Happy New Year

Every new year for me is also a new year in my life. Or as some people may say: “a year closer to the harp than the guitar” I can’t believe I’m turning 59 on the 3^rdof January. That means is the last year in my fifties. 

Why is it that 59 sounds just as old as 95? It sounds so old when I say it but, trust me, my heart is still 25!  

I can’t pretend I’m not feeling how old I am, because I do. My gray hair shows it. Aches and pains come from nowhere, climbing stairs takes a lot more effort, and the wrinkles…so may wrinkles…but with all that, I will admit there is one thing about growing older that is a definite plus, and that is that with every additional candle that goes on your birthday cake you’ve gained that much more wisdom along the way. And wisdom means more and more to you the older you get…you learn to appreciate its value.

Here are the top ten words of wisdom I’ve gained along the way:

#1 *Happiness is a choice, not a condition.” 

We experienced it on December 18^thwhen we lost our $1000.00 cash we were taking to Uruguay and the Philippines. They were 10 new $100 dollar bills tucked in an envelope. We always keep a cash reserve for an emergency but we got distracted. The last time Daniel saw the money was at the American Airline counter. For about five minutes we were stressed out but decided to just forget about the incident and enjoy our trip. What I also learned from this experience is how proud I am of us and our family because if any of us would have found that money we would have taken it to the lost and found. I have done it a few times when I have found wallets and such so I was hoping for the same kindness given to us but we were not that lucky. 

#2 *We are capable of more than we think we are.” It is amazing the things you do when you need to. On December 23^rd,in La Paloma, Uruguay, Daniel and I volunteered to do the sacrament meeting Christmas program at a small branch where Daniel’s brother is the branch President. We only had one afternoon to prepare for it and it turned out amazing. Daniel started with a message about who is Jesus Christ? Followed by the story of the first Christmas and in between we sang Christmas carols. I ended the meeting with my “Fear not” message I had given a few weeks ago and people told us how much they enjoyed the program. 

#3 *Trust your gut. It’s often more reliable than your head or your heart.” Once we decided to take a vacation to see both Daniel’s mom and my mom around Christmas we made it happen by asking for help from the Airline travel agents. It was way too complicated for me to do on line. We were coming from Manila to Utah, to Montevideo and back to Manila making a quick stop in Miami.  The only way to get the cost of tickets down was to visit them at their office in person until they found the perfect itinerary that would work for us. I had the feeling I needed to visit them in person.  If I had not gone to see them, that trip would not have happened. It was over $5,500 a ticket but after talking to the right people, the ticket price changed to $2,600 from $5,500. 

#4 *Make a goal poster. With your goals…any goals…big and small and when that one is accomplished make another one…never stop having a new goal poster in life. One of my goals for 2018 was to be a missionary at Pathway. I love that program and hope all of you get acquainted with it. Take the course when you find some time. It’s amazing! 

#5 *Be willing to work your guts out for what you want. I promise, you will value the things you earn far more than the things you’re given.” I am working hard at becoming financially independent and by that, I mean to be completely out of debt. At our age, is recommended to not take too many risks. 

  

#6 *The most important choice you will make in this life is who you marry. Choose wisely, then go all in.” I have learned that marriage will only lead to happily ever after if you are ministering to each other, daily. Forgiving one another, constantly building your friendship with each another, enduring all of life’s trials together, loving each other and standing side by side in total fidelity to your marriage. It’s only at the end of a lifetime of working at a relationship that it becomes that fairytale you always wanted. The happily ever after is up to you! 

#7 *Spend more time with your family and the people who truly loves you.  Think of who they are and spend time with them. They are the most important relationships you will ever have so treat your time with them as sacred.” When I am with family I feel as if I am in Heaven. Our family is the most important thing for me because I can feel of their love. On the way home I watched the movie Won’t You Be my Neighbor” and there was a part where Fred Rogers asked to think of a person who they know loves them for who they are. He also explained that what he meant when he said that everyone is special. He explained that we don’t need to do anything sensational to be loved and that is the part when I cried. 

#8 “God doesn’t expect us to achieve perfection “– He expects us to live in pursuit of it by doing our best each day. I saw this statement I want to share. “Do your best, and for heaven’s sake quit telling yourself you can’t be happy until perfection is achieved! Be happy in the pursuit of it! It’s enough!! You are enough!!”

