This last week and last month went by so quickly! I can´t believe March is almost over. But I am SO excited for General Conference this weekend! I might even get to watch it in English, so I´m excited for that :) The General Women´s Meeting was beautiful. My favorite part was the example of how a family full of the gospel of Jesus Christ is like a soda can that can´t be crushed. I want to use that visual in lessons. I also loved the song ¨The Family is of God¨. It made me think of how blessed I am to have you as my family and how blessed we are to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, to answer your question: I would tell the youth (and the young women in particular) that if they´re thinking about whether or not they should serve a mission, they should definitely serve! Now that I´m here, I want everyone in the world to have the opportunity to be a missionary. During your mission you learn so many things about the basic principles of the Gospel that you thought you already knew everything about, and your testimony is strengthened so much everyday as you comprehend a little bit more about the perfectness of the plan of salvation, the necesity of the restoration, and the mercy of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit guides your gospel studies and bears witness to you of the truthfulness of the gospel like never before. The mission is such a special time because you are keeping the covenants you make at baptism more fully than ever before. You truly are a witness of Jesus Christ at all times, and in all things, and in all places, and you´re always remembering and thinking of Him, which is why you have the Spirit with you so fully. There are a lot of parts about the mission that are uncomfortable or inconvenient, but you come to love where you are and what you´re doing so much that you never want to leave. On Friday night, after a full day of comp exchanges and inventories with the sisters, I had a moment of reflection while riding the bus back to our area. I thought about the things I might be doing if I wasn´t a missionary- I would probably be out with friends or family, having fun, (or maybe studying for finals....bleh) and I realized that I would much rather be here, as a missionary, riding a bus in Mexico than doing anything else. I have gained such a strong testimony that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of our lives, and I believe that that plan has more to do with who we become than what we do. Going on a mission allows Him to mold you and refine you and prepare you to serve Him throughout your life. It can be a hard process sometimes, but as you go through the processes you come closer to Him than ever before.
So Mom, to answer your question, the food is called tostadas. Yes, rice and beans are super common; yesterday I ate rice, beans, and meat kind of like taco meat. You could also go with tamales; they´re super traditional and very delicious as well :) flour tortillas are only used here in the North, but I like them more than corn tortillas. I haven´t eaten much pork here, but maybe it´s more common in the South. Basic fajita meat would be pretty authentic too.
Also, there´s a young married couple from the ward in Guadalupe that are in Utah right now and have a letter for you. I don´t know if they´ll come to the house to deliver it or just send it in the mail, but I gave them our address and telephone number. The wife is an English teacher, and they´re awesome. I hope they deliver it to you in person so you can meet them :) They always accompanied us in lessons and helped us a lot. They´re names are Pepe Soriano and Adriana Chacón.
One more thought before I sign off: I hope you have questions ready to receive revelation during General Conference! The words that we´re going to hear are not just friendly suggestions, they´re eternal truths, and I know that if we obey the cousel given we are eligible to receive all the blessings of heaven.
I love you so much and can´t wait to hear from you next week!
Love,
Hermana Southard
Hermana Southard
