Maroon 5 - Memories (Cover) One Voice Children's Choir

Thoughts on 134 days of quarantine. 

Recently I became aware that there are criminal organizations involved in the kidnapping and trafficking of young children. There are true stories of children who have been taken from their families and are sold as sex slaves throughout the world. It makes my heart sick to even think this can happen to innocent children. These are little children as young as five. 

These children are tortured and raped and horribly abused and this isn’t just happening in other areas of the world. Many as 8,000 children a year are sold into the United States as sex slaves.  I was not even aware that such thing even existed. And that number is even higher in other countries. There are millions worldwide that are victims of this situation. As a child advocate that I am, I can’t believe I was not even aware that such thing even existed. Where have I been?

I feel completely ignorant for not having understood what a massive problem this is. And I feel shock to think that this sort of thing goes on in civilized countries like the United States, a country founded on freedom and liberty for all, yet there are sick minded people that would purchase little children as slaves of the worst kind and take away their innocence and freedom. 

“It’s the greatest poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” – Mother Teresa

A group of Navy Seals, Green Berets and CIA and FBI agents have come together to form Operation Underground Railroad. They are specializing in retrieving these enslaved kids and returning them safely to their homes. Our world need to know about what is happening behind doors and be willing to step up and do something about these problems rather then turning a blind eye. Check them out!  http://www.operationundergroundrailroad.org/ . 

I feel grateful for the people who are willing to step up and do something. Whether we give of our time, talents or money, we all can find a way to give. To end in a good note combating the insane world we live in, here is a nice video of children singing that melt my heart. 

Con amor,

Vero

Learning to Postpone Worrying

Thoughts on 133 days of quarantine.

 “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” – Mark Twain

What a funny quote by Mark Twain! And so right too. Worrying is a crazy thing if you think about it. It has no value as the act of worrying does absolutely nothing to impact the outcomes. All it does is cause you stress and make your life miserable. So why do we do it? I don’t know the answer to that. 

Yesterday we had a zoom meeting with TCS holdings but because the email said the word liquidation. I thought they were going to tell us that the business went bankrupt and therefore, they had to liquidate which potentially would have meant that we would never receive another cent from them. That is what I thought was happening but no, they were just holding a normal annual meeting in which they invited all the shareholders and because of the pandemic they couldn't do it in person. They did sell two branches of the business but not the whole business. 

One thing I did in the morning is meditation to help me feel at peace and relaxed. Meditation changed me to believe in being very proactive about changing my negative mindset and the things in my life that I am unhappy about which has helped me changed my paradigm into positive thinking. I even spent time doing Yoga and meditating past the 40 day course, by doing so, I overcame worry through self- talk where you are taught to control your thoughts in order to help change your emotions. 

One of the little exercises I learned in regards to controlling worry was the art of postponing your worry. That probably sounds a little silly but there really is merit to trying it and it genuinely helps you to overcome your own worries.

Here is an article that explains a little bit about that process:

“Learning to postpone worrying:

1. Create a “worry period.” Choose a set time and place for worrying. It should be the same every day (e.g. In the living room from 6:00 to 6:20 p.m.) and early enough that it won’t make you anxious right before bedtime. During your worry period, you’re allowed to worry about whatever’s on your mind. The rest of the day, however, is a worry-free zone.

 2. Postpone your worry. If an anxious thought or worry comes into your head during the day, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone it to your worry period. Remind yourself that you’ll have time to think about it later, so there’s no need to worry about it right now. Save it for later and continue to go about your day.

 3. Go over your “worry list” during the worry period. Reflect on the worries you wrote down during the day. If the thoughts are still bothering you, allow yourself to worry about them, but only for the amount of time you’ve specified for your worry period. If the worries don’t seem important any more, cut your worry period short and enjoy the rest of your day.

