Cartas de España (2)

Hace pocas semanas que puse mi post último en mi blog. En esas semanas, hemos ido a algunos lugares. Burgos, El Escorial, y pueblitos y monasterios en camino. También hemos ido al templo en Madrid y he ido a Madrid pocos veces afuera de esto. Visitamos museos, catedrales, y más. Me gusta la arquitectura. Hace pocos días subimos a una torre en Santo Domingo de la Calzada y un otro en Burgos. El campo aquí es muy bonito y desde la torre en Santo Domingo de la Calzada, podía ver mucho del campo verde.

Me gustaba ir al templo de Madrid. Ayudé con bautismos, que siempre me gusta. Espero ir al templo otra vez antes de regresar de España a Utah. Me parece extraño que en pocas semanas vamos a regresar a los Estados Unidos. Solo tenemos dos viajes más. Esa experiencia ha sido una bendición para mí. Quería venir a España para que pudiera mejorar mi español. Creo que eso ha pasado, por lo menos un poco. Aunque también otras cosas han pasado, que creo que será más importante en mi vida que mi español.

Porque he estado muy lejos de mis amigos y de mi familia, he tenido que confiar más en Dios. Hay ocho horas entre yo y mis amigos mejores. Pues, ellos no están despiertos hasta que sean las dos aquí, por lo más temprano. Y a la hora que ellos se están preparando para salir de trabajo, yo me estoy preparando para dormirme. Por eso, durante el día, si necesito ayuda o apoyo, tengo que pedirlo a Dios. He visto milagros cuando los necesitaba. Mi testimonio ha crecido aquí en España.

No es lo que pensaba que pasara. Pero, como dijo Mormón, Dios tiene "un sabio propósito" (Palabras de Mormón 1:7) para mí y para todos sus hijos. Tiene un sabio propósito para ti. Yo lo sé.

Por ahora, es todo. Hasta luego.

Letters from Spain (1)

We've been in Spain for a few weeks. Another month and I'll be back in Utah. Crazy! We've gone to several places. Segovia, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Ávila, Salamanca, León, and a few other towns along the way.

I enjoy going to the cathedrals. Each time I go to a cathedral I'm impressed by the faith that the disciples of Christ have in other churches. We went to the Sagrada Familia and WOW! I loved the symbolism there. Our guide explained a lot of it.  For example, each tower represents a different person (the apostles, Mary the mother of Jesus, and more).

I also like going to the castles.  I feel like a prince there. Yesterday en the Castle of Coca, I was thinking about how God is the King of the Earth. And because He is my Father, I am a prince. I'm not just a man or an animal. I'm a divine person with eternal potential.

Walking through the churches, I feel a lot of respect for those of other religions. I've listened to Christian music for years and I like it a lot. It makes me think of what President Hinckley said. More or less he said that all people have the light of Christ. They all have at least some truth. I feel the Spirit strongly as I listen to Christian music and while I walk through those churches I learn a little bit at a time what God wants to tell me.

Until next time. 

By the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Cartas de España (1)

Hace casi tres semanas que estamos en España. Un mes más y habré regresado a Utah. ¡Que loco! Hemos ido a algunos lugares. Segovia, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Ávila, Salamanca, León, y pueblos pequeños en camino.

Me gusta ir a las catedrales. Cada vez que voy a una catedral me impresa la fe que tienen los discípulos de Jesús en las otras iglesias. Fuimos a La Sagrada Familia y ¡WOW! Me gustó el simbolismo allá. Nuestra guía nos explicó mucho de esto. Por ejemplo, cada torre representa  a una persona diferente (los apóstolos, María la madre de Jesús, y más).

 También me gusta ir a los castillos. Me siento como un príncipe allá. Ayer en El Castillo de Coca, pensaba en que Dios es el Rey del mundo. Y porque es mi Padre, soy un príncipe. No soy solo un hombre o un animal. Soy una persona divina con un potencial eterno.

Caminando por las iglesias, me siento mucho respeto para las personas de otras religiones. Hace años que escucho la música cristiana y me gusta mucho. Me hace pensar en lo que dijo Presidente Hinckley. Más o menos, dijo que todos tiene la luz de Cristo. Todas religiones tienen por lo menos un poco de la verdad. Me siento el espíritu fuertemente al escuchar la música cristiana y mientras camino por las iglesias aprendo poco a poco las cosas que Dios quiere decirme.

¡Hasta luego! 

Cerca el acueducto en Segovia

2014: Year in Review

I’m a bit behind, but it’s time to do the 2014 year in review. I’ve done it on my blog for the past two years. Before that it was a family tradition to keep record of the highlights of the year.

Neatest Place You were in 2014

My favorite place that I was this past year was the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Pageant was an amazing spiritual experience and I made some amazing friends. Being back where I first felt like I found myself in 2009 helped strengthen my testimony. I made amazing friends who I still love to keep in touch with. Since getting home they have been some of my greatest supports in my trying times.

Mom and Dad came to see Pageant a couple of the nights

Biggest Surprise of the Year

My biggest surprise of the year (or at least one of them) was probably while I was at Disneyland. I’ve always loved the character Dug from Up. I was at Disneyland with David and as we were walking through California Adventure we found out there was an opportunity for a meet and greet with Dug. I had heard about that happening at Disney World, but I didn’t know he was in California Adventure as well. So I was able to give that big fluffy loving puppy a big hug! SQUIRREL!

"I have just met you and I love you."

