spiritual gifts

August 25, 2014

HOLA FAMILIA!!!

This week has been another great one! It had its ups and downs, but really everything seems great when you are serving the Lord! We had two baptisms scheduled for this past Saturday, but both fell through. Although we had to reschedule the baptisimal dates for both Vanesa and Carlos because we were not able to meet with them as much as we needed to, they are still progressing and have the desire to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. We were also able to contact many people who were interested in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have appointments scheduled with them this next week, so it will be cool to get to know them more and help their relationship with our Heavenly Father and brother, Jesus Christ, grow. We have had a hard time visiting with people this week because no one was home and we just dont have a lot of investigators. We are in the process of finding some so hopefully this week will be better! The area I am in, Olmos, only has one rama (branch). It is really different than our ward. Usually about 75 attend sacrament meeting, but it seems like there are a lot of inactive members. We work with a lot of them as well as converts.... which alot of them are inactive as well. 

Some of you have asked about my companion. Her name is Hermana Tomlinson. She is from Kaysville, Utah. She has been out on the mission for 1 year and I am her first gringa companion. We get along well. Sometimes I feel a litte more mature than her, but thats okay:) She thinks Im hilarious so thats cool.

The food here is great because our pentionista is great. We drink a lot of fresh fruit juice/smoothie type things because we cant drink the water here. I have a filtered water bottle so that has been great but now I think our mission president said we can only drink bottled water so I will probably have to start buying it. This week so many people have given us food and you have to eat it all or you offend them. We went to like three houses in a row and they all gave us huge plates of rice... like way more rice than I ever ate in one sitting at home. Afterward I looked like I was at least three months pregnant. I probably looked bigger than Bree! I felt so full after. More full than I have ever been. That made me hate rice just a little bit. Haha good thing thats what I will be eating it for the next 17 months:)

Olmos is a pretty small town and so everyone remembers us when they see us. We are the only white people within miles. All the guys on the streets whistle, hiss, and stare at us. Everyone says oh gringas whenever they see us, even the little kids. I dont think that will ever change. 

I still fell like I cant speak Spanish. I was studying about Spiritual Gifts and realized although I may not possess the gift of speaking with tongues yet, I still have other spiritual gifts that I can use to help touch the lives of the people here. I realized how important the Spirit is in our teaching and how we must seek after the best gifts (1 Cor. 12:31). It is through these spiritual gifts that we can bless the lives of others (D&C 46:26). President George Q. Cannon said, "How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, withough exercising any faith whatever; content to be baptized and be members of the Church, and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this?...If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections." None of us are perfect, but I know that we can become a little more perfect by seeking the best gifts. We cant just sit here and be content with who we are. We need to be constantly striving to become more and more like the Savior. Yo se que El vive. El sufrio para nosotros para que nosotros podemos regresar con nuestro Padre Celestial. Yo se que solamente mediante El podemos ser perfeccionado. Estoy muy agradecido por el Evangelio de Jesucristo y por las muchas bendiciones yo recibo mediante Jesucristo. Gracias por su apoyo! Te amo mucho!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Monson