#9 Mostly what I’ve come to learn in these almost 59 years is that life isn’t easy, but it wasn’t meant to be. Life was meant to teach us, to challenge us, to educate us, to humble us, to refine us, and to help us progress. Life was meant to be a test or a “prueba” as we say in Spanish…not so we can prove who we are to other people, but to prove who we are to ourselves. God already knows our capacity for greatness…but He gave us life and He gave us agency because He loved us enough to let us decide for ourselves who it is we want to be…so decide…then prove it…prove to yourself. Leave a life so your children will be proud. I think that is a quote I saw at Bianca’s and Joe’s home. 

#10 I decided who I want to be a long time ago. I have always wanted to be a true disciple of the Lord.  Now I’m just working at living each day in a way that proves to myself that I am that trustworthy person I want to be. I hope you also know exactly who you want to be! 

Happy New Year everyone. Today we spent it with the Missionaries at the MTC and it was so much fun!

(Make sure to eat a little cake on January 3rd to celebrate my 59^thbirthday with me!)

Con amor,

Vero

We are back!

 On December 12th was the day we started our Christmas vacation. We got upgrades from Tokyo to Salt Lake which was so nice! We stayed with Vale for the night. We met her new roommates. She lives right across from Morning Side Elementary. We slept for 10 hours. got up around 11:00 am went to my blood test and Daniel went to the Dentist. We checked into the Marriott, went to see Andres, Jami  and the kids. Saw Mandy and Spencer and ate at Setebellos and Spencer took us to see where he works at the Wells Fargo building.

I stayed up all night getting all the gifts wrapped. Took Ed Fernando and company to eat at an Italian Restaurant at City Creek. We later went to the eye doctor and to Jami and Andres to get in and Out hamburgers and to deliver our gifts to them. afterwards to see Herni and family in Kaysville and later to the airport to take my flight to Boise. Daniel stayed one more night in the Hotel.

On Saturday December 15th I woke up in Boise and Daniel got up very early to take the flight to Nebraska. In Boise we had breakfast and went to shop at Target, TJMaxx, Proof store for my shades and Ross. Cristi and Brooks went out while I stayed with the boys. I love babysitting the grandkids.

On Sunday we went to Church with Cristi and family. It was a special day for the Relief Society sisters. The sisters brought food for a brunch. They had wassel, a breakfast casserole, grapes and some type of sweet bread. They had a short program and a sister read the book of the three trees. Later I flew home and Mandy came to pick me up. Took me to Vale's house where we waited for Daniel. On Monday we celebrated Vale's birthday at Jami and Andy's house. Everyone came to have milanesas. Daniel fried them. Before that, we did a lot getting ready to leave for Uruguay the next day.

Finally the day came to leave Utah for Uruguay. This is a day I will never gorget because if there is a day I would like to do over again is this one. The night before I stayed up all night getting the packages ready to send on the mail to Pablo, Gabriel, Bianca and Liz. Just four packages came to $100 Freight is more expensive than what's inside but it's the thought that counts. We then went to pick up the DNA boxes to take to Uruguay and because we went to DNBA to picket them up we decided to go across the street to get cash. We got 10 $100 bills in cash and asked for an envelope. Daniel put it inside his jacket pocket and got distracted. When he looked for it at the airport after we had gone through security it was gone and no one at the airport turned it in at the lost and found. Daniel is so careful and so organized so this was rare to have this happened to someone like him but it is what it is. We started our trip to Uruguay a little stressed out!

We got in to Uruguay the next morning and some people from the Church office were there to greet us with the car keys and even paid for parking. We went to Miguel Angel to say hello and then to Rocha. We stopped at La Pasiva in Piriapolis on the way there. We spent all day in Rocha with Daniel's mom and visited with Sandra, Roberto, Nico and Laura. They have four dogs and a cat so it was a miracle that I didn't get allergies. I took Claritin and that really helped.

The next day we went to Maldonado to visit with Hugo and Stella. We invited them to eat at their favorite restaurant: Classic. Daniel had milanesa and I ordered a chivito to share with Stella but I could only eat a little bit since it was such a huge plate! We left Maldonado and stopped in Rocha on our way to La Paloma  but since it was getting too late, we never went to Punta del Este. I gave everyone their gifts.

On Sunday Dec. 23 we went to Church in La Paloma. Daniel and I spoke and did the whole program by reading Luke 2 and singing in between. It was special because all the family came. Abuela Nela, Roberto and family, Miguel Angel and family, Estela, and us. We filled up the space. This is a little branch where only very few attend. Later we had spaghetti for lunch and Pizza for dinner. This family makes the best Italian food.

The next day was Christmas Eve and we were up until 2:30 am eating every single type of food available and dancing. All the Rodriguez de Almeida and Sandra's family were there. Earlier we went to the beach and that water was cold!  For lunch Sandra had made fish milanesas so as you probably can imagine, our clothes were fitting very tight. On Christmas day we went to the beach and had a lot of left overs. We have been eating non-stop since we got in seven days ago.

