Where in the World is Elder San Diego?: Good Bye 2012, Welcome 2013!!

Hey guys!

We had a pretty good week. It was great seeing my family on Christmas via Skype. It truly is a miracle and a blessing to have the kind of technology that we have in this time and age to bless our lives and the lives of others in an instant. It was good to see them and hear of their successes. We had a good week and found some great people who are excited to listen to the gospel and know of the blessings it has to offer us in our lives. One sister in the ward even brought her friend to church this week and then presented her to us. She was excited, as was her friend, about the opportunities that are opened before us as we open our hearts and souls to the Lord by receiving His gospel. We worked hard and will continue to do so.

In this time of the year, we have the marvelous opportunity to reflect on our lives, our successes and failures, the chances we have to improve, the love we can give, and the happiness we can find in the service of the Lord. In this season of the New Year, I am reminded of the principle of repentance. Many prophets and apostles have written and spoken of this divine gift of repentance. It is well known that the Savior gave His life for us that we may live. It is true that it is only in and through Christ our Lord that we can be washed clean of sin and sorrow and receive the peace, joy, and glory that awaits us in the heavenly realm. Yet, He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. My dear friends and family, let us not turn to our own way and forget the Lord. Let us not wander in darkness. Let us not commit one more sin or regretful mistake than is necessary. Let us always remember Him. Let us live our lives as He did His. Let us reach out and help another. Let us serve our brethren. True happiness only comes by making others happy. Let us rise out of the dust and shake ourselves off and act instead of wait. Let us rededicate ourselves to the Lord. In this New Year, let us live better, stand a little taller, and be more Christ-like. We have the chance to repent; to change! If we have made mistakes, it's okay. All of us do. What we need to do with those mistakes is forsake them. For that reason, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to the world. For that reason, He sacrificed all so that we may live, if we will repent. Let us start again and come unto the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego