Week 51 - "It has been a long week, full of self-evaluacion and deep thinking. My comp was sick this week and I insisted that we stay in the house..."

July 21, 2014

Well, it is one of those weeks. I don't have much to say. It has been a long week, full of self-evaluacion and deep thinking. My comp was sick this week and I insisted that we stay in the house because if she had the same I had, she was only going to get worse from the constant changes in the weather. I had lots of free

I love my family. They truly do love me. I received a beautiful package with a letter from every single member of my family. It was beautiful. I didn't cry, but I did try to send all my love and admiracion through lots and lots of prayers. Thank you, family. And Bishop and Hermana Stott!

time to 

read, study, ponder and speak my mind with the Lord. He and I are close friends and we are coming to trust even more in each other. I am coming to realize the necesity of having the Holy Ghost in my studies and to ask specifically to have the Spirit with me. As I go along reading in the Bible, I realize why there is so much apostasy in the world. Especially here in Chile, the apostate country of South America. People don't make up crazy things, they just read the Bible and that is just as sufficient to confuse them. The Old Testament is quite the headache at some points. I am in the middle of Proverbs. I feel like I am forcing myself to read the same verses over and over again about things that don't make sense entirely or are too deep. But the New Testament, on the other hand, I absolutely love. I am finally understanding the story of the apostasy and the importance of misionery work. I just finished The Acts and am beginning the Romans. Before Christ died, He prepared His disciples. I love to read the teachings of the apostles because they are so wise and influenced so strongly by the Spirit. Especially Paul. His story is one of my favorites because He had to do the biggest turn around. He was persecuting and killing the prophets and was on his way to help persecute another when Christ told him to stop what he was doing. And then he went to give his life to the Lord. He preached for years, didn't care that people didn't accept him because he had been a persecuter, he just followed the guide of the Spirit. He was a faithful and dedicated servant. I love the examples of the apostles because they are exactly obedient to the promptings of the Spirit. They don't doubt one bit that God and Christ guide them in their doings every day, and they do everything they do for the salvation of others. They don't put themselves first, they always have God at the top of their lists. I want to be like Paul. I want to be like Gordon B Hinckley and Joseph Smith. I love each of their stories and their examples and hope to come to learn and realize more of the importance of them as I get further along.

We made a beautiful cake. It was the most delicious thing I have eaten here. And it is so incredibly simple. I will have to make it for you people when I came back :) Soda crackers, whipped cream, manjar and salted peanuts. What?

I hope that you each have a favorite apostle that you can follow in your troubles. I hope that you take the time to read of the sacrifice that was made by them to bring the church into the light. I love the scriptures and love the writings and knowledge of God. It is a blessing and miracle in my life to be able to see my personal studies change the perspectives and lives of others. I love it!

Have a great week!

Hermana Castleton