We left on December 26th so we got up, finished packing, had lunch and went to say good bye to Abuela Nela in Rocha. Met Miguel Angel at the distribution center and got there five minutes before they close but gave us enough time to buy the shirts for Santi and went to the airport. Took the red-eye flight to Miami and there was Ale waiting for us. went to the beach to fly a kite and later to eat arepas. We had ice-ream and played at a park in midtown mall. We then went to meet my mom and sisters at the Hotel there they were staying. We gave them their gifts and had dinner at the Hotel Restaurant. Tia Silvia and tio Jeff came to see us.

On December 28, our last day in Miami we went to an Alegator park with Ale and family, my mom, Mari, Manu, Vane and family. It was the first time I ever saw an alligator up closed. They don't attack you because they are used to people. We ended our trip by going to Fudrockers to eat a huge humbugger We said good bye and Ale took us to the airport. We were so blessed that again we got upgrades from Miami to Los Angeles and from LA to Hong Kong.

We made it home on December 30th Yay! The people from the airport and Juancho was there to greet us. It was over all an amazing trip to remember. We Made some wonderful memories!

Christmas letter 2018

Tomorrow we travel to the US and later to Uruguay but before we go, I needed to write the Christmas letter for 2018 and this is what it said:

December 2018 

We hope that everything is going well for you and your dear family and that next year is one full of love, blessings and happiness. We are especially thankful this time of year for our family, friends and the blessings we have been given.

How grateful and lucky we are for dear friends and loved ones who have enriched our lives. We give thanks for the Lord’s blessings and feel particularly grateful once again as the season approaches to commemorate the birth of our Savior wherever we are living.  

2018 found us

Mami Vero and Papi Daniel living on the other side of the world in Manila, Philippines. 

Andy, Jami and four busy bodies enjoying their beautiful home in Farmington, Utah.

Gabriel and Danae loving the good life in Dublin, Ireland.

Pablo, Sydney and their energetic trio in Denver, Colorado.

Alejandro, Lexi and their two very active sons enjoying their new home in Miami, Florida.

Hernan, Rachael and another duo of adorable little men in Houston, Texas.

Cristi, Brooks and their three musketeers expecting their first girl in Eagle, Idaho. 

Analia, Spencer and four under four of masculine contributors in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Bianca, Joseph and a duo of beautiful little women in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Valentina enjoying her amazing work at Boncom in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Mandy and Spencer blessed near family in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Our family consists of 20 rumbustious grandchildren and counting…

There is always a sweet spirit that attends this special season that sustains and lifts us to higher levels so in the mist of all the hustle and bustle of life, we still find moments to think of you.  Our lives have been very blessed and we hope your Christmas is wonderful and filled with Christ’s spirit. May 2019 be full of all the things that bring you happiness. 

Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!

Daniel and Veronica R. de Almeida

And since this is my last post before Christmas because I don't write while I am on vacation, Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year! 

Con amor,

Vero

Christmas traditions

Tonight, for family home evening, I went to a ladies’ cookie exchange. We went around the room talking about some of our Christmas traditions. Growing up in El Salvador is Summer of course so we stayed up very late on Christmas Eve and had the traditional Salvadoran turkey dinner and fireworks! Remember? I felt a little homesick today because it has been over 15 years since December of 2003 that I have spent a Christmas in El Salvador. I loved going to the beach on Christmas day. 

Here in Manila everybody likes to sing and I love Christmas music even when I can’t carry a tune however, I can always sing along to Christmas music Bianca plays each night on Instagram.  Thanks Bianca. I love watching you play the guitar and your voice of course. I have tried to imitate it but it comes out too scratchy. 

Another tradition is watching Elf. No matter how many times Daniel has seen that show, he always laughs so hard every time. We love watching Christmas movies. I love the spirit of Christmas in the air. I love Christmas trees, and decorations, and all the beautiful Christmas lights. I love it ALL!

That being said, it is really easy during the month of December to let yourself get all stressed out with all shopping to be done, all the holiday parties to plan or attend, all the work you need to get done before you can take time off for the holiday, all the baking to do, and gift wrapping, etc. Without question everyone has a ton on their plates to get done in December so if we aren’t careful we might be missing out on the most important things.

It helps me immensely to focus. I say each day because it is a daily effort to keep things in perspective. It takes a daily dose of self-talk in my head where I am reminding myself to take a deep breath and focus on the things that really matter and reminding myself to let the rest go. 