Best TV Show/Movie You Watched

The best movie I watched this year was The Lego Movie. Super fun and it spoke to my inner child. Not only that but every time I watch it I get such a self-esteem boost! I am important because I am me and I can change the world just by doing that. Most simply put, I am the special! One of my favorite exchanges in the movie is between Emmett and Vitruvius when Emmett finds out that he is not really the Special but it’s up to him to become the hero anyway. He says to ghost Vitruvius, “how could I just decide to believe that I'm special when I'm not?” Vitruvius replies, “Because the world depends on it.” My world depends on me choosing to believe I’m special and that decision can change the world.

Garrett and Sara dressed as Emmett and Wildstyle for Halloween

Saddest Day/Time in 2014

I went through a bit of a hard time during the end of the year. School is tiring and life is stressful, self-esteem can be hard to maintain. Basically it’s life. I am grateful for the Lord and His grace to help me get to where I am now and that I don’t always have to feel like that. Particularly November was hard. I won’t go into personal details, but I went through some stuff trying to figure out who I am. Though it was a dark and gloomy place, I am grateful that the Lord was able to teach me and that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I don’t have to stay there forever.

Happiest Day/Time in 2014

With such great adventures this year it’s hard to pick one happiest time. One of my happiest moments was being in the Sacred Grove again while I was in Pageant. I got the opportunity to walk through the grove, praying, reading, and recording my thoughts. I wrote my testimony while I was there and I am grateful for the Spirit I was able to feel while I was there in the sacred, hallowed wood.

(Thank you Emily for taking this picture)

Best Book/Magazine You’ve Read

I’m not sure if I read any new books this year. However, I did re-read “The Brothers” by Christ Stewart this summer and then I listened to it again while I was on my trip to California with David. This book has helped me feel of my Savior’s love. I’m not saying the book is doctrine, but some of the parts of the book involving Jehovah or the Father talking to the children have been amazing in helping me feel of their love and support for me in my journey. One of my favorite parts is near the end of the book; The Father tells His children that though they will be leaving for Earth soon and they will forget their lives with Him, He will send them reminders of His love: a mother’s kiss, a father’s blessing, words of the prophets, etc. I am grateful to have these things in my life to remind me of how much my Father loves me.

I love forward to this hug

Things You Will Remember From the News

The biggest thing I remember from the news this year is the death of Robin Williams. I grew up watching Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire and I remember watching Dead Poet Society in high school. Hearing that he had committed suicide was a surprise to me. It was a reminder to me that depression doesn’t discriminate. In addition, I find it amazing and admirable that though he was hurting on the inside, he still made it his purpose in life to help others laugh. That being said, I’d like to state the fact that suicide is preventable. I went to a suicide prevention training this fall for my internship and that’s one thing I came away from it with: Depression is treatable and suicide is preventable. If you are struggling with depression and/or suicide ideation, please get help. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline for help at any time if you’re struggling: 1 (800) 273-8255. Please don’t give up.

RIP Robin Williams

Favorite Talk in Church/Conference

I don’t know if it was my favorite, but he is definitely my favorite speaker. This past April, Elder Holland talked about standing up for our faith. It may not be popular (it rarely is) and it may not be easy (I’d say it never is), but because we are followers of Jesus Christ, it’s something we must do. Though others may tear the church down, we have to stand strong in our standards and fight against the adversary. We need to love our brothers and sisters, despite persecution we may receive. We are the people of Christ and we need to show it.

What Would You Like to Do In 2015?

2015 has the making of a crazy adventure for me. I’ve been accepted to a study abroad in Spain this spring term (May and June) and then I’m hoping to be an EFY counselor for the rest of the summer. In addition to all of that, this fall I start my final year of my undergraduate degree. Also, if all goes well with my seminary teacher training class this semester, I’ll be teaching seminary this fall. The only thing for sure is that I will be going to Spain. Everything else I’d love to do, that’s in the Lord’s hands and as I surrender my will to Him, I know He can make more out of my life than I ever could.

¡Estoy animado para ir a ese templo en Madrid!

Alright, that’s my year in review for 2014. Hopefully yours was good too. I’m looking forward to another great year of testimony building, growth, and adventures. It may not be easy, but I think it can always be miraculous if we let it (remind me of that the next time I start stressing).

For My Baby Brother

"We may rest assured that all things are controlled and governed by Him whose spirit children we are. He knows the end from the beginning, and he provides for each of us the testings and trials which he knows we need. President Joseph Fielding Smith once told me that we must assume that the Lord knows and arranges beforehand who shall be taken in infancy and who shall remain on earth to undergo whatever tests are needed in their cases. This accords with Joseph Smith’s statement: ‘The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth.’ (Teachings, pp. 196–97.) It is implicit in the whole scheme of things that those of us who have arrived at the years of accountability need the tests and trials to which we are subject and that our problem is to overcome the world and attain that spotless and pure state which little children already possess.” (“Salvation of Little Children,” p. 6.) (taken from the D&C Institute student manual)

Twenty-two years ago today, my family lost someone very precious. My mom gave birth to a stillborn baby boy, who they named Jay. It was a very difficult thing for my parents to face. By the time he was born, they’d known for about a month that he was dead. Even though I was only about 21-months-old at the time and don’t remember the event, I think about him from time to time. On his birthday, I try to do my best to honor and celebrate the baby brother that I never got to meet. Though we never met on this earth, at times I think the Spirit whispers to me that he is near and watching over me. At times I wonder if he is my guardian angel. I believe we were friends in the pre-mortal world and that because of that I feel this connection to him, though I’ve never even seen his face in mortality.

Mom and Dad at the DC temple again after 25 years

I am grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation and specifically for the knowledge of eternal families. Because my parents were sealed in the Washington DC temple on July 17, 1974, my brothers and I were all born into the covenant. Because of this, we haven’t lost Jay. He is sealed to my parents and he is sealed to us. I will see him again. I cannot wait for the day when I get to see my baby brother again.

Happy birthday, Jay. I miss you.