Baptism of The Onofre Newly Wedd Family :D

From this to this:)

they are so wonderful and fun!! they even bore their testimonies at the baptism, it brought a sweet spirit to the room :) and they were given the gift of the holy ghost on Sunday and it mentioned a lot of missionary work and sealings in the temple, which they are all working on already even before they got baptized!

this week has been great I had a great growing experience, it was during an exchange that i did with another sister training leader, she was teaching me how to be a more effective S.T.L, since i am new at this. I took full advantage and told her all of my concerns and how much i want to improve, i needed to humble myself and rely on my savior Jesus Christ, to help me overcome my shortcomings and weaknesses, i knew that this would be a great learning opportunity so i gave heed to her advice, with a heart and mind willing to apply to what she counseled me to do. Everything that she said pierced me to my very core, all she has done for her growth were things i needed to do for my companionship and my own personal progress and salvation. She helped me see that i needed to put more trust in my new companion and how to  teach with more unity, using lesson plans and enhancing it with scripture and testimonies. Hence, trusting that my companion will back me up with teaching an idea within a point of a lesson, such as the gospel blesses families. Furthermore, how to apply trainings better, measure my success in acquiring Christ like attributes, and always asking Him for opportunities to practice those attributes, and always returning thanks to God for whatever learning opportunity I do receive. I learned a lot and I am not ashamed to say that I am not perfect, and that I am learning how to be a better instrument in the Lords hands to bring many to repentance. I truly felt, just  as I did before I was baptized, that desire to leave my old self behind and become a new me, a better me. As I pleaded with the Lord to help me that night, I felt that he wasn't going have me do it alone. I love my God, now i understand what Paul said to the Corinthians about Godly sorrow works repentance, for whom the Lord loves, he chasteneth. 

We just got a priesthood blessing and it was the best, i feel good and i am thankful for these servants of god to administer these messages of hope, love and inspiration directly form our heavenly Father through them. If any of you are going through a hard time, i invite you all to seek out a priesthood blessing :)

well i love you all and till we meet again!

WEdding !

first of all this is me and my companion Hermana Faw

 this is Rossana Asunion and Perla 

jose and i! boogying to the music

Rossana and her Wonderful husband! they are so in love and are really looking forward to their sealing in the Temple!

this is our future missionary Asuncion, she is super duper smart and spiritual. Love her.

ROssana and I love her to death!

Dancing

HELLO!

well i have had a great week. I am really looking forward to the marriage of Roxana to her husband Noel, and the baptism of the whole family!! We had family scripture with them one night and i almost cried as i heard Asuncion pray about happiness in her home and to help them prepare for for their sealing in the temple. And another moment we shared with them was when we went over to re-commit her to follow the word of wisdom with exactness, for she had decaff coffee and green tea in her home, but her husband was the one drinking the coffee and she said that green tea isn't bad. Although, it was hard i knew it had to say that those things were not permitted to drink those  things, i asked do you think you can let go of these things when you get baptized?

she said "sister, Ive let worse things go, i am willing to give this up."then she talked about an experience when she was sharing the gospel with one of her friends and she had asked her why she had to wait a year to prepare to enter the temple and get married there. she told her that to get Married unto God and make promises that we are going to treasure one another and others we need to show our commitment and seriousness and to make sure that we are going to keep all of Christ's teachings in our lives, like  love, respect, communication, unity, hard work, repentance and do fun wholesome things as a family. Then are we prepared for such a sacred opportunity to become an eternal family. This is all her telling her friends this, from what she told me, from what i am telling you. Isn't she amazing?! She is also  having a hard time with her son right now, he is having suicidal thoughts and gets really aggressive. I was able to relate to him, when i put myself in my old shoes and how dark i felt before with no hope, but how that has helped me put my trust and God and come to know that he is all loving, is merciful, and can wipe away our tears, heal our broken hearts and fill us with hope and love. I shared the story of Alma's conversion (alma36) and how God was able to forgive these horrible sinners, for a wise purpose. Later they ended up becoming the most consecrated missionaries ever. In Alma 29:9 Alma says  I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. I Testified that tests and trials will arise, but this will be for his good and so he can experience the love of God more fullly in his life, and one day be an instrument in the hands of God to bring many to the knowledge of the truth. She said that she feels so much more comforted every time she reads the Book of Mormon. I was so greatful that the young men's president came over to have a chit chat with him. That's being Christlike and magnifying your calling, If it wasn't for the loving service and sacrifices of others we wouldn't thrive. They fill we with so much joy:)

