¿What is UP my BROT-A´s?

How have I been? How long has it even been since I wrote a real blog thing? Not sure but I feel like it´s been a while.

Life´s been kickin´

I am learning all ABOUT faith and HOPE!

Like directly after my lesson on endurance (the one God taught me, telling me to KEEP GOING) came this new lesson I am learning about Faith and Hope, especially in His promises. 

So thats cool. (for lack of a better word)

I like that whatever happens... If you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, will turn out okay. 

If trials come, it means God loves you and is teaching you (remember that IS why we came to earth so we can´t really be too upset that it happens). The good news of the Gospel is that we can be happy anyway and when that is a little too hard in the moment, we can at least drink the better cup and trust in the promise of a better tomorrow if we endure it well. 

When life is good, it means God loves you and has blessed you because He is merciful and kind.

When you feel lost, remember God loves you and hold tightly to the rod through your times of misty vapors, trusting that the fruit of the tree IS as Delicious as the Scriptures promise and the Spirit confirms. 

Even in your pain, you are never alone.

You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create. You are a Child of God with ETERNAL potential and a Divine destiny. You are INFINITE. 

SO don´t worry, be happy. Live High, Live mighty, Live Righteously!

Because thats is the meaning of life and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ!

It is not about what you've done, but what's been done for you. 

It is not about where you've been, but where your brokenness brings you to 

It is not about what you feel, but what He felt to forgive you, 

And what He felt to make you loved/pure/ and worthy to experience Eternal and Infinite Joy. LIFE ETERNAL. Exaltation!

 This week we played in the rain because the streets turn to RIVERS here and so splashing in the rain was a necissary, Obviously. Afterwards I slopped around in my soggy socks and rain boots all day, making my toes all pruney and wrinkled up.Well... I have aquired a rancid habit of picking at my toesies whilst reading my sprictures. gross. I know. Moving on... well that night I did so... and my nail being very fragile from the all day Boot-Spa it went to... Broke off in a terrible manner. like.... I didn´t have a nail and the little moon crecent of a nail that was left cut deep into the sides of my piggy toe like an ingrown toenail from Hades!

I limped around the cobblestone streets for a whole day. pausing occationally to not die and sometimes I would just take off my shoe and walk around like " Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John" one shoe on and one shoe off!

That night I did a self-operation and amputated my toe. hahahah Jk... but I did do a little self operation to pull out the nail from my skin and put some cotton under it to help it grow OUT of my skin, prayed that it would heal and then went to bed.

I woke in the middle of the night from the pain. I performed a dozey self-operation by the dim light of the bathroom sitting on the seat of the toilet. 

Then I just cried for a second because I cant walk around (A missionary MUST) on a gimp toe!

I want to cumplir con mi Señor and mi llamamiento!

I knelt and prayed with ALL the faith I have been studying and studying about. I asked the Lord if it was His will, could he PLEASE help my poor little toe. I knew it was silly and small, but also would be a great miracle that would allow me to carry on in His work! 

I woke in the morning with my toenail back.

I know that most will see this as a really weird and possible gross toe story... but for me it was a miracle from my Lord and Savior, a very real being who has all power (even to heal silly sister missionary toes) He came to earth to die for me because he loves me. He healed my toe because He loves me and because He wanted me to be able to teach others about all the other things He is doing out of love. I know that God loves me. I know that he listens to my prayers.  

We moved into a new house (which is why there were communication difficulties). Our little orange house is SO beautiful. I cant wait to clean it and unpack all the way and be happy and enjoy my blessings and the rest of this sacred time serving the Lord 24/7. I love you guys and I miss you like I can´t explain, but I wouldn´t have it any other way. I love my mission. I love what the Lord has done and is doing for me. He sent me here for a lot of reasons, but the one I like the most is that He sent me here to help ME. to give ME a chance to know HIM. I love Him SO much for that. He sure has a lot of patience with me, but he hasn´t given up on me yet and He never will. I pray for the strength to never give up on Him. I am so grateful for my life and my mission and the chance that I have to see His hand in all the occurances of the world. I like spending time with in the vineyard of my wonderful Eternal Father. What a blessing to be His missionary. 

