大家好！
I'm starting to get mixed emotions every preparation day. Time flew by so fast that I have been out a year already. Has it been really a year? It was just like yesterday that I received my mission call saying "You are assigned to labor in the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission" and it was just like yesterday that I entered the Missionary Training Center. Where did this year go? Well, surely, it went to times of reflecting, pondering, learning, progressing, tracting, contacting, teaching, testifying, inviting... so on and so forth.
I celebrated my year mark with a lot of pondering on what we can do better as missionaries serving in Monroe Ward. We are still finding the elect, finding those that would be willing to listen to our message and our testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ. These reflections were answered when my companion, being a Sister Training Leader, shared her insights that she got from Mission Leadership Council. The theme was to sanctify ourselves in the Lord. During a companionship study while sharing these things, she asked "What does it mean to sanctify ourselves? What does consecration mean?" She shared that to consecrate means to make holy. And in order to make holy, we need to purify and cleanse ourselves. As a companionship, we have made a goal and a vision to sanctify ourselves and to keep striving being exactly obedient missionaries so that we would always have the companionship of the Holy Ghost wherever we go.
It was really a spiritual week for me especially with all these reflections and learning opportunities that I am gaining on my mission. I may say that I have been edified this past week. I guess one of the highlights that I have had was yesterday's primary presentation for this year's Sharing Time - Families are Forever. The moment that they sang the first song, I just felt the spirit so strongly that it testified and pierced my heart that families are forever, that I love and miss my family and that I am thankful for the gospel that has blessed us and made us stronger. Listening to these little kids reminded me of the days that I would see my primary-aged siblings go up the pulpit and sing those very same songs.
After the primary presentation, we had a really good lesson at Gospel Principles class by the Bishop's wife, Sister Amy Carter. She is such a wonderful member-missionary and just being around her just make me love the gospel even more. She is one of the women in my life that has set a good example of what I want to be when I get home from my mission. She is very enthusiastic and very energetic. When she was discussing with us about the Second Coming of the Savior, she posed this question... "With the things that will happen in the Second Coming, ask yourselves, 'what part or role do I play in this event?'" That was a very reflecting question for me especially in what is happening in the world in these latter-days. What role, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, do I play in preparing the people for the Second Coming?
We also went out with her after having dinner at the Bishop's home last night and she just gave us a lot of wonderful insights that might not be enough time to share through this email. But I definitely learned a lot from her.
This week, my spiritual goal is to ponder and reflect on the questions found in Alma 5 as a part of sanctifying myself as a missionary. I also invite each and everyone of you to do the same. I pray that as we all think about these questions, that we may receive greater insights of what we can do better as disciples of Jesus Christ. I know that as we ponder on these things, we will continually have the desire to become spiritually stronger and the desire to become more Christlike. I know that we can prepare ourselves more when the Savior comes again. I know that we are not perfect, but through His grace, we can become perfect in Him.
We must put aside our pride, see beyond our vanity, and in humility ask, “Lord, is it I?”
我們必須放下自己的驕傲、看穿自己的虛榮，謙卑地問：「主，
We must put aside our pride, see beyond our vanity, and in humility ask, “Lord, is it I?”
我們必須放下自己的驕傲、看穿自己的虛榮，謙卑地問：「主，
我很愛你們！
Sister Kristel Marie Cruz Ngo (吳姐妹)
Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission/