Devotional City

Hello everyone! 

I can't believe it has been another week in the CCM. From the title of this email you may guess we have a lot of devotionals. I think this week we had 4 and tonight we are having 2 General Authorities come and speak to us. No they are not apostles but still very high up in the church so we are excited. 

So for those of you who know me know that I am super positive. Like never once has a negative thought crossed my mind. Everything I do I make it positive... ya if only this was true. For those of you who truly know me know that it is very very easy for me to see the bad. This is a huge setback in learning Spanish. So, in the middle of the week we were learning a new Spanish rule and it was so hard. The whole time I just kept thinking how amazing it would be to go play 18 holes and then go eat at Taco Amigo. I was very discouraged to say the least. But, a few moments later Hermano Rios asked me a question. Without hesitation I answered the question correctly. BOOM a small win. That is something I have tried my hardest to focus on while learning Spanish. The small wins. Even though I have a lot of big losses in the language, when I have even 1 small win my confidence grows. So I want to invite you all to focus on those ¨small wins¨ in whatever you may be doing and know when you do that you will have a more confident mindset. 

Now for one of my favorite devotionals of the week. It was by Elder David A. Bednar and wow it was amazing. He talked about conversion and becoming like the Lord. He mentioned that the natural man in us always turns in, and how when the natural man turns in the lord would turn OUT. This means when we are having a hard time we focus on ourselves and only ourselves. But even when the lord was suffering for our sins he was helping and healing others. I want to invite you all to try your hardest to turn out when the natural man in us would turn in. 

Now for the conversion part. He simply said ¨having a testimony of the gospel is not enough for you to stay a member of the church for the rest of your life. But, when you have a testimony and consistently live by what you know then you are converted and will stay a member your whole life and not fall away.¨ I loved this because it makes you take a step back and wonder, am I really converted to the Lord? Do I really live consistent with what I know? Guess what, I invite you all again to try and live consistent with what you know so you can be converted to the Lord. 

Another amazing thing from a devotional this week was from Elder Uchtdorf. He said ¨Be grateful, not hateful.¨ So try that. I promise it will bless your life. 

Finally, I got my flight plans!! Elder Wells and I will leave Mexico City on Monday the 19th at 1 A.M. and then we will fly to Miami Florida. Then from Miami, to the DR. We will arrive in the DR around 1 in the afternoon on the 19th. So what that means is only 12 more days of eating at el comedor wahooooo!! 

I love you all! I pray for you guys daily. Read the Book of Mormon. It is true. Pray often. The lord is listening and cares about each one of you. 

-Elder Wilde