Postponing worrying is effective because it breaks the habit of dwelling on worries in the present moment. Yet there’s no struggle to suppress the thought or judge it. You simply save it for later. As you develop the ability to postpone your anxious thoughts, you’ll start to realize that you have more control over your worrying than you think. “

In addition to trying those things I also read book after to book to help me. I absolutely love inspirational books! I found a fabulous book that I absolutely loved that also taught me about the value of letting go and doing your best and trusting that things would be as they should be. It was written by an Indian Author named Deepak Chopra. The book is called The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and it is a seriously fabulous book and I would highly recommend it to everyone as a great read. It changed my life.

All of these things I did really helped me to change my own thinking patterns and to let go of the worry because there was no value that would result from being worried. All of these things helped me to realize that God was in charge and I had to just learn to let go and trust that life would turn out as it should so there was truly no need to be worried.

Yes bad things might happen, but they will happen whether you worry or not. And nine times out of ten the things you worried about will never ever come to pass and you will have spent all of your energy worrying for absolutely nothing! What a waste of a beautiful life.

Con amor,

Vero

In The Spirit of Jershon

Thoughts on 132 days of quarantine. 

Once upon a time when I lived in Utah, Barbara Lovejoy formed “The Jershon Group” with the mission to discuss among other things: 

The urgent need to improve the academic achievement in our Hispanic community. Identify and reach out in helping those in need among us. Discover effective ways to increase the education and success of our at-risk youth. Figure out the importance of the needs of our youth and their families. Foment messages of compassion service and unity. 

We were inspired by the history of the land of Jershon that was given to thousands of new converts in the Book of Mormon. This kindness is detailed in Alma 23 and 27 when the hatred and murderous lawlessness in these converts’ home lands required them to seek sanctuary in another land. (I was reading about it recently which prompted my post.) The grace in which they left their comfort zones and the welcoming and good will at the receiving end was inspiring to us. We found that we shared a profound love for the Book of Mormon and for those who sacrificed to preserve it for us today.

We even published a book. In the Spirit of Jershon to express those ideas as a group and as individuals too. We aspire to help foment similar acceptance, charity, fairness for all, and grace in our church of the 21^stcentury. In forming such group, our intention was to share our own views. We did not represent the Institutions where we worked. We represented ourselves

In the Spirit of Jershon was intended for educators, policy makers, legislators, community leaders, and parents and neighbors. Each of the authors In the Jershon project comes with varying political learnings and believes that we as people of good will should work with others in respect and compassion to reduce cultural divisions as we teach and serve each other despite our differences. 

We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force for change and good in the universe and in the human heart. As the result of our efforts in writing the chapters in the book, we hope that others will take more steps forward and bless the lives of all God’s children, especially those who may come as strangers among us. Part of our life’s mission is to be champions, cheerleaders, and effective teachers. Are we not all teachers? 

 As we look for answers, we found views and suggestions for actions to share with readers that are based from our life experiences and from research. We are still more than ever, motivated and committed to advocating for the policies, programs, procedures, persons, and places that will improve the academic achievement and life success of all the rising generation. 

What I find fascinating with the pandemic is that it does not stop learning. Many can participate through the new global higher education organization called BYU -Pathway worldwide. This online learning is blessing the lives of thousands of our young adults worldwide and for that I am grateful! 

Con amor,

Vero 

My Testimony

Thoughts on 131 days of quarantine. 

During the past two weeks, we have been reading in Alma about his conversion, faith and testimony. Every active member whether born in the Church or not have a conversion story to tell. Our stories our unique to us. Here is mine. 

I remember exactly over forty years ago, my seminary teacher told our class to talk to our Bishop whenever we needed to receive guidance or to get a blessing if our father in our home was not a member which was my case. I needed to make some hard decisions. I wanted to know if I should leave El Salvador or stay? I didn’t know where I should attend College? When I had my interview with my Bishop he told me to get my patriarchal blessing and to listen to General Conference very carefully because as I would listen to those talks, the Holy Spirit would let me know what to do, and in addition, he told me to get ready to receive those answers by fasting and praying. 

