alo!
This week was definitely a strange one. My companion has been having some health issues and so we didn't get to work as much as we would have liked. Luckily there are two girls in the branch preparing for missions and they are super willing to do divisions with us so I have been able to go out with one girl and teach the gospel! She is learning English and I am learning Spanish so we help each other out.
We had transfers this week and we got some new elders! On Thursday morning we did some service at the church and it was awesome to see all of us working hard! You should have seen me with that machete just taking on those weeds. Yard work is way more intense in the rain forest, trust me!
We also had some training in Chitre on Friday and we did divisions with the sister leaders. I got to stay in Chitre and on Saturday morning we went for a run!! Pictures I promise! I had a really awesome personal/comp study that day and I have been thinking and studying about it since then.
I was studying about self-mastery and as I studied more and more I found out how much it has to do with humility and love. I had always just thought that I could get better but that I was the way I was and some things would just never change. Then I remembered a quote I had written down from last conference that says
¨to believe that weaknesses and deficienies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the plan of salvation.¨
It is exhausting and it's going to take time but eventually we can change our nature to be more Christlike, we just need to put our pride on the altar and use the Atonement daily. I can change my thoughts and my nature as I choose to think good, loving things. I was thinking about all of this when I came accross this quote from President Hinckley-
¨Most of us have not yet reached a Christlike stage of compassion, love, and forgiveness. It is not easy. It requires a self-discipline almost greater than we are capable of. But as we try, we come to know that there is a resource of healing, that there is a mighty power of healing in Christ, and that if we are to be His true servants we must not only exercise that healing power in behalf of others but, perhaps more important, inwardly.¨
When we are willing to humble ourselves then can we ¨be like him, for we shall see him as he really is¨ and if we have the self-discipline and faith to really trust God and give up the weaknesses and deficiencies in our character we will eventually be able to not only change our actions and thoughts, but eventually our heart and our nature to be more like Christ. I think that is the mighty change of heart that the scriptures talk about and I think that it is a choice, everything is a choice.
This week I am working on not just changing my behavior to look like a disciple of Christ but really working on changing my heart to be a better disciple.
Love you all!!
Hermana Smith
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