I could to describe the indescribable. 

The temple is my favorite place on earth. Especially the temple here in the best mission on earth.

When in Orlando

 Large Plates

Being a tourist in a tourist town and some of my thoughts about my favorite people:)

This week was a busy one! We had so. many. lessons. 

Pday was a day well spent! We went over to Universal CityWalk, which is just right outside of Universal Studios! We walked around and got some fun pictures and yummy donuts! We pretty much spent the rest of the day at the church hanging out, which I was content with because I got to spend some quality time with my friends:)

The next day we had Zone conference! Of course I saw lots of old friends which has good. And our training was very beneficial. We talked a lot about the power of role plays. They're so awkward and inconvenient sometimes, but I feel like I definitely learn a lot when I do them consistently with my companion. Me and Hermana Jackson have really been cracking down on role plays, which has been super good for her because it has helped her learn how to teach!

Which leads me to my next point. We had so many lessons this week. I loved it. Lessons are my favorite part of missionary work. I love talking to the people I love and helping them progress and understand God's plan. 

We have lots of really golden people right now. Rocio and her daughter Victoria are the CUTEST. I don't even know how to explain the love I have for them. They're so sweet and open hearted and Rocio had a friend in her country who was a member of the church so she's familiar with a lot of the things we're teaching. And she quit drinking coffee years ago so, in her own words, she's "ready to be a Mormon!" And her daughter really loves us and gets excited every time we're coming over. Some of my favorite people in all of Orlando.

Liduvi has also been progressing! She should be really close to committing to a baptismal date here soon. She has so much faith and she said she doesn't want to commit to a baptismal date until after she bears her testimony on fast Sunday because she knows God has a plan for her and she wants to thank Him publicly first. She's so sweet!

Also! Wendy, Andres, and Carmen are all preparing this week to go to the temple! That means we'll get to go do baptisms for the dead with our recent converts very soon. I'm really excited!

We had ward conference this week too! Our stake president, president Scherer is INCREDIBLE. I want to be like him. He's just so full of love and so well spoken and inspiring. Elder Amato, our area seventy was also there! We got to be a part of the ward leadership meeting before sacrament and it's so baffling to see everything that goes into keeping a ward functioning. Especially in a place like Orlando. I don't know how our Stake President does it. There's members who speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, etc. And not only are there members from other states moving in. There are members who are refugees moving into Orlando from other countries! I have so much respect for the leadership of the church.

Small Plates 

Why the Atonement is like a good steak.

I've always loved studying the Atonement, but I've never dove very deep into the topic before. It's just such an abstract concept and it is literally impossible for our human mind to understand.

But in preparation for Easter, and as a response to counsel from my leaders, both mission-wide and church-wide, I've tried to increase my understanding and application of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

I've been reading a couple of books (thanks, mom!) in addition to my regular scripture study in an attempt to better understand what the Atonement is and what it should mean to me. I've learned a lot! But one of the things I've come to realize is that the more I understand about the Atonement, the more I will understand that there is so much I will never understand. Because 1) I'm human. I'm imperfect and relatively unintelligent in comparison to an exalted being like our Heavenly Father or His Son. And 2) because I will never perform the Atonement. Christ already did all He could do. And all He could do was everything. 

Everything you have and love and cherish exists and has meaning because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Nothing in this world would be worth anything without His Sacrifice. Every birth would just be a reminder of yet another person who was destined to an infinite death. Every sunrise would just be a reminder that we have one day less left to exist. Every beautiful thing would just be a reminder of the indeterminable end of all beautiful things. 

But it isn't so. 

Because of Him, no death is permanent.

Because of Him, every sunrise is a reminder of the chance we have to try again.

Because of Him, every beautiful thing is a sign of the love God has for His children. 

As poetic as all that is, it still doesn't even come close to illustrating the magnitude and the magnificence of the Atonement. 

Today in church, Bishop Cajas shared his take on the Atonement in a way I had definitely never heard or thought of before. Though funny, it touched my heart.

Bishop loves grilling. He's always trying new ways of cooking meat, because he wants to perfect the craft. 