This month has just started but it is going to be over before you know it. Go into this month with a commitment to focus on what truly matters and let go of the things that don’t. Commit that this month you are going to look up and enjoy getting together with family. We are going on our Christmas vacation in less than 48 and I don’t write the Monday letter while I am on vacation so Merry Christmas in advance.

Con amor,

Vero

A towel

Years ago, I received a towel as a gift with a note that read:

At first glance, it is easy to look at a towel as a most ordinary object. Have you ever stopped to think that for thousands of years, the towel has been used for many wonderful purposes? For example, the mother who wipes the tears of a child, the physician who binds the wounds of a patient, or the woman in her home wiping her hands as she moves from task to task. 

Perhaps the most significant use of a towel happened more than two thousand years ago when our Savior, only hours before He hung on the cross, took an ordinary towel in His loving hands and dried the feet of His disciples. This simple, loving act personifies the selflessness and loving service we seek to give during our lives. It illustrates that an ordinary thing like a towel, in the right hands, and with a giving heart, can lighten another’s load. As with every action performed by the Savior on this earth, His act of service reminds us that simple day-to-day kindness are the Savior’s way to bless and comfort. 

This towel is given with love and with the hope you will do works of goodness with it as the Savior did so many years ago.

 May the absorbing spirit of the season blot our problems, soak up our sorrows, wipe away difficulties and may your Christmas be shining and bright! 

I really like the message so this year, I decided to use it to give towels as a Christmas gift. 

Con amor,

Vero

It breaks my heart

Suicide always breaks my heart! 

I don’t know who this girl was but it breaks my heart to hear about someone ending their life. I hurt for her, for her friends, for her family. Suicide doesn't just end a person's life. It leaves a tear in the fabric of the relationships left behind, in society, and in everyone it touches. It leaves us all questioning what we could have done differently, but there is nothing we can do now. It's over. She is gone.

I love BYU. The school is like no other around the world.  Our children who went there report that it was like Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, a place where you start to explore the world, find your interests, make friends, and grow out of childhood and into the real world. Today, I hear that BYU saw the suicide of a student, falling from the fourth floor of the Tanner Building. She has died at the hospital. 

And maybe there was no way around it. Maybe there was nothing that could be done. I don't know. I only feel the pain that is the loss of the potential that this person could have had. I want to believe we could do something, though. That we could save someone. That we DO save someone and that every connection we make, every smile we give, every gesture of gratitude and friendship we freely offer strengthens the bonds that hold us each back from the edge. You never really know what burdens someone carries, never really, even when they tell you. 

I wish someone like my niece Paola who is attending BYU could have helped this girl. I hope that I am helping someone, metaphorically speaking, when she comes into my life, when I bump into her at Church, Christmas shopping, walking around Manila or waiting in line at the grocery store. I hope that I am making her load lighter, giving her a reason to live, to carry on, to find the potential that God put her on this earth to find. Heaven knows there have been so many that have lifted my load and helped me, including people I hardly even knew. 

If you're a Christian, as I am, you try to turn to the Savior. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" and "I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs." But I also know that he does not operate without help--he expects us to help lift the burdens of those around us, to bind up the wounds of the injured, to feed the poor, to visit the widowed and orphaned, and to heal the sick. It's the second commandment. 

But this does not replace the pain of loss. It doesn't prevent me from wondering what else we can do. It doesn't save this student, this child of God, from the decision to try to end the pain and leave the burden that she carries. 

I am always available so call me. If you're in pain. Let me try to help. I'm imperfect. Flawed and impatient. But I will try. I want you to live. We need you here. We need your contribution. The world needs you. We need your life.

Con amor,

Vero

The expat life

Yesterday I went to the December Latin women luncheon. I had not been to them in months and wanted to promote the giving machines with those ladies. I explained to them that the only machine in all of Asia is in the Philippines. I sat with some women my age and I loved it. I usually sit by women who could be my daughters with little kids but this time I went to talk to Lucy. She is a woman who sells pearls at the Bazaar. I asked her how she started doing that and she said. In Spanish “well, you can have what you want, not all at once.”  

She explained: “We all have dreams and hopefully we’ve all set goals to help us achieve those dreams. But too often people become discouraged when they can’t achieve their goals as fast as they’d like and as a result they begin to give up on their dreams. Don’t get discouraged along the journey. Instead recognize that you can have what you want, just not all at once. So be willing to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when it feels like you are barely moving at all, just keep taking one step at a time toward accomplishing your goals and eventually, when the time is right, you will achieve your dream. Just keep moving forward.