He was right! All the talks were directed to me. Elder Benson at the time when he was an Apostle said: “I want to talk to you, the young people of the Church, frankly and honestly. I presume you know that we love you. As leaders of the Church, there isn’t anything in this world we wouldn’t do that’s right for you. We have great confidence in you. You are not just ordinary young men and young women…God loves you… Your Father in Heaven is mindful of you… Satan is also mindful of you. He is committed to your destruction…He seeks for all to be miserable like unto himself…the Lord’s program is happiness now and joy forever through gospel living…you can live in the world and not partake of the sins of the world.” Wow, his words sounded so much like Alma. 

From that point forward I decided to be mindful of the counsel given at each General Conference. I decided from that time forward to attend all activities and devotionals and to attend Church as a norm I would never break. That is the least we can do since the other six days of the week we are going to be exposed to living in a very confusing world. Bottom line, if there was something I learned in Seminary is that we are at war against Satan who is the God of this world. No one wants to be destroyed by him but somehow, he manages to get us!

For the first time ever, I understood how real Satan really was and not just some myth. That was a pivotal time in my life when I resolved to always have the desire to keep my faith alive. It all starts by wanting to have faith. I believe that I have never doubted my faith because I want to have faith for starters. Faith is the trust in believing in those things that can’t be seen but can be felt. There are spiritual things that only the Holy Ghost can teach you. I believe there are many things I don’t know or understand but I know someday I will. I am not impatient to know them now. I like to think that everything has a purpose and that we are all part of the great plan Heavenly Father has for us. 

We have been told (over and over again) by our leaders, to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish and to obtain our own testimony. Back in High School I had read verses here and there and started reading 1 Nephi countless of times but had never passed 2 Nephi so finally for the first time at age seventeen, I started to read the Book of Mormon with the intent to understand Christ and His teachings. Many things found in the Old and New Testament have edited to the point that they are not clear. There are things which are only explained in the Book of Mormon. It opened my mind. I can honestly say, I felt touched by the Spirit as I read those pages that talked about the love Christ has for us, for me! I got a confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and I can never deny that feeling. It is at the core of my faith. 

I wanted to be a true disciple and live up to my name, Veronica who at the time of Christ was the woman known to have wiped Christ’s face. She was not just a follower but a true disciple and a friend to Jesus. I am sure before I came to this world, I knew Christ and he knew me. I wanted to do whatever work it took to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands to show gratitude for His great sacrifice for me. The way I keep my faith intact is by simple obedience of daily prayer and scripture study, by doing those small and simple things, my testimony has matured.  I was also given a gift to seek for truth and light always and to take things as they are and not doubt every little thing. I am a believer. simple as that! 

In the last four decades since I left El Salvador, I have experienced many things in my life that has testified to me that my Heavenly Father knows me, I am His daughter. I felt this truth one day while I was inside the temple. That is an experience I would never forget because it is so sacred to me. I can’t explain the feeling but it was as if the God said: “You are my daughter. I love you. Everything you have been taught about Christ in His Church is true.” I felt an incredible overwhelming feeling of joy as if a cloud took me up into heaven. I can honestly say that for a moment, I had a taste of what Heaven looks like. That feeling of faith was surreal! 

Speaking about faith Elder Rasband made this comment, “Faith is increasing among God’s covenant people, and I believe it is through having a personal treasury of such valued experiences that an increase of faith can happen for each of us.”

I met a woman when I was attending BYU who had a similar experience. She was a little girl around six years old who died and remembers passing the veil and being with Jesus. She was told, her time was not up and needed to come back. She was burn 80% of her body and even though her body is deformed and she was never married, she knows her physical body will be made whole after she leaves this life and she is very much aware of that because she has an amazing personality to make up for the physical aspect. We are currently experiencing a pandemic and many fear dying but I have faith that this life is not all there is. 