He's spent a lot of time learning how to do it. And when he grills up some steak, it can be quite the process. He never knows how a steak is going to take to the seasonings he uses. He never knows how the grill is going to behave. And when you live in Florida, trying to plan according to the weather is frivolous. Sometimes he feels like it isn't worth it. It's just so much work. 

But at the end, he chops up his masterpiece and gives it to everyone to try. And then it becomes worth it. He sees the light in the eyes of his friends. He sees the joy it brings them. 

Christ feels the same way when we taste the fruits of repentance. When we partake of the joy that comes in and through His Atonement. The difference is that he never felt like it wasn't worth it. 

You were worth every second of agony, pain, despair. 

Because He knew of the joy it would bring you. And He loves you so much that He would have suffered all of the pain He endured in the Garden of Gethsemane just for you. He loves you so much. 

Although I still have much to learn about the Atonement, this I do know: Christ did it because He loves us. He loves us more than we can even begin to comprehend. 

The doctrine of the Atonement is mind-boggling and arguably incomprehensible. So rather than inviting you to understand the ununderstandable, my invitation to you is to come unto Christ and partake of the joy of the Atonement. Let Him heal you. Let Him change you. Understand what the Atonement means for you. 

I love missionary work so so much !

Large Plates 

One of the best weeks of my entire mission. Fun lessons (one with Sister Ashcraft!) And conference!

This week was such a blur, but in the best way. We have some really incredible people we're teaching right now and they have so much potential. We had a lesson this week with a cute lady named Rocio! It was our second lesson with her and it went so so well! This lesson was her second one with us. In her first lesson, we invited her to read the Book of Mormon and she said she might but she's certain her church is the true church so she didn't want us thinking she had any interest in changing that. But then in this lesson we asked her if she had read anything and she had read through the introduction and the testimonies of the witnesses! And she said she loves what she's read so far. She had a bunch of questions for us, but in a really good way. She was so grateful we were willing to answer them to the best of our abilities. She also has so so many doubts about her religion. She's only part of that religion because she was born into it, which of course I can understand, but she isn't very sure or comfortable with certain parts of it. So! Lesson learned: always give people the opportunity to read the Book of Mormon, even if they seem hesitant. The Book of Mormon, coupled with the Spirit, is the #1 tool in conversion.

 

Later that day, we had another lesson with Rocio! Except this was a different Rocio haha. Although they do live in the same apartment building, so that's funny (and confusing). She also didn't seem super promising when we knocked on her door the first time, but this follow up lesson was so good! She had gone to church a few times and met with the missionaries back in her country so she already had some understanding of the restoration! Her daughter was there with us and was super attentive to the lesson too. And! The two Rocios know each other! They want to have a lesson together haha. That could be fun!

We had a couple more lessons with Pamela and her family this week, one of which was with Sister Ashcraft! Ever since her and President got here almost 3 years ago she's been practicing her Spanish, and in the last few months she's been offering to be in lessons in Spanish with whichever missionaries will have her there. For some crazy reason, no one has taken her up on that offer. So we were with her for her first Spanish lesson as President's wife! It was such a good lesson. It was so fun for me because it was like I was training two people. I would just direct a question to either Hermana Jackson or Sister Ashcraft and give them a chance to practice their Spanish at different points throughout the lesson. I love teaching. It was so fun to see both of them share their thoughts with the capabilities each of them have. I felt like a proud mom. It was also really good to be able to spend a bit of time with Sister Ashcraft and help her get to know who I am, so she can have more of an impression of me than just what she's heard from other people or the 2 minute conversations we have every once in a blue moon at zone conference. 

We also had a lesson with a lady we've been teaching named Ana. She also has been a little bit timid about learning too much about the church, but we had a really good lesson with her and opened her eyes. In her church they teach that Adam and Eve sinned and now we all have to suffer for their mistakes. Which is not entirely inaccurate but it isn't painting the right picture of the story. We only have the chance to live and grow and progress because of the Fall. And the Fall made necessary the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Fall was in God's plan. The Fall was God's plan. She was really grateful to us for expanding her outlook on life and she is very eager to learn more from us! 

