March & April, A Summary of Two Months

March and April have been interesting. Grandpa Larsen died on March 5th, my birth day; it is interesting because I feel that from now on my birthday is going to have a different meaning. I will always remember the day he passed away. I have spent a great deal of time thinking about him and his legacy in my life. His legacy to me is like the furniture he built for his grandchildren, he did not build that furniture especially for me, but my kids are going to be able to see it, enjoy it, and probably pass it on to the next generation. His furniture is like the gospel principles he taught to his family, I am sure he was not thinking of me, but because his example was as strong as those pieces of furniture I get the blessings too. My grandparents died before I could remember them, so, Mike’s grandparents are the only grandmas and grandpas I have ever met, and I feel so grateful for their kindness and love that they showed to me since the first time each one of them met me.

We went to Aunt Karen and Uncle Jeff farewell, I am very excited for them to go on a mission, I have a special place for Aunt Karen in my heart, I have never felt like a beautiful woman, and I was not big on the idea of having engagement, and bridal pictures because I thought I was not going to look well in them. However, she was willing to spend hours with me and Mike making sure that our pictures were perfect. I am so grateful for her love and service. I love her so much and I will miss them but I know serving a Mission is what the Lord wants them to do.

On March 24th I attended a talk given by this young man Kyle Maynard. He was born without arms or legs. I was in tears the whole time just thinking how silly people can be, we are always trying to excuse ourselves for our failures. And here he is a motivational speaker, a terrific athlete, and an inspiration to people who think that they are the ones with limitations. I am so grateful for opportunities like this. He said, “I believe God made me the way I am in order to show people that there is no amount of adversity that a single person cannot overcome if they fully trust themselves and trust in the will of Jesus Christ. And in time, I learned that I had to trust and believe in myself on the mat, and, even more importantly, I learned that I had to trust fully in the Lord my Savior, no matter the circumstances. I prayed, and God delivered the answers. I may not have wanted to listen to those answers at the time, but I know they were the answers He intended for me to hear”.

I have been very busy with school this semester, I am not taking a lot of credits but it is difficult for me. I am not trying to complain, but when you are trying to read, understand, and write in a second language it gets a little more complicated. I particularly struggle with general classes, the fact that I am not interested in some subjects, and that most of them are not extremely necessary for my major made them even harder for me. I guess I have to learn to live by the rules of this country.
Last Sunday I receive an email from an honor society at UVU asking me to write an essay to see if a qualified for a book scholarship, I am a member of this international honor society, its members have excellent grades and are the top 10% of the student body in the university, and the scholarship was for Latino students, so, I could not use that on my essay. I felt that I would not get it because besides my grades and my Latino blood I do not have any other especial skill. At least that is what I thought, the next day I got an email telling me that I had gotten the scholarship. It is important to me because sometimes I feel that I would never finish school, that English is too hard, and that I am not smart enough. At the end I realize that my mind is the only thing that limits how far I can go.

Mike and I are heading to California on the 30th of this month; he is going to be doing an internship during the summer in a boarding school. I am excited and at the same time a little scared because this is going to be the first time being by ourselves, and I am so used to Utah that I don’t know if I am going to like another state in the country. The good thing is that I am going to be warm and that I would probably be working too.
My Gospel Principle

I said I was going to talk about the gospel principles in my life, I was just thinking about tithing. Back in Mexico my parents live on what they earn every month, they never have extra money to go on vacations or to go shopping, which is the way I grew up. When I started learning about tithing I was a little bit apprehensive about it. I could not understand why people who are very poor would have to give money to the church when they can hardly survive with their paycheck. It was really hard to me to start paying tithing, as well as the other principle; I had to act on faith not really knowing if that was really going to bless my life. I was paying for school, books, clothes, and I was also helping my parents with the bills at home, so I was very resilient to pay it. It is still hard, I think is going to be a while until I become used to the fact that everything I have belong s to the Lord. Mike’s mom told us one day that tithing is not something she does, but rather something she is, and that is my goal, not to pay tithing, but become a tide payer. We are very lucky that we are living in Mike’s parents’ house and we have not had any problem paying our tithing. But I know that as we star living on our own we are going to face problems that are going to challenge our willingness to pay tithing. I pray that we are always strong and faithful, and I know that by doing what the Lord requires from us we are going to get the blessings.