My faith and love for my Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ is at the very core of who I am. Knowing that my Heavenly Father knows all, gives me great comfort. I am also grateful for the Lord and His atoning sacrifice. He who set the example for me to follow. He guides me and provides a solid foundation for me to build my life upon and someday I may return to His presence. That is what I believe in. I want to continue progressing after this mortal life is over and what better than to inherit all what the Father has. That is the end in mind! 

I also have resolved the need to continue seeking light and truth. I would want to keep those feelings fresh in my memory of what the Holy Ghost had testified to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His second coming. I decided over forty years ago to remember keeping up my faith in check by asking the following questions? Where will I be in two, five, ten, twenty years? What decisions and commitments do I need to make now and in the future to help me remain faithful? Is there something I am doing now that needs to change to become a better person? 

So I came up with a plan of what I called my “daily dose.” I made a vison board. In my vision board I show a picture of doing four basic things: 

Prayer: I like to pray as I start my day. I can’t leave my bedroom if I haven’t said my prayer. 

Scriptures: I don’t go to bed until I have read at least one verse. My faith is based on eternal truths found in the scriptures. 

General Conference talks: I review and listen to the talks as I clean, do chores, cook and exercise each day. I also enjoy listening to BYU devotionals and books by our amazing leaders. 

Service: I think of ways to be of service to people around me, I pray daily to be guided to those people and think of ways to help those who have left us by attending the temple each week when they open again. 

Today, just like I did long ago… I want to persevere to the end. I want my children and grandchildren to know how happy it makes me feel knowing that I have always kept my faith intact no matter what circumstances I found myself in. Is in those moments when my faith has been tested that I have become stronger. 

Elder Bednar gave a life changing talk” Seek Learning by Faith” Read it please! Here are some things I’ve learned about what helps in making your faith stronger. For starters, I learned that faith is never passive but active. Faith is more than just belief. faith is action! 

Second, we need to look for our answers to our questions in the right sources and not the internet. God does not want us to be in the dark. He wants us to learn what’s true. Always go to the right source for answers. Ask, seek, knock! But ask Him and trust Him as you read the scriptures. Question and doubt are not the same thing. We can seek answers to questions with doubt, or we can do so with faith. The choice is ours. Having faith means that we do not have all the answers to all the questions all the time; but we choose to live our lives consistent with the gospel truths we do know because we trust God. The most important thing about faith is to be able to trust those leaders God has anointed to guide us. Faith is all about the people we trust. 

And last, don’t get deceived by those who are following darkness. I don’t trust random people that for whatever reason became apostates. Don’t pay attention to the mocking and condescending voices of those who have lost faith and all they do is attack the Church. Elder Nash explained to see doubt for what it is: a natural-man impulse that can paralyze your thinking and actions, then exercise your faith in the Father and in the Son by patiently and diligently living the gospel and trusting that light and understanding will come to those who patiently seek learning by study and by faith. 

I only trust the caliber of people that can help me follow Christ. Elder Bruce R. Mc Conkie’s masterwork “the Promised Messiah” said: “I was born with a testimony, and from my earliest days have known with absolute certainty of the truth and divinity of this great latter-day work. Doubt and uncertainty have been foreign to me as the gibberish of alien tongues.” Those are the people with so much light I follow. One thing we are doing for family home evening is to go to the topical guide and read in the Bible dictionary the definition of Faith. You will be amazed at all that teaches. 

I want to die someday with the clear conscious that I did all what I could to keep up the faith just like what its written in one of my most favorite scriptures that I try to live by; found in Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Con amor,

Vero

                                                                                                                               

Devotional for the Youth

Thoughts on 130 days of quarantine.

Yesterday we had a special zoom devotional for the youth for the South America South Area with David Archuleta, Brother Wilcox, Sister Craig and Elder De Hoyos. Even though the devotional was targeted or the youth, anyone can gain from what they shared. 

Sister Craig talked about how the faith in Jesus Christ is action. It is a matter of doing. She told the story of Nephi building a ship even when he didn’t know how. Nephi had faith that with the Lord’s help he was going to build the ship. This pandemic is an example that we have been asked to do difficult things. Our Heavenly Father will never asked for us to do something we can’t. Sister Craig was not a popular girl, she was never asked to go to school dances and had very few friends but she had faith and that was all she needed to be happy. 

David read a scripture that has guided his life over the years. He said that sometimes it’s not easy to be different. When someone asked him, why he was a faithful member of the Church, he said that he likes to follow Jesus because he is he light. He likes the song “Did you Think to Pray” It is what he sang the most on his mission. He prays when he gets up every morning and when he goes to bed at night. He loves to share what he is learning as he is reading the Book of Mormon and all the things we ponder as we do Come Follow Me. He shared some thoughts on how to be strong and be a light to other friends. He also shared one night when a song came to his head like a dream and even though he was tired, he felt that he had to get up to write it or he would forget the next morning. 

Brother Wilcox expressed his love and concern for each one of us. He shared a message about this virus. He said how many have lost their jobs and it’s difficult to not be hanging out with friends but he said they are not alone. He said: we are where God wants us to be. He said, six months ago, everything was fantastic! The economy was great and no one wanted to talk about God or religion but all the sudden a virus that we can’t even see with our eyes changed everything. Now, people are wanting to know about God. He told us about the Titanic. This ship was supposed to never sink and people stayed inside the boat thinking that everything would be fine. They trusted what men had said about the boat and he compared the titanic to the world and the lifeguard small boats to the Church. He gave an example of how people who believe in God are more charitable than those who don’t. He said that the reason we need the Church is because we live in this world where we need norms, motivation, and deal with people. We should never feel embarrassed to be in the lifeguard boat and never worry that we are not in the bid boat that is sinking. The Internet is full of people who are turning away from Christ. We believe in the same Christ that many Christians believe in because He is found in the Bible but we have additional information. There is more of why we believe. We know that Joseph Smith saw Him. We have the Book of Mormon. We have a prophet today. We have access to the Holy Spirit that touches our hearts and it gives us an assurance that we can believe. He said: the titanic is sinking, stay in the lifeguard boat and do all you can to help the others find a way to survive. 

Elder De Hoyos talked about both themes of the young men and young women. The young men theme starts by saying: “I am a beloved son of God, and has a work for me to do.” And the Young Women theme starts: “I am a beloved Daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.” He said that the kids need to keep that posted in their rooms like a banner. 

Those were my notes and hope we all can learn from their inspired thoughts. 

Con amor,

Vero

Sunday Sermon: Be Better and Do Better

Thoughts on 129 days of quarantine.

Last week when I was reading Alma:35-38 when Alma was talking to his sons about repentance, the talk “We can Do Better and Be Better” from President Nelson came to mind as he spoke to the men of the Church at the April 2019 General Conference. 

“My dear brethren, it is inspiring to look out over this vast congregation of the Lord’s battalion of priesthood bearers. What a mighty force for good you are! We love you. We pray for you. And we are most grateful for you.

Recently I have found myself drawn to the Lord’s instruction given through the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Say nothing but repentance unto this generation.”¹ This declaration is often repeated throughout scripture.² It prompts an obvious question: “Does everyone need to repent?” The answer is yes.

Too many people consider repentance as punishment—something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances. But this feeling of being penalized is engendered by Satan. He tries to block us from looking to Jesus Christ,³ who stands with open arms,⁴ hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.

The word for repentance in the Greek New Testament is metanoeo. The prefix meta- means “change.” The suffix -noeo is related to Greek words that mean “mind,” “knowledge,” “spirit,” and “breath.”⁵

Thus, when Jesus asks you and me to “repent,”⁶ He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, and even care for our bodies.

Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.⁷

Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent. Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day.