Also, that night I had dinner with my mom & dad! They were in town for a cruise so we spent a little bit of time together (with permission from President, of course)! It was great and I love my parents so much! That's all I have to say about it though because I pretty much write these emails for them and they were there, so they already know what it was like haha. Sorry again about the Mariachi band. Florida will do what Florida does.

We also had Conference this weekend! I loved it so so much. More on that in the small plates;)

Small Plates 

I love missionary work so so much 

I don't know if it's just me, but I felt like this Conference was so missionary-focused. Right from the start, our prophet, in his short message, urged us to share with the world the hope we have found. Then M. Russel Ballard gave a talk in which he did not beat around the bush at all. The Lord wants His youth to serve or to prepare to serve. This theme was prevalent throughout the conference. So was this scripture:

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

Have you felt God's love?

Have you seen blessings in your life?

Have you seen a change in yourself?

Can you feel so now?

If you haven't felt these feelings, now is the time to find them. Find the Spirit in the scriptures, in prayer, in service, in Church, in gratitude. In missionary work. 

And if you have felt these feelings, do something. Do something to help those who are lost to be found. There is hope. There is light. There is peace. They come through learning about and applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. 

For a lot of people, that something is a full-time mission. Youth who may be reading this: prepare now to serve. There is no better use of your time. Nor is there a better cause on this earth today. Seniors who may be reading this: consider the option of serving a mission too. Senior missionaries are vital in this Work. We love you and we need you here with us. 

I know this is a lot of pressure, and a lot to ask of you. But I want you to know that I have never in my entire life been happier than I am right now. And I am a happy person. I've had it good. I have the best family ever, and the best friends, I had a fun job and good opportunities at school. But missionary work is better. So much better. 

Now, I should make it clear that this isn't easy. Some days are better than others. Some days are totally draining and I barely have the energy to brush my teeth before bed. Other days, it feels like a vacation of sorts. But even with the lowest of lows that I have experienced out here, I wouldn't change it for anything. Ever since being set apart as a missionary, my capacity to love has immensely increased. I would consider it a spiritual gift. I see or think about someone I care about and it feels like my heart might just burst with joy. It's the best. 

I felt this fullness of love yesterday, just about as strong as I've ever felt it. Between conference sessions, a handful of us missionaries decided to go on a knocking blitz. Essentially we all just knocked through the same part of the apartment complex. It was so incredible. I could hear knocks from different parts of the building as my best friends went about the work. We knocked on a door and stood waiting and I could hear Sister Jordan and Sister Carter downstairs say "Hi! How are you?" And start getting to know their new friend. At the same time, I could hear Elder Jensen and Elder Mortensen greet someone in Spanish. 

I was just filled with the Spirit. Filled with love. These missionaries are some of my best friends in the whole world. And I get to work side by side with them every day in this marvelous work. I can't begin to articulate how I feel. Every time I see one of the missionary cars parked somewhere I'm going, my heart just fills with excitement. I get to see my best friends! 

We had finished knocking one of the floors in the building so we started walking down again, and we saw the Elders talking to someone at their door. We just stopped where we were to watch in admiration. It was so incredible to watch missionary work from the outside perspective. 

I feel like I'm just rambling on and I genuinely have no clue how to put into words how I feel. This verse in Alma comes to mind:

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

I can't explain it. 

But I want it for you. I want you to feel it too. That's why I'm inviting you to serve. 

Your service isn't going to benefit me. This isn't about me. This is because I have felt to sing the song of redeeming love. And I do feel so now. And I want you to feel it too. 

I love missionary work with my entire heart. I love the missionaries I serve around with my entire heart. I love the people of Orlando with my entire heart. 

I know our Prophet and his Apostles are men of God. And that their counsel is relevant and important to each one of us. And their counsel is to give up your life to find it. To take up your cross. To lean not to thine own understanding. To go forth and change. To submit your will to His. 

That's my counsel for you as well. I promise the blessings you will receive from participating in missionary work in the way the Lord wants you to will fill your heart to overflowing. There's no better joy in the world today than that joy found through missionary work.