Easter with the Diarra Rodzina! (plus Mission Address)

Dzień dobry, rodzina!! I hope you're all well! There has been plenty to think about this Easter Sunday (and Monday):

The Savior's sacrifice was something that I really didn't take consideration of before. I didn't understand the Atonement. Being the Lord's missionary in Poland has taught me that even if we make mistakes, we don't have to let them define us. Jesus Christ is walking with us every step of the way :) This is what builds love and healthy families. I am grateful for the Savior and His presence in my life. Sometimes I've felt like I've made such massive, unfixable mistakes, but what I needed to realize is that the Savior never left me, sometimes we need to remember that everyone's path back to Heavenly Father is the same, they're just carrying different loads.

 

I just feel so blessed. Continually and continually, I just think about how much trusting in the Lord has blessed my life. I think the first thing I have learned on my mission is that I don't want to live my life for me anymore. I want to be able to give up everything to the Lord to let him guide and direct my life. I want to be like King Lamoni's Father and be so willing to give up everything, that I am able to have everything and more. I think of him and of the rich young ruler in the bible and just think about how different their hearts must have been. Lamoni's father was willing to offer up everything and the Lord then didn't require him to. The young ruler was offered to let go of everything and strive for what is truly important, but he couldn't. 

I love both the King James version and the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 9:24

The King James Version reads:
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

I feel like being able to go on a mission really brings home this principle. For a time you do lose your life.  You lose your friends, your comforts, your social skills (in a way, haha) and a lot of the things that simply make you YOU. Sometimes you lose even friends, or loved ones, or opportunities, or dreams. But any returned missionary will tell you it is all worth it  Because by losing all of those things for that time the Lord has allotted to you, you really save your life, and your dreams, and your aspirations.

I think the Joseph Smith Translation applies to life not on the mission very well:
24 For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

    For the most part, God won't ask us to give up those comforts and things we have in our lives. We aren't expected to live by the white handbook, but he shouldn't have to have to take things away for us to be able to give them up. God expects us to live sort of a higher law.  To live in a world where we do have these conveniences and comforts. He expects us--even with our iphones chiming over our new text message, or our flat screen tv playing yesterday's football game--to keep a heart that is willing to give it all up at any moment. To keep a heart that would put it all on the altar at the Savior's beckon.

    In a way, that is harder way to live. To not have to be compelled to give it all up. But it is also such a blessed way to live. Think about King Lamoni's father, he had so much temporally and spiritually, all because he was willing to give it up. He was able to accomplish so much good and experience so many blessings, all because his heart was willing.

   I just hope that I will always be willing to give my whole heart to the Lord. You know, because we are weak and make mistakes, I probably won't be able to all the time. But I can always repent and try to give a little more to him each day. I mean, I have all eternity, I am sure eventually I will get there!

   Yeah, the mission is the best. It is definitely the right thing for me to do and the right time for me to do it. I mean I have just learned so much and I really feel like I am starting to see more and more of who God wants me to become. Hopefully I am smart enough to let myself become her.

How did y'all like General Conference?? What a blast, my favorite talk is here: http://media2.ldscdn.org/assets/general-conference/april-2015-general-conference/2015-04-5040-elder-neil-l-andersen-64k-eng.mp3

We also had Easter dinner with the Diarras! Our whole district was invited and Siostra Slagowska and I taught a lesson! The Diarras are such a sweet family and the Spirit is very strong in their home!

For those of you who requested my mission address (sorry about that!):

Poland Warsaw Mission
Swiętych w Dniach Ostatnich
Ul. Wiernicza 135, 1 Piętro
02-952 Warszawa
Poland

Letters are most welcome! :)

Email: cindy.herrera@myldsmail.net

Kocham was!!

Siostra Herrera

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