When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of redemption in Him.⁸ When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!⁹

Brethren, we need to do better and be better because we are in a battle. The battle with sin is real. The adversary is quadrupling his efforts to disrupt testimonies and impede the work of the Lord. He is arming his minions with potent weapons to keep us from partaking of the joy and love of the Lord.¹⁰

Repentance is the key to avoiding misery inflicted by traps of the adversary. The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure. Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power. Personal purity can make us powerful tools in the hands of God. Our repentance—our purity—will empower us to help in the gathering of Israel.

The Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith “that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.”¹¹

We know what will give us greater access to the powers of heaven. We also know what will hinder our progress—what we need to stop doing to increase our access to the powers of heaven. 

Brethren, prayerfully seek to understand what stands in the way of your repentance. Identify what stops you from repenting. And then, change! Repent! All of us can do better and be better than ever before.¹²There are specific ways in which we can likely improve. One is in the way we treat our bodies. I stand in awe of the miracle of the human body. It is a magnificent creation, essential to our gradual ascent toward our ultimate divine potential. We cannot progress without it. In giving us the gift of a body, God has allowed us to take a vital step toward becoming more like Him.

Satan understands this. He chafes at the fact that his premortal apostasy permanently disqualifies him from this privilege, leaving him in a constant state of jealousy and resentment. Thus many, if not most, of the temptations he puts in our path cause us to abuse our bodies or the bodies of others. Because Satan is miserable without a body, he wants us to be miserable because of ours.¹³

Your body is your personal temple, created to house your eternal spirit.¹⁴ Your care of that temple is important. Now, I ask you, brethren, are you more interested in dressing and grooming your body to appeal to the world than to please God? Your answer to this question sends a direct message to Him about your feelings regarding His transcendent gift to you. In this reverence for our bodies, brethren, I think we can do better and be better.

Another way we can also do better and be better is how we honor the women in our lives, beginning with our wives and daughters, our mothers and sisters.¹⁵

Months ago, I received a heartbreaking letter from a dear sister. She wrote: “[My daughters and I] feel we are in fierce competition for our husbands’ and sons’ undivided attention, with 24/7 sports updates, video games, stock market updates, [and] endless analyzing and watching of games of every [conceivable] sport. It feels like we’re losing our front-row seats with our husbands and sons because of their permanent front-row seats with [sports and games].”¹⁶

Brethren, your first and foremost duty as a bearer of the priesthood is to love and care for your wife. Become one with her. Be her partner. Make it easy for her to want to be yours. No other interest in life should take priority over building an eternal relationship with her. Nothing on TV, a mobile device, or a computer is more important than her well-being. Take an inventory of how you spend your time and where you devote your energy. That will tell you where your heart is. Pray to have your heart attuned to your wife’s heart. Seek to bring her joy. Seek her counsel, and listen. Her input will improve your output.

If you have a need to repent because of the way you have treated the women closest to you, begin now. And remember that it is your responsibility to help the women in your life receive the blessings that derive from living the Lord’s law of chastity. Never be the reason that a woman is unable to receive her temple blessings.

Brethren, we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to “thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength.”¹⁷ The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages.

Your family needs your leadership and love. Your quorum and those in your ward or branch need your strength. And all who meet you need to know what a true disciple of the Lord looks like and acts like.

My dear brethren, you were chosen by our Father to come to earth at this crucial time because of your premortal spiritual valor. You are among the finest, most valiant men who have ever come to the earth. Satan knows who you are and who you were premortally, and he understands the work that must be done before the Savior returns. And after millennia of practicing his cunning arts, the adversary is experienced and incorrigible.

Gratefully, the priesthood we hold is far stronger than are the wiles of the adversary. I plead with you to be the men and young men the Lord needs you to be. Make your focus on daily repentance so integral to your life that you can exercise the priesthood with greater power than ever before. This is the only way you will keep yourself and your family spiritually safe in the challenging days ahead.