 The reality of life is that most things end up taking twice as long as we’d planned on and most projects end up costing twice as much as we thought they would. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t doable! And frankly if you had known how hard it was going to be to achieve your goal and you’d understood how long it was really going to take you to achieve it, you most likely wouldn’t have tried to do it! So maybe it’s a good thing that we go into our goals a bit naïve about how hard it’s going to be to achieve them. After all, ignorance is bliss starting out and by the time you realize how difficult it’s going to be you have put in so much work already that you aren’t about to give up now.”

That’s exactly what happened to Lucy. She started a company selling pearls because she loves to sell things. She is from Ecuador and moved to the Philippines to be close to her son who married a Filipina. She was bored and wanted to do something so she started bringing things from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador to sell at Bazaars in the Philippines and slowly she started to sell things she brought from Hong Kong and little by little her business grew. It didn’t happen overnight but it changed from a hobby to an actual business. She pays all import taxes and still makes money.  Lucy is a hard worker. We need to work hard to achieve our goals and we need to go through a period that requires some sacrifice in- order- to truly appreciate our dreams when we finally achieve them.

Lucy does not sell cheap pearls. They are of very good quality and she is very good at selling because you can trust her.  She has her loyal clientele who only buy from her. There are women who pay $25,000 for her salt water pearls. Amazing! 

I also met a gal who is moving back to Panama after 30 years. Her husband has been an expat in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and as we talked, I found out that she used to live in Colonia Escalon close to my mom’s house. What a small world. I wished I had known her before because she is moving. I would have invited her to dinner but that is the life of ex-pats. 

Con amor,

Vero

To my Pathway Students with love

This was a letter I gave the missionaries to read to the Pathway students because I couldn't be there today and I will not be around Christmas either.

Dec. 6, 2018

Dear Pathway students:

Let us review the greatest story ever told found on Luke 2. You probably have this story all memorized.  It begins with the duty of paying taxes. It continues with a long journey. The plot gets conflicted when no room can be found “in the inns” and the story ends when the Son of God is born. (Luke 2:7) No matter how many times we read the story of the birth of Christ, there is always something new we can learn from it. The last time I read the account of the first Christmas I noticed two words “Fear not.”

 Here are some examples: To Zacharias, an angel appeared with the news that his wife would bear a son whom he would name John. The angel said, “Fear not, . . . for thy prayer is heard.” Later the same angel visited Mary announcing that she would be the mother of the Son of God, saying: “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”(Luke 1:30) Shortly thereafter an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.”(Matthew 1:30) And then, on that holy night, the angel came upon the shepherds who were afraid, they heard the angel proclaimed, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”(Luke 2: 9-10)

So much of what happened in those days depended upon the courage of people like Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Their lives were about to change forever. Imagine if they had let fear overcome them. What if they had pulled back, doubted, and failed to do what God needed them to do?

 I, like you, have fears, and I need to be reminded at times to “fear not.” I don’t know what your fears are. Like Zacharias, who feared that he would never have children, we may have fears about our family. Or maybe our fear isn’t that we won’t have children but that we will have children, whom we will have to raise in a wicked world. Like Mary, we may have an assignment or responsibility that seems far beyond our abilities. Like Joseph, we may fear getting married—or that we will never get married. Like the shepherds, we may be afraid because God has plans for us that are bigger than what we have for ourselves.

Life presents endless opportunities to fear. We may fear what people think of us. We may fear failure or rejection. We may be afraid of changes we know we must make in our lives. Or maybe we are just afraid we may lose our job. We may be experiencing failure or rejection and wonder if we have what it takes. We may have fears of public speaking, educational and career fears, financial fears, and so on and so forth. Yes, we have the same fears people had in ancient times.  

The Lord’s message to us today is the same message He sent through His angels so long ago: “Fear not.” He can say that because He knows more than we do. He sees what we cannot see. He knows what is coming, and, in the eternal scheme of things, it is not as bad as we may think. Most of all, He tells us not to fear because He knows that fear will paralyze us. It will keep us from doing His will; accepting His blessings, His love, and His light; and fulfilling His purposes. 

Satan wants us to give in to fear. God wants us to hold on to hope. 

President Uchdorf stated: “Certainly, our world has always been, and will continue to be imperfect. Far too many innocent people suffer because of circumstance of nature as well as from man’s inhumanity. The corruption and wickedness in our day are unique and alarming but in spite of all this, I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them.  When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children. I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to “be not afraid” to “be of good cheer,” and to “fear not, little flock.” I want to add the following: Fear not Little flock. You can do Pathway Connect with the Lord’s help and your great effort. You can do it! 