ALSO! in the CYBER RIGHT NOW THEY ARE PLAYING PARAMORE!!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! COUNT YOUR BLESSING!!!!!!! "theres a time and place to die... but this aint it... IF THERES A FUTURE WE WANT IT NOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!" :3

until next time, stay classy and keep it tight like unto a dish my bretheren.

XOXO Hermana Libertee Valenzuela Cabeza de ciruela 

We were going to take a photo with all our investigators with this Eye but forgot... so Here is MaJo (maria jose) no mas. hahahaha

HALLOWEEN

I was Wednesday from Los Locos Adams (aka Adams Family) and we made Donuts (obviously... I am FIRM in my traditions)

We forgot to put "monster mash" on our Mission approved i-pods or CDs .hahah jk... anyway we didnt have Halloween Jams so we rocked out to Christmas music the whole Halloween Celebration. 

We went to a beautiful water lookout place in AREGUA today

I almost died to take this one that looks all tranquil and peaceful

Also Here is my LINARES. TOGETHER FOREVER!!!

I am a giant child and had to play in the fountain with my fellow street rats. plus is was super hot outside

"What are you eating Aunistee? "

*Opens mouth and shows*

This week we started P90X! RETURN WITH MUSCLES!!!!!! (this is me modeling my tanlines)

My shoes ( pictures of their party week BURNING to come next week)

p.s. cool tan lines... no my feet are not dirty

LINARES and VALENZUELA stay together another change

BAPTISM of Analia Franco!

She is SO awesome and is sharing the Gospel with EVERYONE now. She takes her Book of Mormon and Bible to school and teaches her friends. She invited her realatives to sit with us during meetings. She LOVES the 

Gospel and I LOVE her.

We flew kites that said Mormon.Org

I am the R in .Org

In Mexico these are called "Ears" 

and in Colombia "Hearts"

Um this week was pretty horrible, but SO horrible that it was great. 

Like... it's gotten to the point that things are so bad they just make me laugh. Not so bad like super negativo, but for example it is hot as Satan´s armpits here (the MINIMUM is 105 F) and we don´t have AC and for the first half of the week we didn´t even have fans because ours stopped working. SO on Wednesday my District Leader brought us a fan!!!! 

We were so agradecida(thankful) and that night the power went out....PUCHA! 

.... in order to be able to sleep at all , I shower IN my pajamas and 

acostarme(lay down to sleep) soaking wet. LIVING IN LUXURY.We have NOT been sleeping well... basically we haven't been sleeping at all. I think that's why things are so great. 

I'm so tired I'm delusional! 

Regardless of any "Rain" on my parade I like to keep it positive. I have been making up songs and dances nonstop to keep the mood. I just give the people what they want, ya know?

Also I made banana bread and pie this week. I am Betty Crocker.

The work is going on. On harder days, it´s getting easier to just press on. The "Never Give Up" bracelet was a great idea, it gives me a lot of animo for gray days

And on better days... I am happy too. (DUH!)

I am getting better at living where my feet are, though I can honestly say I miss you all with every fiber of my bean (being) still.

I like what I get to teach people about the Savior and I like what He teaches me about myself.

I don´t like the sun so much lately... and I still don´t love Pasta, but WE CANT STOP AND WE WONT STOP!

XOXO

Hermana Valenzuela CYRUS

Im painting the Bogota Temple on Hna Linares' pencil box (there´s nothing else to do... cant sleep!)

This is me at 3 AM after a soak run to the shower

I made pie

Kewties

Ohhhhhh we´re half-way there

oooooooooooooOOOhhhhhh LIVING on a prayer!

(Today I have 9 months in Paraguay!)

We DO NOT feel pretty, oh so pretty, We DO NOT feel pretty or witty or gay and we pitty and girl who looks like us This day

(when its hot we wear these sun hats and... style really just goes out the window) 

Its 56 Degrees C (thats 132 F).... and Humidity is like 90 percent.

a ton of people DIED last summer becase of the heat. Literally.

Asuncion was ranked THE Hottest city in the world and they did like a Global Warming Awareness experiment where they fired and egg in real time just on the streets.