The Lord needs selfless men who put the welfare of others ahead of their own. He needs men who intentionally work to hear the voice of the Spirit with clarity. He needs men of the covenant who keep their covenants with integrity. He needs men who are determined to keep themselves sexually pure—worthy men who can be called upon at a moment’s notice to give blessings with pure hearts, clean minds, and willing hands. The Lord needs men eager to repent—men with a zeal to serve and be part of the Lord’s battalion of worthy priesthood bearers.

I bless you to become those men. I bless you with the courage to repent daily and learn how to exercise full priesthood power. I bless you to communicate the love of the Savior to your wife and children and to all who know you. I bless you to do better and be better. And I bless you that as you make these efforts, you will experience miracles in your life.

We are engaged in the work of Almighty God. Jesus is the Christ. We are Their servants. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

I loved how he explained that repentance is not an event but a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. That is exactly what Alma was teaching his sons and it is what we hope to teach our children. 

Con amor,

Vero

Remember Me

Thoughts on 128 days of quarantine. 

Mami Hilda’s life is one I will always treasure. She sent me this postcard from Viña del Mar, Chile over 40 years ago. When I read it today, I felt as if she was writing to me from heaven. “Desde este lugar tan lejano les recuerdo con mucho amor y quiero que sepan que siempre están en mis oraciones. Que el Señor les bendiga. Reciban todo mi amor.” Hilda.

My grandmother is telling us that she remembers us from that far away place. That she is always praying for us. She hopes the Lord blesses us and she wants us to receive all her love. Likewise, I remember her too. 

Mami Hilda is special to me and this is why: In 1959 missionaries had knocked on my grandmother’s door. Their message understanding deeply Jesus Christ and his infinite atonement and gospel motivated mami Hilda to become a "Saint" member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was a bold and daring move. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ meant leaving behind many recreational activities her family did on Sundays to attend Church, in keeping the Sabbath day holy. Becoming a member of His Church meant abstaining from drinking alcohol, smocking, drinking coffee or anything that would cause you to get addicted to and have a clean body as a temple, and clean mind. Becoming a disciple of the Lord meant paying an honest tithe and fast offerings to help build the kingdom and help the poor, following our Savior's example. Converting to His gospel meant serving in any capacity to help the women in the church to name a few. 

At the time when mami Hilda was called to be the Relief Society president, she was raising seven children and was managing her own business which was the sole support for her family. Mami Hilda was known to be a strong woman with character and resilience. She was well informed about current events because she read both major newspapers daily. From the time my memory goes back, I recall that the Henriquez family always owned a business. My grandma loved to be her own boss. She opened a salon and gift shop. She bought wholesale and sold retail. With what she made she could support her family and had extra to even travel abroad.

Mami Hilda’s life was full of wonderful memories with friends and family on one hand but also a lot of turmoil in her personal life, and I imagine she must have been under a lot of stress when she and my grandfather separated. I vividly remember how uptight she was most of the time. She only gave you one look, and you knew what to do. I can almost blame all that stress as the cause of her cancer. Our family was devastated when we heard the bad news. She battled with the illness for over two years. 

The last time I saw mami Hilda was the Christmas of 1989. I came to see her that December with my little family of two young girls ages eight and five. I was amazed that despite her illness, she was still managing the salon and boutique until she could no longer bear the pain. Despite her illness and great disappointments as the prognosis didn’t look good, mami Hilda was a strong woman who carried herself with dignity, probably dying of loneliness inside but keeping her spirits up the best way she knew how. The biggest lesson I learned from her is that she passed the test and endured to the end. 

My sweet grandmother died two months later at age 65 from ovarian cancer. The death certificate has the date of her death as February 2, 1990. My grandmother Hilda left a remarkable legacy to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren and theirs. Her biggest contribution was of a woman of faith who had a strong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ and did her best in anything she got involved in. She was a wonderful daughter, wife, sister, friend, mother and grandmother. I imagine how proud mami Hilda must be feeling today to see so many of us grandchildren doing well and keeping the faith. I would never want to do anything to make her sad. 