Merry Christmas,

Sister Veronica Almeida 

#Blessed

Well hello there! How are you all doing? In only seven days I should be embarking in another adventure and can I just say that I LOVE sunny days in December!  I didn’t grow up with snow so for all of you out there who are dreaming of a white Christmas, I must say that sorry but I honestly don’t share your sentiment!   I mean really, sunny days are the greatest!  There is something about the feeling of sun on your skin that just makes you happier…am I right?!

Today I am thinking a lot about all the good things in my life. I have been thinking about how grateful I am to have an incredible family, amazing friends, and unbelievable life experiences I have been able learn and grow from. Today I feel truly blessed. I live in the Philippines but have been blessed to travel over to where you are. Next week, exactly in 7 days on December 12^thDaniel and I will be on several planes to Salt Lake City, Utah. Not because we want to see the snow but because we want to see our family. Later in the month we will be visiting family in Uruguay where we can again enjoy the Summer weather. Yay! 

We are all blessed. No doubt about it. We may all be blessed in different ways but without question we all are. Anyone who can read this blog right now is blessed to have sight, and anyone who can run outside is blessed to be able to walk. We should all be able to find the ways we are so lucky to be alive! 

It’s funny….it is seriously impossible to feel sad or stressed out in the moments you are feeling blessed. Gratitude seems to be the perfect solution for putting a smile on your face. I feel so happy as if I had just taken some Prozac, all because I get to go home! That is why I feel so blessed! 

Con amor,

Vero

Friends forever

 Today, I was reminded of how blessed I am to have amazing friends in my life. Mari and I got a few friends together to spend a few hours during lunch with a dozen friends to say good bye to Silvia Pena who has been a dear Uruguayan friend. The only Uruguayan I know in the Philippines besides my husband. 

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose.”  – Chinese Proverb

Silvia and her family and I had so much in common, we had invited them to eat dinner with us several times and truly got to know them well. Silvia's husband Alejandro is from Chile and that is where they will be residing. He went through the Pathway Connect program and he later became our Bishop. They are much younger than us and have two darling little girls that reminded us of our granddaughters. I told Silvia that if we ever go to Chile, we should find a way to get together. 

I discovered that spending a few hours with someone is one of the best ways to form deep friendships with people.  You are totally free to say anything and laugh. One friend, Shanta even sang to Silvia a nice goodbye song form Casper the friendly ghost. 

“If you find yourself racing through life, slow down long enough to take along some good friends.”  – L. Tom Perry

 What I loved about this farewell party is that as we sat down to eat our lunch, We shared stories and heard about each other’s lives.  It is just a really rare circumstance where you truly get to know people at a level that doesn’t happen often.  It was a marvelous luncheon with great food and we just loved the group of sisters that came to support it. 

My only regret is that we couldn’t have invited everyone we know so we  asked Silvia to invite anyone whom she had ministered to. If we had invited more people, we would have never gotten to know the people as well, so instead we will just have to keep planning more and more small lunches together between 10 to 14 at a time. 

 I believe that the people we associate with as friends in life play a big part in determining the person we will become.  Our friends help form our character.  That is why it is so important to surround ourselves with people who have the qualities we want to emulate in our lives, and to teach our children to do the same. Qualities such as sincerity, selflessness, genuine listening, servicing them, graciously accepting their service to us, and always being positive and uplifting.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”         – Dale Carnegie

 I know that I would not be the person I am today if I had not been surrounded by amazing friends like Silvia who taught me how to be a better person with her example. I have been incredibly blessed to have friends that are incredibly good people. My friend Silvia is kind and sincere and genuine. She put others needs above her own. She is an example of someone who is unselfish and positive and lifting others. I am glad I got to be friends with Silvia. I truly love my friends, no matter where I find them. 

“Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts.  It involves many things, but above all, the power of getting out of oneself, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.”  -Thomas Hughes

I have seen firsthand the impact good friends can have in our lives.  I need to evaluate the friendships I have in my life and seek to surround myself with those friends who build me up and help me be better person.  Then I need to reciprocate and make it my goal to be the best friend I can be. 

Con amor,

Vero

Light the World

December 1st is Light the World Day of Service!  Over 600 K plus people worldwide have already opted in to join the campaign this year and the number is going up each day!  The campaign goes throughout the month of December and its purpose is to encourage everyone to “Give as He Gave” following the example of Jesus Christ, the light of the world, in doing good deeds and serving others.  

To help make your service more personal, people are encouraged to turn their focus from “how can I serve?” to “whom can I serve?”.