 Seriously.... ALL I said when I put in my papers was "I just don´t want to go where it´s really hot)

P.s. Why am I wearing such a long skirt then? All my clothes are dirty

So apparently (I didnt know) I act really weird about my suitcase and never open them all the way and move them from room to room..This made HNA Linares always wondered why... WHAT treasures could be in there?!. Well the other day I opened them and she just bursted out laughing because it was just a pack on gum and Tajin chili powder. 

The mysteries of Hermana Valenzuela Revealed.

Where were we?

Oh yes, Puzzles:

Once you´ve found the "easier pieces" of the puzzle, the farm house & the flowers and bushes, you are left with the harder part. The Sky! Every pieve is the same: Baby blue and they all have 2 ´arms´ and one hole and so there is no way in telling which is where! This is where Patience is a virture.........

The Picture is Clearer than is ever has been and closest to being complete!

Never give up! because the other option is Quit. Quitting does not mean leaving your puzzle (testimony) where it is.... if you´re not working to go UP hill... pretty soon you start rolling down.

Because you became impatient with the sky you start to take apart your puzzle and put it away! first you take apart sky pieces... then the outline edges and then pretty soon the "easiest" and simplest parts of your testimony, the flowers and bushes.... scripture study and church attendance... until you reach THE most OBVIOUS sure parts of your testimony... the BIG RED BARN in the middle. When you fit those together there was NO doubt. You KNEW it was right: "God is my loving Heavenly Father and He hears and answers my prayers".

You take that apart.

You put your puzzle away....

You start thinking "puzzles are for Losers"

My puzzle is Extra hard and it´s been forever since I even tried and the box is dusty now... lets just act like I never did or had a Puzzle.

And maybe every once in a while you pull out the box and go directly back to the sky pieces but since you still can´t quite figure them out you get discoraged or even angry again and put your puzzle aside once more.

You see what I meant about the bomb that self-destructs. Satan didnñt just slowly destroy your Testomony, but he´s knocked you down and is KEEPING you down with this trick.

PLEASE please, DO NOT fall of it!

but,

If by chance you already have, here is my suggestion and the beauty of the repentace process the atonement makes possible:

Dust off your Puzzle Box and, as always, (re)start with the outline

¿What is God´s Plan for me? ¿What are the promised blessings? Happy (not perfect, but happy) FAMILIES and Eternal ones at that! That is what I call JOY!

Meditate on WHY would you try your puzzle again. Realize it´s possible and worth it.

Once you have your outline once more, you know what the Church is centered around: Christ and how His atonement is essential and blesses families. Think about your family.

Do you love them?

Is it worth it to keep going on your puzzle if finishing it meant having them FOREVER?

Now that you have your outline and motivation, DON´T go straint back for the sky pieces. They will discorage you to stop before you´ve started again! Put the basics back it place and make the "sky mystery" easier on yourself with the help of a firm foundation. If not all your pieces will get mixed up and it´ll be a hot mess I assure you. 

May I suggest a starting point. It is an OBVIOUS big RED FARM HOUSE right in the Center of your whole puzzle.

God is your loving Heavenly Father. He hears and answers your prayers. He loves you.

Start there.

Start praying. Re-connect what you once knew.

After you confirm the above listed facts, then go with the flowers and bushes (scripture study and church attendance)... then move on the other things... piket fences... cows... etc.

It is hard, for everyone, it is hard. It´s really hard for me. I see the picture on my box ALL the time and i get so frusterated that my puzzle isn´t complete yet!

But this won´t make me quit.

My Puzzle.... my Testimony, is the most important Task in my life, The picture it presents changes how I see Everything, but it´s still hard. 

Satan does not want me to feel God´s love. Satan does not want me to have a testimony. So He attacks testimonies, to keep them from being planted or to kill what is growing.

But I know His tools and will not give up. The Grand Gardener is on my side and wants me to make it back to Him. 

He sent me His son to show me what to do to keep assembling my puzzle. He sends me prophets and leaders to keep my SPIRIT up (spiritual puzzle Cheerleaders?).

And best of all he sent me my Family. 

"God gave us families, to help us to be what he wants us to be, This is how he shows his love, For the Family is of God"

So be brave my fellow Puzzlers

Puzzle On! (Or Puzzle once more for Restarters)

Never give up, Never surrender.

Everything will be alright!

