Week 36: Recognize your blessings, the Spirit, and your testimony

Buenos tardes mi familia maravillosa,

Another week has gone by...time flies. We are still focusing on helping Grettel and Keitty prepare for their baptism this month, as well as preparing Ricardo and Karla´s family for the baptism of their daughters, Camila and Ana. Yesterday we had a noche de hogar with Ricardo and Karla´s family in the house of Gabby, a member who´s husband we are teaching but still hasn´t accepted to be baptized. It went well; we taught the lesson about eternal families and the road that leads us to the temple. Ricardo and Karla are preparing to go to the temple soon. I am so excited for their family and I love them so much.

Hermana Rubio and I went to seminary today. It was nice to see 6 of the youth in the ward there. I sure am happy to be a missionary. I know that there are more people here in Coronado that we need to find and allow the spirit to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. My companion and I have a lot still to learn from each other. I, for one, know that I need to learn to have more tolerance and patience for my companion. We are sometimes too honest with each other and I know that I need to start with myself so that we can be a dynamic duo worthy of the company of the spirit always. This morning I made a pact to think, "what would Jesus do" every time I respond to my companion. I know that I need to not only be converted in my testimony of the gospel, but in my actions to become like the Savior through following His example, even and especially with the companion that God, through inspiration given to my mission president, has given me.

I studied this week the importance of the word, ´recognize´. This life is a lot about recognizing: recognizing our blessings, how the Lord had His hand in our day, the spiritual promptings of the Holy Ghost, the progress of our testimony and that of our family, the love of those around us, the service that has been rendered for us, etcetera. When we truly want to recognize all that our Heavenly Father and our Savior have provided and done for us, we will take action and put in place goals to do so. For example, having more personal prayers, showing more gratitude, being more cheerful, serving others more, writing down spiritual promptings in our scripture studies, keeping a journal, expressing our love for others especially our family, etc. I know that when we begin to do these things, begin to recognize the love our Heavenly Parents, we will have a more abundant life and will be more prepared to live in His presense with our families. Mosiah 2:19-22, John 14:15, John 8:31-32, Mosiah 2:41, 1 Nephi 11:1, Moroni 8:26, 1 Samuel 3:10, 1 Tes. 5:16

I love you all so much!

Hermana Flake

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng&cid=HPTU020315669#watch=video