Hola mi familia!
So this is what´s happening on my side of the block
1. This week has been super rainy, I LOVE IT.
2. I love the European Style for men-- especially when they wear scarves. It´s fantastic.
3. Infusions (herbal tea) are my new best friends. I´ve increased my intake from 1 to 3 a day,
4. Tenerefe has the 2nd biggest carnival in the world and it starts next week. Things get crazy, and some days we may not even be able to leave our piso (well that´s the rumor).
5. Not only is my Spanish coming along, I´m picking up lots of Italian two, Thanks to Hna Costagliola, I think it will be my 3rd language ;) Oh and French too! My DL is from Paris.
6. The spirit is stronger when things are clean! Mom, I know your dying of happiness right now.
7. Any sacrament meeting can be a spiritual experience. We had a few investigators at church Sunday, and I was dying, because kids were crying, people were talking, and I was just like ugh there is no way they´re going to feel anything.. BUT after the meeting I came over to one of our investigators and she was super emotional. She said, (mas o menos) ¨Even though they´re are things that I don´t even understand what they are talking about, I have no doubts that what they are saying are true.¨We explained to her that what she was feeling was the spirit testifying that this is the true church, She also even mentioned getting baptized and we hadn´t even asked her yet. BOOM. I was dying of happiness. Not only did it strengthen my testimony of church attendance, but also that I know God is the father of all of our spirits, and even when this message is so new and so different to people, it feels right and it feels at home.
8. Knocking doors is my new favorite thing! It´s such an adventure and you never know what your going to get!
9. ¨How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbows before thanking God for the rain?¨ -Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Isn´t that beautiful? I love this quote. There were days this week that were really long and everything seemed to fail us. We literally were in the streets contacting the entire day. BUT those days were always so great and God always put the people we needed to talk to in our path. I´m realizing that not only do we need to be thankful for items and things that happen, but circumstances. When we look to things in a manner of gratitude, everyday is great no matter what.
10. Another one of my investigators has made so much progress! He was my first lesson here in Santa Cruz so it´s super special for me to watch him grow and see the change he has made, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ is working in him. The only problem is he´s just scared of making the commitment. Last lesson I told him, ¨I think you know deep down in your heart that this is the true church of God, but you keep trying to find doubts because you´re scared of the commitment and changes you´ll need to make once you´re a member.¨ He agreed. Once again President Uchtdorf said it best, ¨Commandments are OPPORTUNITIES (notice how i caps-sized that) to exercise our agency and to receive blessings.¨ The Lord gives us commandments, because he loves us and knows what will make us happy, not because he wants to constrict us! They are OPPORTUNITIES to receive blessings! I don´t know who wouldn´t want to live them.
Anyways, I´ll get of my soap box. Thanks for all the emails, prayers, love, and support! I have the greatest family and friends!
Much Love, Hna Kallie Staker
So this is what´s happening on my side of the block
1. This week has been super rainy, I LOVE IT.
2. I love the European Style for men-- especially when they wear scarves. It´s fantastic.
3. Infusions (herbal tea) are my new best friends. I´ve increased my intake from 1 to 3 a day,
4. Tenerefe has the 2nd biggest carnival in the world and it starts next week. Things get crazy, and some days we may not even be able to leave our piso (well that´s the rumor).
5. Not only is my Spanish coming along, I´m picking up lots of Italian two, Thanks to Hna Costagliola, I think it will be my 3rd language ;) Oh and French too! My DL is from Paris.
6. The spirit is stronger when things are clean! Mom, I know your dying of happiness right now.
7. Any sacrament meeting can be a spiritual experience. We had a few investigators at church Sunday, and I was dying, because kids were crying, people were talking, and I was just like ugh there is no way they´re going to feel anything.. BUT after the meeting I came over to one of our investigators and she was super emotional. She said, (mas o menos) ¨Even though they´re are things that I don´t even understand what they are talking about, I have no doubts that what they are saying are true.¨We explained to her that what she was feeling was the spirit testifying that this is the true church, She also even mentioned getting baptized and we hadn´t even asked her yet. BOOM. I was dying of happiness. Not only did it strengthen my testimony of church attendance, but also that I know God is the father of all of our spirits, and even when this message is so new and so different to people, it feels right and it feels at home.
8. Knocking doors is my new favorite thing! It´s such an adventure and you never know what your going to get!
9. ¨How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbows before thanking God for the rain?¨ -Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Isn´t that beautiful? I love this quote. There were days this week that were really long and everything seemed to fail us. We literally were in the streets contacting the entire day. BUT those days were always so great and God always put the people we needed to talk to in our path. I´m realizing that not only do we need to be thankful for items and things that happen, but circumstances. When we look to things in a manner of gratitude, everyday is great no matter what.
10. Another one of my investigators has made so much progress! He was my first lesson here in Santa Cruz so it´s super special for me to watch him grow and see the change he has made, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ is working in him. The only problem is he´s just scared of making the commitment. Last lesson I told him, ¨I think you know deep down in your heart that this is the true church of God, but you keep trying to find doubts because you´re scared of the commitment and changes you´ll need to make once you´re a member.¨ He agreed. Once again President Uchtdorf said it best, ¨Commandments are OPPORTUNITIES (notice how i caps-sized that) to exercise our agency and to receive blessings.¨ The Lord gives us commandments, because he loves us and knows what will make us happy, not because he wants to constrict us! They are OPPORTUNITIES to receive blessings! I don´t know who wouldn´t want to live them.
Anyways, I´ll get of my soap box. Thanks for all the emails, prayers, love, and support! I have the greatest family and friends!
Much Love, Hna Kallie Staker