Modesty

I was talking to a lady from my ward, and she asked me if I was writing my experiences as a convert to the church, I said, “Yes, but I feel like a have to write something about each specific principle I have learned”, and she said, “I think you should do that”, so, I am going to share with you the way I felt when I first learned about specific gospel principles. Now that I think about it, this might help you if you are trying to teach somebody these principles.
Modesty: This is the first one that came to my mind because it was the most difficult to exercise, and the last one that I understood fully. As you know, I am from one of the hottest cities in Mexico; the temperature there can go up to 116 degrees in a summer day. Having said that, you can imagine that the kind of clothes that people use there is very light. So, I would only wear sleeves in winter, or if the blouse was extremely cute. I liked to wear miniskirts, and little shorts, I was the opposite of modest (oh, I forgot about the bikinis). I do not even remember when was the first time I heard about modesty, but I remember that it was introduced to me by Mike. He told me that women were supposed to wear sleeves and that whatever they wear in the bottom should at least cover their knees. Did I already mention that I thought he was the weirdest of the weirds? I was kind of offended; I told him that for me that was an unfair way to judge people. I do not remember what he answered, I probably ignored him.
The second time I heard about modesty was in one of the missionary discussions, once again I got offended. I could not understand why people would think I was a bad or a good person based on the sleeves on my blouse. I did not understand the fact that the way you dress tells a lot about yourself and your principles. When Mike told me that boys have bad thoughts about girls that they see dressed immodestly my answer was: “That is their problem, not mine”. Poor Mike, he tried so many times to make me understand that I was not being judged that I just stopped talking to him about it. I decided to charge against the poor missionaries, who are always very polite, I asked them if they would consider me as not worthy of the blessings of the church because of the way I dressed. I was mad; I told them that I was sure God loved me no matter what I was wearing. They said, “Yes, he does”, and then they asked me. “But, would you feel comfortable wearing immodest clothes in the presence of god?” They got me on that one.
At that time, I was working in Zara, which is a very prestigious Spanish clothing store (Crystal knows what I am talking about). As the second manager, I was entitled to a full wardrobe every season. I worked there for four years, so I had a lot of clothes, immodest clothes. How could I get rid of my clothes? I know this might sound so superficial, but at that time that was a big deal.
The time came when I decided to get baptized, I realize that I was completely okay with everything about the church, I knew it was true. Even though I did not understand the modesty issue completely, I decided to be obedient and started dressing according to the church teachings. After a couple of months I was reading something about the prophets and I felt the confidence that what they were saying was true. Prophets speak the word of God. Therefore, how could I question the modesty principle when I know they are right? How could I believe one thing and denied the other when both come from the same source?
I know that if you are obedient, the lord will bless you with knowledge and assurance. I still struggle when I have to buy clothes just because I am still attracted to the things I cannot wear. I am still learning and I am not perfect. I am trying to be obedient and I know that my testimony will grow as I keep the promise I have made to the lord.

Elmyra Duff?

Mike told me a few days ago that I was Elmyra Duff. I fought him a little bit but as I was looking at my pictures I realized that...I kind of look like her. I am spechless.
P.S. While Mike might think that I'm squeezing them, I'm really hugging them.