Each Saturday starting the first Saturday in December the publishing team at the area office is hosting a free concert with the theme Light the world. We went to It and I must say, they were good! The sopranos were amazing! 

On Sunday, we gave our talks and had our neighbors for dinner. We declined an invitation to attend another dinner event where Mitt Romney was going to be present because we simply can’t be in two places at the same time. 

We are big fans of Light of the world and look forward to do it each December. This year, for each week there is a different theme with suggested activities to do that week:

Week 1 theme:  Light the World and give as Jesus gave

Activity:  Serve those in need around the world and in the Philippines that is easy to do since we have one of 5 Giving machines around the world here in the Philippines at a mall we can walk to. Daniel and I already donated to different charities like Caritas (A Catholic organization) Unicef and The Purple Foundation, a Filipino non- profit.  

Week 2 theme:  Light Your Community

 Activity: Serve within your community (www.justserve.org lists service projects in specific communities where available) That should not be too hard to do here in the Philippines. 

Week 3 theme:  Light Your Family

 Activity:  Show your love and appreciation within your family. 

That week we are going to be in Utah. Yay! 

Week 4 theme:  Light your Faith

 Activity:  Find ways to increase your faith in Jesus Christ. For this week we are going to be visiting family in Uruguay. 

As you do acts of service you are encouraged to post them on social media with the hashtag #LightTheWorld

I’m super excited to join in on this campaign. What a fantastic way to truly embrace the spirit of the season and keep ourselves focused on the things that really matter.

I couldn’t wait and give Daniel his present so he already opened it. That is how exited I was about it. Hope all of you are enjoying time with family. 

Love,

Vero

Fear Not!

Daniel and I were asked to give a talk today at a stake Conference and this is what I said:

I  am grateful to be with you this morning. I pray that the Spirit will bless us during our few minutes together. 

During this past year, our daughter has been sending questions for me to answer so that she can record my life. One by one I have answered questions like What were your grandparents like? or where did you go on vacation as a child? or How did you get your first job? and all those were easy to answer but one day I received a question that read: “What is your greatest fear?”

Today I don’t want to talk about my greatest fear but rather the greatest story ever told found on Luke 2. You probably have this story all memorized.  It begins with the duty of paying taxes. It continues with a long journey. The plot gets conflicted when no room can be found “in the inns” and the story ends when the Son of God is born. (Luke 2:7) 

 No matter how many times we read the story of the birth of Christ, there is always something new we can learn from it. The last time I read the account of the first Christmas I noticed two words “Fear not.”

 Here are some examples: To Zacharias, an angel appeared with the news that his wife would bear a son whom he would name John. The angel said, “Fear not, . . . for thy prayer is heard.”

Later the same angel visited Mary announcing that she would be the mother of the Son of God, saying: “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”(Luke 1:30)

Shortly thereafter an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Fear notto take unto thee Mary thy wife.”(Matthew 1:30)

And then, on that holy night, the angel came upon the shepherds who were afraid, they heard the angel proclaimed, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”(Luke 2: 9-10)

So much of what happened in those days depended upon the courage of people like Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Their lives were about to change forever. Imagine if they had let fear overcome them. What if they had pulled back, doubted, and failed to do what God needed them to do?

 I, like you, have fears, and I need to be reminded at times to “fear not.” I don’t know what your fears are. Like Zacharias, who feared that he would never have children, we may have fears about our family. Or maybe our fear isn’t that we won’t have children but that we will have children, whom we will have to raise in a wicked world. Like Mary, we may have an assignment or responsibility that seems far beyond our abilities. Like Joseph, we may fear getting married—or that we will never get married. Like the shepherds, we may be afraid because God has plans for us that are bigger than what we have for ourselves.

Life presents endless opportunities to fear. We may fear what people think of us. We may fear failure or rejection. We may be afraid of changes we know we must make in our lives. Or maybe we are just afraid we may lose our job. We may be experiencing failure or rejection and wonder if we have what it takes. We may have fears of public speaking, educational and career fears, financial fears, and so on and so forth. Yes, we have the same fears people had in ancient times.  

The Lord’s message to us today is the same message He sent through His angels so long ago: “Fear not.” He can say that because He knows more than we do. He sees what we cannot see. He knows what is coming, and, in the eternal scheme of things, it is not as bad as we may think. 

Most of all, He tells us not to fear because He knows that fear will paralyze us. It will keep us from doing His will; accepting His blessings, His love, and His light; and fulfilling His purposes. 

Satan wants us to give in to fear. God wants us to hold on to hope. 

