The Law of Sacrifice

Hello familia!! It was so fun to talk to everyone and see everyone's shining faces on Sunday! I shared a lot with you there about what's been going on here in B8, but today I wanted to write a little bit of sacrifices...

Yesterday morning we had an AMAZING district meeting about sacrifice. We each were assigned a person in the scriptures to study about and learn how sacrifice in their life blessed them. After we shared, we got a piece of candy for sharing, but we were told to wait and not eat it until everyone was done sharing. We finished, and were asked to sacrifice the yummy candy and give it back... Not knowing exactly why, I gave it back and we pressed on with the meeting. (Everyone else gave it back as well)

We watched Holland's missionary work video, and it was AMAZING. Some of my favorite highlights....

-Salvation is not easy, missionary work is not easy

-Why isn't this easy? I'm not the first to ask that...

-Atonement will carry me through this

-When I struggle, rejected, I am standing shoulder to shoulder with the other pure and perfect missionary, Christ.

-I have every reason to stand tall

I loved this because missionary work is not easy. Missionary work takes sacrifice. After we watched the video and talked for a bit, we were asked to write something down that we could sacrifice. For me, tengo mucho miedo (I am scared) when it comes to talking to people in Spanish.... I don't know why, but I get so scared, but I also have this like Hermana Curtis super sense and I just know who I should talk to, but Satan ALWAYS finds his way in to scare me out of it and makes me think I can't do it. In our meeting, I sacrificed my fear and I'm putting that aside. My mission is only so long, I only have so much time here in Spain to talk to people, to learn, to grow, and to fully trust in God. One of the hardest things is just to stay humble and not worry about things. I'm one who likes to know what's going on, how to do something so it's really difficult for me to not know what's going on, and its SUPER difficult and frustrating not being able to communicate. (Little thought with that: we are teaching Nietos (grandkids) of a cute lady in our ward and they are 9 and 10. We played a fun Holy Ghost game with them and when I couldn't say something, but I felt prompted to share, I whispered it to Hermana Weaver and she could say it. After the lesson, we walked out and she laughed and told me, "I like it when you do that because it's like the Holy Ghost talking to me.") these past few weeks I have really learned to be humble, work hard, be obedient and just trust In the lord and His timing. Last night before bed, she also said something that hit real hard. Many times we compare ourselves to others and think, "I'll start when I know Spanish" or "I'll do it when I'm this far"... The thing is, NOW is the time to start. The lord is waiting and wanting to help us now, we just have to exercise that faith in him and go.

In our district meeting, after we sacrificed our sacrifice, elder Wade talked about how we sacrifice things now, today, and we may not see the blessings now, today, tomorrow, in this area, maybe not in this life, but we need to make those sacrifices in our lives and have faith in God and in our savior.

After, he gave us our candy back, and also a chocolate bar came with it as well. Because we sacrificed something that seemed little, we got the candy AND the chocolate in the end.

It's just like that in the mission, but also in real life. Every one of us in our lives have something big or small that we could/need to sacrifice. Whether it be our phones, sleeping in, sports, on and on... We need to LOOK to the Lord and find those things we can sacrifice to become closer to Him, to serve Him, and to do the things to Be Like Him. (Aka sacrifice your Instagram, snapchat, social media and read your scriptures. Serve someone)

Another thing I have learned the past few months is that all good things come from God. God is in EVERYTHING in our lives, thoughts, words, actions, everything. If you have a thought and it's good, just do it! Serve that person. Say hi to someone. Hangout with someone new. Be a friend. Be kind. SMILE. If you have a prompting to do something and it's good, just do it! Don't doubt yourself, don't resist, just go.

Haha ok, off my soap box perdón.... This week is exciting because ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING SATURDAY!!!! WAHOOOO!! Paps you totally called it, and everyone was so surprised that I already knew. :) he's meeting with our mission Saturday afternoon and it's going to be soo sweet! I'm so nervous, but so excited to learn from him! Also, this week I hit my 2 months?! So crazy??

Nothing much going on around here, it's been raining like crazy and Hermana Weaver and I just love when appointments fail and were walking I'm the rain, wind, umbrellas flipping all over and we just laugh. That's the mission, that's life and it seriously is so awesome. The work is hard, but I love it. I love being a missionary, I love Spain and I love the people. Sorry p days have been crazy, but I'll write next Monday!

Trust in the LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

Much love, and many Besitos from Hermanita Curtis is Spain!