We met a man from the Dominican republic, well actually three different ones, they all painted the inside of the Gilbert temple. Well other than that awkward moment of getting proposed to during a lesson, as i explained how the gospel blesses families. it went really well he said that he doesn't believe in coincidences and he believes we are sent from God to help him go in the right path. I loved watching him read the book of Mormon out loud, he really did try to understand what he was reading. 

i had my first leadership training it was fun. Well i  have to go but i will send pictures of the wedding next week, stay tuned.

Gilbert Temple Dedication and Fun!

hello friends!

WE  got to go the Temple Dedication!! it was so special and i learne so much about the importance of temples and how it is a blessing for everyone both spiritually and socially. As we dedicate a temple we need to rededicate our lives to the service of God and all that we do needs to reflect the temple and what we learn there. As the people of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, when he was addressing his people, when they pitched their tents around the temple with every tent door facing the temple. Symbolically we can face the temple too. In the way we treat others, speak to others, love others, raise our families, the choices we make, should all be facing towards or reflecting what the temple means and what we learn there. I loved it, especialy Elder Callister's talk. 

We had a really nice expirience as we went to contact a refferral. We were looking for a man, he wasn't home but his wife was. She was sort of not very welcoming at first but then we started to get to know her and just being friendly, we talked outside her door for like 15 minutes and invited her to some church activities and she expressed a desire. She finally let us in and started to tell us that she had been baptised about a year ago and sister had taught her and were teaching her two sons also, and the reason she stopped coming to church was because of work, but she loves the chruch and she even wants us to teach her all the lessons to refresh her memory and we invited her to get ready to enter the temple and that we will be her guides in that process. She was so so happy and warm and friendly and made us feel like family. She is really excited and wants her sons to get baptized as well, but the best part is that her husband wants to baptize them. We are so happy that we found them.

about two weeks ago i saw a man all alone at church, so i went to introduce myself. he stood up and shook my hand and said i reminded him of his daughter that is serving a mission in texas. He was visiting our branch because his wife was in  hte hospital in phx . she got ran over when she was visiting the temple open house. She was placed in a comma.

We went to visit her this week and she was a lot better , she was asking us questions to get to know us and was so happy that we were there, we all shared spiritual thoughts of comfort like alma 36, ether 12. mosiah 24. She was so sweet so humble, she cried and it was so speciall for me to see how much faith she has and I know that the prayeer and faith of others was being well recieved, she was strong and had a sense of hope radiate from her, she knew that she was not alone, she had the love of her heavely father and his peace. Her  father took  a picture of us with her to send to his grandaughter i looked at her and she was smiling, i thought to myself i wish that i can smile even when i am going through difficult trials and afflictions and have trust that His plan for me is perfect, that although i will pass through very difficult times, God will be there to wipe away my tears and give me the strength i need.  teh nurse came with a roller bed to transfer her to another room, so her Husband came over and held her with so much care and gentleness. he was ever so careful placing her fragile body on hte bed holding her back and the back of her neck, as he was over her he stopped  and gazed into her eyes and kissed  her twice on the lips. It was the most beautiful scence to see and how this man had the pure love of Christ in him., it truly touched all our hearts.

we got to sing as a choir for a fireside and guess who spoke? Stephanie Myers, the author of the Twilight book. it was so fun.

Well i love you all and write me when you get a free minute :)

Hermana Salas