President Uchdorf stated: “Certainly, our world has always been, and will continue to be imperfect. Far too many innocent people suffer because of circumstance of nature as well as form man’s inhumanity. The corruption and wickedness in our day are unique and alarming but in spite of all this, I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them.  When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children. I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to “be not afraid” to “be of good cheer,” and to “fear not, little flock.” 

Let us look at the scripture President Uchdorf just quoted found on 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Using these words, let us explore how power, love, and a sound mind serve as antidotes for fear.

This “spirit of power” is not what the world perceives of power. The world tells us that power comes from wealth or popularity and that life is a competition in which we advance ahead of others by acquiring more and more material possession. 

The Lord’s way is deeper, higher, and holier. His power is governed “by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, kindness and by love.  Where worldly power is for the privileged few, the Lord’s power is available to all. It is found in the ordinances of the priesthood.We access it through making and keeping sacred covenants. We nurture it through sincere prayer, fasting, and feasting “upon the words of Christ.” (2 Nephi 32:3)  

Perhaps you know someone who has this kind of power and therefore seems fearless. 

My grandmother was such a woman. She was a new convert to the Church when she was called to be the Relief Society President. She told the Branch President how she feared she was inexperienced, unprepared and inadequate. She was in her thirties caring for her seven young children on her own but she accepted the call anyway. Still today I meet people who say, “Your grandmother, Hilda was my mentor. From her I learned honesty, charity, and compassion. She is the kindness woman I have ever known.  My grandmother is featured in the Daughters in My kingdom (Relief Society publication) as an example of a woman of faith. 

Fearless power is the kind of power that comes to those who trust God and have faith in Jesus Christ—faith to do things His way, even if it differs from the world’s way. That faith inspires and empowers us to do remarkable and courageous things that we would not be able to do otherwise. Anytime we feel fearful because we feel powerless, we need to turn to the Lord. Draw upon the power of the covenants we have made. Trust in God’s power, for it is mightier than any power on earth. God’s words to ancient Israel are also His words to us today. In Isaiah 41:13 we read: “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

Next let’s look at love.As both Paul and Mormon taught, “Perfect love casteth out all fear.”(1 John 4:18 and Moroni 8: 16) Anyone who has served a mission knows what I am talking about. A mission would be a petrifying experience if it weren’t for love—Love for God and for His children. But tens of thousands of young men and women, serve every year because God has granted them the gift of Christ-like love. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Of course, love conquers fear not just in missionary work but in all aspects of life. When President Hinckley was a young man he was worried about the economic realities of marriage during the depression years. 

He told his soon to be bride, Margerie: “I think you should know, that I only have $150 to my name. Her response was: “Oh, that will work out just fine!”

Sister Hinckley’s love and faith empowered her to “fear not” as they started their lives together—a marriage that would become nearly seven decades of love, faith and service.

His love gives meaning to life. His love is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has no end and no limits. It remains when all else fails. His love never quits and never runs out; it simply endures, love “never faileth.”  (Moroni 7:46-47) 

This year the Church has invited us to light the world helping others at this Christmas time. Several years ago, a Bishop told us he knew a family in need. It was a family we didn’t know but we wanted to help. Our family got together, included the little children, and prepared presents for them. When we went to deliver the presents, we saw they didn’t have anything.  We felt love—love for God, love for each other, and for people who we had never seen. This took place in a cold winter night in Utah. As the evening ended and we stepped outside into the cold night we felt warm inside. We each felt the joy and meaning of Christmas more deeply. —a night never to be forgotten.

What I have learned with years is that whatever my fears may be, I need to turn to the Lord and trust in His love. His goodness, and His grace. His loving words to the early Saints are also His words to us: “Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world.” (D&C 50 :41) 

Finally, in addition to power and love, God has given us the spirit of a sound mindto dispel fear.  The word sound means safe, secure, and reliable.  We achieve a sound mind by anchoring ourselves to the safest, most secure, and most reliable rock, the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Our prophets have consistently warned us that only those who have anchored their lives firmly to the Savior will survive.

The Lord stands ready to help. This Christmas, let us, fear notbut turn to the Lord and build upon His firm foundation. The world needs our spiritual strength, our power, our love and light, and our sound mind and heart. 

 I will leave you with one of my favorite scriptures found in D&C 6:36  Fear notlittle flock; do good…Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” I bear my testimony to you that I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our Savior and Redeemer. And because “unto [us was] born [that] day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord,” we have no need to fear, for He has indeed brought with Him peace on earth and goodwill toward men. I testify that these good tidings are for all people—including you and including me.(Luke 2: 11) In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Con amor,

Vero