After my grandmother’s passing, a friend who served along with her in the Relief Society wrote: “Hilda was the person who taught me the way to become what I am now. From her, I learned charity, kindness, honesty, and responsibility in our callings. She was my mentor and my example. I am 80 years old, but have stayed faithful to the Savior and His gospel. I have served a mission, and the Lord has blessed me greatly.” 

Mami Hilda wanted her children and grandchildren to be successful and to do what is right and to learn from other people’s mistakes. She was considered a first-class lady. She was respected and loved by those who knew her. Mami Hilda valued education, hard work, and kindness. She was generous even at the time when she had very little to offer. Today as I follow in her footsteps, I am a wife, mother, grandmother, come follow me Junkie, home extraordinaire, community activist, real estate speculator, family history enthusiast, political news commentator, and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mami Hilda loved to serve others, especially poor women who had nowhere to go. While she served caring for other women in the Church, she developed leadership skills and developed new gifts such as teaching, public speaking, and organizing meetings, activities and service projects. She influenced the women in the Church and taught them how to serve one another. She was instrumental in helping young mothers discover, use and develop gifts and talents; she help them become builders of the kingdom. My grandmother stayed faithful all her life to the temple covenants she made, and is exactly what I have promised to do. 

Con amor,

Vero

I Miss Utah

Thoughts on 127 days of quarantine. 

Today is an official state holiday in Utah, even though we don’t get the day off in Buenos Aires, I always like to celebrate it by watching a video or reading stories about pioneers. It all started when the Pioneers first arrived on July 24th,1847 to settle Utah! The day is to celebrate the settling of the state of Utah and it is celebrated each year with parades and fireworks and rodeos and many other fun activities. 

I miss the deeply rooted general culture of kindness, generosity, and community, a byproduct of its inherently unique pioneer spirit unique to Utah. I've lived in four different places around the world for over 10 years and had never experienced isolation, so at times I am at a loss. Being home all day makes it especially difficult as many find this kind of community through their work environment or Church.

Sure, I love living in Buenos Aires and I know that Utah isn't perfect, in addition, I'm so deeply grateful to be supporting my husband and yes, I know that generalizations are less than entirely accurate. It's just that I sometimes wish that more people and places could experience the kind of love that people in Utah, and many other small-town regions, have for each other. 

The pioneers that came to Utah faced tremendous hardships to get to the state. They traveled with handcarts across the plains and many of them lost children, spouses, siblings as they made their way to Utah. They faced attacks by mobs and they faced snow storms and starvation. The stories from the journals of the pioneers are stories of tremendous faith and perseverance. If you want to see an awesome movie about the pioneers I would highly recommend the movie Legacy or “17 Miracles” they both are amazing movies and watching them will touch your hearts tremendously or you may want to follow “History of the Saints” by Glenn J. Rawson. 

Sometimes I wonder, who on earth dares to demean and mock what pioneers went through to arrive at their destination to build a little bit of heaven on earth. Who would do that? What is wrong with people! But it happens more and more. Pioneers, created a community where there were  no poor among them, of being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, lovely, of good report, praiseworthy and doing good to all men. New comers don’t appreciate what those pioneers did to create a place dedicated to loving each other. With the years, a new kind of community is emerging, changing its core values of integrity. Utah is known for the close- knit fabric of its community and the eagerness of its residents to support each other the same way pioneers took care for each other, one by one. 

As we get settled into our new neighborhood I yearn to go knock on my neighbors' doors and offer them homemade cookies and my phone number so that we can get to know and support each other, and then the very next moment I cringe at the idea of doing that since they don’t seem too friendly and I can picture their faces as they think "what on earth is this lady doing knocking at my door and what is her motive, anyway?" That would not happen in Utah or at least not when I lived there. The selfless acts of service of its members it’s like nowhere in the world. 

The conscious genuine focus on building up each other's strengths rather than trying to find their weaknesses is what I love about Utah and their rich heritage. Congratulations on your well -deserved Pioneer Day! 

Con amor,

Vero