As for my week, same old.... it´s hot and we talk to people about Jesus and His Gospel. I´ve been in Paraguay 9 months today and... it only going to get hotter.

XOXO

Hermana Valenzuela

My Journal Entry from October 5th 2014: Where there are these [boxy things] those are my thoughts while typing but are not found in the journal entry 

 *Disclaimer.... I did change some words to the original entry because I usually write and night and so I am tired and things don´t always make sense* 

 I LOVED general conference. Yesterday`s sessions were inspired and just what the doctor ordered. I am aprehensive because I always fear my own weakness in forgetting. I forget constantly and almost immediately, though luckily, never FULLY the strong witness of the Spirit and instruction I recieved.  [I bet that´s why the Angel Moroni appeared THREE times IN A ROW to Joseph. like.... HEY this is REAL and it´s IMPORTANTE!... I want to go to Conference 3 times in a Row] At least I write it down to try to help me remember. 

[REMEBER REMEMBER when we were in The Irrrrreland] 

Now don´t get me wrong, its not that one day I see a miracle and the next I am denying Christ or anything. It´s more, in one moment I am so profoundly SURE of my testimony or a certain aspect of it and then in the next moment it´s fuzzier and then doubts and confusion return. I don´t know if that`s normal. I DO realize however that, although doubts return, my testimony is always a dash stronger. Like, I can´t CONSTANTLY feel the TOP 10 BURNING of the spirit , but I can recall it with more ease the stronger and more frequently that I experience it. Basically, as I search to strengthen my faith, I recieve answers, but piece by piece.

It´s like I`m doing Puzzle [how ver fitting for Conference weekend as my Family always assembles a Puzzle whilst they gather to hear the sessions] When the Spirit is STRONG and testifying, that is when I am looking at the Picture on the Box [of the puzzle], but then I have to set the box down and fit the piece in where it belongs in my life. I hope that it is secure and the right piece in the right place. Then I search for the next piece to work on. Of course I remeber the general idea of the picture of the puzzle, but it is always clearer and easiest when I am looking at the Picture on the Box [feeling the confirmation of the Spirit] I KNOW some things and I Believe others, working to convert my beliefs into spiritual knowledge. Gaining a testimony and retaining a testimony are real spiritual struggles. It is not 1 2 3 TESTIMONY!!! It is a Puzzle [or a seed like Alma said (Alma 32). Whatever I am going with my metaphor of Puzzle] Piece by piece.Prayer by Prayer. Day by day and covenant made by covenant kept. That is how it works. You have to want it. You have to Actively search to strengthen it and you have to KEEP searching and strengthening it until it ALL fits together. [until you know EVERYTHING... which probably won´t be in this life... but I know some people who are close... DAD.... not close to dying.. close to knowing everything. hahahah Im funny] 

How do you know when a puzzle piece fits?

 By trying it in the space. [and then putting and fitting in the rest.. if it never screws up the groove... it FITS] How do you know if the promised blessings from keeping

 certain commandments will be fulfilled? 

By keeping those commandments in your life. I KNOW some things to be absolutely True and hence BELIEVE that others are because they naturally follow. [ it´s like when you have a little cluster fit together in your Puzzle... but it´s an Island not QUITE connected to the main picture... but you know it goes there even though you haven´t found EVERYTHING yet] I will continue to act on my beliefs until they are disproved or they become knowledge. My knowledge is a result of fighting for my faith. [I let faith win and don´t let questiongs become doubts that suffocate priviously gained knowledge] It is not easy. Satan does NOT want us to know God´s plan. Satan does NOT want us to feel of God´s [emense] love for us. Satan does NOT want us to have any sort of Testimony. Satan´s tools to fight testimonies are; Doubts, Undeserved feelings of Guilt for Honest Questions, Distractions, Discouragement and Impatience to the end of quiting. Doubts come in the form of thoughts that "God might not or WILL not answer" or "I might just be talking to myself when I pray" [The first and most pure leap of faith is made when we communicate to our creator, whom we have not seen in this relm, believing He is listening] Guilt for honest questions usually come after you have planted your seed of faith and it begins to grow. This is why Satan tries to tell you your faith isn´t ENOUGH faith because it is not yet a TREE. His goal it to get you to disattend or even pluck your twig so that it never becomes a thick, tall TREE!

