Hey Everybody!

This week has been quite a learning process for sure but I DEFINITELY had some good laughs
this week and I will share those with you a little later on! The Spanish continues to progress,
slowly but surely. My goal has honestly been to try speaking Spanish, stay positive and use
nonverbal communication like smiling to show that I care about the people I am trying to talk
with. I have a challenge for anyone that can find a Spanish branch or ward, and does not speak
Spanish. Attend the branch or ward for all three meetings, invite yourself to ward missionary
meeting as well as ward council which will take three more hours. Oh and you cannot eat food at
all within the six hours. If you do not have a headache by the end of all six hours, you let me
know how you did it. My head was hurting from trying so hard to figure out what people were
saying and what was happening. Then to top it off in ward council, Bishop Wilder asked what
was up and I said, "Tengo hombre." Now for those who know Spanish I just said, "I have man." I
meant to say, "Tengo hambre." which means I am hungry. I gave everyone a good laugh since
apparently there was some tension between the ward mission leader and relief society president.
Then the Stake High Council rep for our ward said he would be informing my mission president
of my problem. I could not stop laughing!
I have had the opportunity to teach some little children this gospel because their parents are less
active and the children want to become baptized. Talk about the scripture become as little
children. I am definitely amazed at their desire to be baptized so they can keep bringing their
family with them to church. I have five HULLARIOUS quotes from five kiddos this past week.
1) Tithing helps pay for the God bread that we eat at church.
2) My grandma has the stake they used to nail Jesus's hands.
3) My aunt is SO MORMON. . . Are we so Mormon? . . . Yes! My family used to be so Mormon
then we moved and I don't know what happened.
4) I knew all that stuff! That is why I said it!
5) A prophet is one who cleans the church and does not let us eat anything else but the bread and
water inside the church.
This past Saturday we had a baptism for Aaron and Eddie Saldana. My companion has been
teaching their family since August and the children are being baptized first. We are waiting for
the parents to be married and then they will be baptized. The ordinance was a beautiful one and I
am so blessed to have been apart of their special day it was a good reminder to me of why I am
serving a mission, to bring others closer to Christ.
There is a form of tracting that happens here in the Utah Provo Mission for us Spanish Sisters.
Latinos are becoming so fascinating to me. You cannot set up actual appointments with them
because they flake out so you have to try and catch them at home when they are not busy, but
even if they are, most of the time they will let you in. So we have a list of people we attempt to
see everyday and go knocking on those doors. Some days are better than others for sure with
catching people at home. I have barely just started my mission but I am absolutely amazed at the
amount of excuses people have for not attending church, or being active. I cannot even put into
words how I will never be able to understand some people and their choices. Now some may feel
I am judging, but I feel as if I am about to go Jeffrey R. Holland right now and declare that
unless you are sick, on your death bed, an emergency, or something of so great importance that

God would understand the intent of your heart, YOU GO TO CHURCH. When you stop
attending church because you feel your life is hard, I want to bear testimony that church
attendance will make your life easier to bear because the Lord will pour out His blessings upon
you that week as you chose to come and worship Him. "I know of no sign on the doors of our
meetinghouses that says, 'Your testimony must be this tall to enter.'" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth) This gospel is one of peace and comfort and love.
This gospel is for all to come closer to Christ and feel of His ultimate healing power through His
Atonement. I see every day the light dim in less actives eyes as they do not attend church. The
light will fade. When you have nothing else to live for in your life, live for this gospel and your
testimony of Jesus Christ that you know to be true deep within your very soul. My temple
recommend has come to mean everything to me in my life because I always want to remain
worthy to carry one at all times. If you do not attend church weekly, you will not be worthy to
carry a temple recommend and I want everyone to always carry that temple recommend because
the temple is the closest place between earth and heaven that you can feel of God's presence. I
encourage everyone to read the talk, "Never Leave Him" by Neil L. Andersen from October
General Conference 2010. When you doubt the this gopsel, or the Lord, do not for one moment
quit because this life was never meant to be easy, but with the gospel of Jesus Christ you can
bear all burdens. Come nearer to Him and He will come nearer to you, and what you thought was
a hard burden to bear now becomes light because He is carrying it with you, shoulder to
shoulder, side by side.
I bear my testimony that I know as we attend church, read our scriptures and pray daily that the
Lord will guide us and help bear the burdens we carry because He suffered for them. I know the
Atonement of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of healing and it gets me through each and
everyday I struggle. I love this gospel with all my heart. It is everything I am and ever will be.
Without this gospel and Jesus Christ I am nothing, but through Him I am and can become
everything.
I love you all so much and I pray for you. Keep the faith no matter what!
Con Amor,
Hermana Rackley