Uchtdorf's talk on gratitude!

so one of my questions for general conference was how i can work here in the mission with more engery. and do ALL things with more cheer. my answer came from elder uchtdorf's talk about gratitude. it was such a great talk!!! so i´ve been trying to have a more grateful heart. i´ve been trying to be grateful...when our appointments fall through or when i´m really tired in the morning and don´t want to get up. or when my feet hurt and i don´t want to walk anymore. or when its raining and cold outside. obviously i love the mission more than anything. but one of my goals has been to love EVERY PART of the mission. i wasn´t exactly sure how to do that until conference when elder uchtdorf started talking about gratitude. and one thing i am extremely grateful for is the gospel in my life. when hermana aquino and i are walking in the streets we sing hymns and primary songs. i´m so grateful to have the knowledge that "i am a child of god" and that the temple is a place where we "make covenents with our father and promise to obey" and "a holy place where we are sealed together." and that "i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i know who i am and i know God´s plan and i will follow Him in faith. i believe in the Savior Jesus Christ. i will honor His name. i will do what is right and follow His light. and His truth i will proclaim." i have sung these primary songs since i was 5 years old. i´ve known simple truths all my life and i can not describe how grateful i am for that. there are people in the world that don´t know they are children of god and that he loves them! how sad right!?! well that´s why i´m here in chile. it really is true...being grateful helps me to work harder and with more energy. because when i think of all the blessings i have i am reminded that all the blessings i have are from my heavenly father. and that there are people here in chile that need the same blessings.

i also wanted to share my studies with you! because this week they were SUPER awesome. i´ve been studying a lot about our identity and our destiny. we are more than just creations of God. we are HIS CHILDREN. literally we are His Spirit off-spring! and we have the potencial to become like him. but we have to understand our identity (that we are God´s children) to understand our destiny. (what we can become) because of the decision of adam and eve we can progress...we can choose between good and evil and become like God. (Gen. 3:22) through the power of the atonement God can empower us to become like Him. but why? why would God want us to become like Him? 2 nephi 2:25 says that adam fell so that we could have joy. our hevenly father wants us to have all the joy that He has. He wants us to experience all the blessings that He experiences. "happiness is the purpose and design of exsistence". it´s for this reason that the plan that God has for us is called the plan of HAPPINESS. 

how crazy about the ward being split! mom i´m sorry you wont be camp director anymore. that really stinks. but that would be awesome if your in the thorntons ward!! 

yeah i got your email that your friends with hermana bennetts mom! that´s super fun! yes i think you should write hermana rivas!! i know she would love it! but you would have to do it soon because she ends her mission in july i think? 

that´s super awesome that syd and izzy are loving lacrosse! and lily with swim! i bet you guys will have a lot of fun with aunt star and grandma! i miss those 2 a lot!

SYDNEY OH MY GOSH STOP BEING SO PRETTY! wow your prom pics are SO CUTE! did you have fun!? i hope so! 

have you guys gotten the package i sent yet? 

thanks for the lyrics to the song!! i will always think of it when i make fire...the video was super awesome too! i loved it! 

well i hope you guys have a great week! full of missionary opportunities! i love you so so so much! keep being the best family in the WHOLE WORLD! 

con amor, hermana steele

ps. remember my roommate maddie? yeah she´s going on a mission!

and caitlin is doing ILP and dating a guy pretty seriously! i got my first email from her today...so that was fun haha.