 Some examples are " I know that the book of Mormon is True, but still have some questions about Joseph Smith" [Thats your honest question or your disconnected Island cluster in your Puzzle.] after a thought similar to that Satan will say to your heart " I can´t believe you´re doubting Joseph! I guess that means your DONT really know the Book of Mormon is True!" Do not fall for this! Oce you have found and securely fit a piece in your puzzle, he tries to get you to doubt the pieces you´ve fit in whilst searching for the next to comeplete the picture. In your quest to answer your questions , don´t loose spiritual ground you have already won! QUESTIONS bring answers. Joseph´s question brought forth the restauration of Christ´s Church and the plenitud of the Gospel back to the Earth. QUESTIONS are good! Donñt let Satan discredit answers you´ve already discovered just beause new questions have come up. 

Do not feel guilty for wanting to know truths! [There ain´t no Shame in spiritual Hunger!.. Get your feel to eat, but always keep that Hunger] The nest attack is distractions. That ol´ serpant, father of all Lies, will tell us: "you already know the Book of Mormon is tru, that´s good enough, Don´t worry about your other questions" He does this because God is infinitely more poweful than he and so if he can´t stop answers from coming to those who ask he will try to get them to stop asking, become distracted and let your fire of a testimony burn out. Do not fall for that. once your have a fire burning, it takes constant fuel to keep it from going out. Do not leave the flame of your testimony unattended and expect it to eternally glow. Don´t get distracted by the s`more table. your Testimony of your Father in Heaven and His plan for you is the most precious aspect of your life. FIGHT to obtain it, then FIGHT to RETAIN it. 

Lucifer also uses discouragement. This trick is simple and one of his favorites because he can plant the bomb and leave us unattended while we "self"destruct! slowly blowing to bits Every piece we´ve fit into our testimony puzzle. Discouragment and impatience with the end of quittng go hand in hand. Once you have found the easier pieces of the puzzle, the farm house and the flowers and the bushes, you are left with the harder part, THE SKY! Every piece looks the same and is the same color. This is harder and takes more time. This is why patience is a required virtue for testimony building, growing and retaining. This is where trying pieces, almost blindly and routinely is the only option. You´ll wish the answers were are obvious and came as quickly as they did during the farm house part. youll wish that pice fitting came rapidly... but its just routine... blue sky... NOTHING! 

You begin to wonder if all the pieces are THERE! Did Mom buy this at a Yardsale? Did Dagnee eat a piece? And suddenly you become so impatient you start thinking maybe you should just pack it away and thy again next conference. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS! the picture is closer to being complete than it ever was before! So you dont have the WHOLE sky... but you know what it is a picture OF perfectly! you can see the picture of what God wants for you, who HE is, who YOU are! and an outline of how to achieve it! Yeah some of the sky is still missing, but you still have time! and you have family members to ask for help! "clean Cup" chair change! new perspective and opinions. keep fitting your puzzle together. Never give up. Because the other option is Quit. And Quitting is not just leaving the puzzle (your testimony) as it. You Know mom wont let that table sit out forever, hahaha Pretty soon you´ll have to clean up. You were SO CLOSE! but if your arent working on it you cant just leave ut as is.... You start taking it apart.... the sky.... then the outline...then pretty soon the "easiest" and simplest and most OBVIOUS parts come apart too. The most BASICS of your testimony. God is my loving heavenly Father. He hears and answers my prayers, He loves me. I am a child of God! You take that apart. You stop praying. You stop progress..Then you lose progress youve already made....pretty soon You box up your puzzle and put in on the self to get dusty and then oe day you find yourself thinking "Puzzles are for Losers" and it doesnt matter how happy Dad and Mom are doing their puzzle. Puzzles are for losers. 

They´re maybe faking to be that happy. You are NOT getting your puzzle out again. Maybe you think "my puzzle is Harder than Dads and I CANT DO IT! and no one is going ot help me!.... and puzzles are for losers!" I will never find the sky pieces. I am just going to act like I never had a puzzle at all. " Thats where I will leave you all today because I am out of time... but... I have tips on Puzzle RE-starts for next week. I love you all and I wis you luck on your Puzzle piece of the week. 

NEVER give up! Never Surrender!