Small And Simple Things

Hola hola!

I hope that you all had an amazing week!

It's citrus season here, so we picked a whole bunch of grapefruits again. We also helped pull weeds and do some other yardwork. The weather here is beautiful! Everyone keeps telling us that it's really cold for this time of year, but I'm not complaining haha. The past couple of weeks have been in the 70s. It's amazing!

We had a few more lessons with Daniela and her family last week. Her kids are named Denali and Victor, and her fiance's name is Armando. Armando and Victor both have not been baptized, but they told us that they want to be baptized! Daniela and Armando are still trying to figure out which day they are going to get married, so we aren't sure which day we can have the baptism yet. They all came to church yesterday and loved it! They are such a cute and fun family, and I'm so excited to continue helping them learn more about the gospel.  

Maria, the woman who was baptized in December, came with us to a visit with another member in our ward. She bore her testimony about the Book of Mormon and how much the gospel has changed her life. She had many difficult things happen to her before she joined the church, and she continues to face harships now. However, she said that her entire life changed after she was baptized and joined the church. She feels Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for her at a much deeper level. It has been amazing to see her grow and progress in the gospel. She is a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. As I was listening to her bear her testimony, it made me realize how easy it can be to take the small and simple things in the gospel for granted. When we have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for all or even most of our lives, it can be easy to let things like weekly church attendence, daily scripture study, and daily prayers fall to wayside because they become simply another boring routine. It can be easy to choose to not do these things because we don't realize how much our lives are changed by doing them. 

I would like to invite you all to read or listen to the General Conference talk by President Dallin H. Oaks given in April 2018 titled Small and Simple Things. In it, President Oaks reminds us that the small and simple things that we do now, whether positive or negative, will have a great impact on us in the future. As Nephi says in 1 Nephi 16:29, I testify that "by small means the Lord can bring about great things." I know that everything we do now will influence our future. I encourage you all to think of some small and simple things that you can start or stop doing this week to help you draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that as we make the effort to draw nearer to them, they will draw nearer to us. I leave you my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

I love you all, and I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you!

Con Amor,

Hermana Kendrick