At the door of the temple

Since the day I was baptized I had been waiting for that big moment, that physical reaction, when your mind, heart, and soul tell you that this is the true church. I knew it was true but I had never felt it, in that way, until the day I got married.
Back in 2007 when I was debating whether to join the church or not, the sole idea of leaving my whole family “outside” of my wedding ceremony was terrifying, but I managed to talk to my parents about it. Although they were very upset and sad, they tried not to be hard on me and accepted and respected my decision. I thought that was it, I thought they were all right with it and that they had understood. They thought that too.
The process to get a visa is very hard and you get emotionally tired of being at the consulate waiting for your turn. It took me almost five hours and all the time the people there treated you like one of the immigrants trying to jump across the border. Anyway, I convinced my parents to try to get a visa before I applied for residency. I knew that one of the reason they could reject your visa application is if you have a family members in the states who you could possibly stay with permanently, it is obvious to think I guess. They went to the U.S. embassy on July 14th, it was 11 days before our wedding, and could you imagine how nervous I was? The day they went in I went to work and was so anxious that I would start to cry thinking they would be rejected. If the government denies you the visa it is like a bad record on your passport. Well, they got the visa, and thanks to my two angels (Dave & Sherrie) my parents got here a week and a half later.
I could have never imagined what was about to happen. The day of our wedding we were all too busy getting ready that I didn’t have time to think about what I was going to tell my parents just before entering the temple. So, there I was in front of the temple and just before going in I felt this overwhelming feeling, my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest and tears were running down my cheeks. I felt the spirit telling me to go back and tell my parents what I knew. I went back to where my mom was sitting, my dad wasn’t there (he was too busy taking pictures of the beautiful Manti temple), I shared my testimony with my mom that day for the first time. It was very emotional and I couldn’t stop crying the whole time after that.
We got married on July 23th this year. It was an incredible experience, but also a tough one. I had to leave my parents outside of the temple and nobody on my birth family could be there with me. It was just me and my ancestors on the other side of the veil, the ones who have been waiting for me to make this decision, to choose the right and follow the lord. My whole life has changed since March 23, 2007. I found the most wonderful man I adore him and could not have a better husband and eternal companion. He makes me want to be better and he has done that since day one. He eats the food I make, and when we are sharing Mexican food he lets me put hot sauce all over the plate and not just in my part even though he is just about dying by the second bite. He lets molly (our cat) sleep with us because he knows I love her. I am grateful for him and for everything that has been given to me. I love my new family so much and I am also grateful for them. I am especially grateful for the beautiful pictures Aunt Karen took, you are so talented and I thank you for giving us those beautiful memories.
I know that as I pray and listen to the spirit the Lord will guide and direct me. He knows what is best for me and I will always trust on him.

Mom, I am going to Utah!

I came to Utah for the first time in August 2008. And here is where everything changed. I already knew that the church was good, I knew that it was going to change my life, I met Michael’s family and I started wishing a family like that, I remember saying to myself: “I want a family like this one” I wanted my kids to be close to god like Avram was the day I met him. But I was afraid that I didn’t have a strong testimony yet to tell my parents that I was going to get baptized, I didn’t want them to think that this was all about Michael. I was afraid. I was praying to gain a strong testimony, to be able to understand the Book of Mormon, nothing, I could not get an answer.
I felt that I had to have some spectacular answer to my prayers (something like the first vision). But nothing happened. I had to instead proceed with the small whisperings of the spirit that did continue to guide me. I think it would have been easier to have some big sign from the Lord but I decided to act on the small promptings I received. I just knew it was the right thing to do.
While I was here I met a wonderful man, Brother Arturo Morales. I remember the day I talk to him very well, I remember the way I felt when I stepped into his home, but what I remember the most are the words of comfort and the extraordinary testimony of what my life could be if I just made the right decision. He told me that I didn’t need to know by memory the Book of Mormon, and that I did have a testimony because I knew the church was good, I knew that it was going to change my life and because I had read the Book of Mormon and that I knew that the things I read there were true. His testimony and the spirit I felt that day made a great impact on my decision to get baptized and I want you to know how grateful I am for him.
That was the answer to my prayers.
When I returned home from Utah I knew I wanted to be baptized. I tried to drop hints that I wanted to be baptized but I was totally ignored. Then came what I call round three. I had to tell my parents that I was going to be baptized and I wasn’t asking for permission, again. My heart melted as I witnessed the hurt, disappointment, and anger in my parents’ faces. I got baptized six months later I came here. And even though I was going against my parents will I felt confident because I knew it was the right thing to do. I was acting upon answers to prayers.
My Dad started hating my visits to their bedroom. I had prayed for the wisdom and courage to face my parents when Mike and I decided it was time me to come to Utah to live and go to school. How could I ask my parents to let me leave? During the fourth round I once again saw the pain and hurt on my parents face as I followed the impressions that I had been given to leave home, learn another language and to live in a different country. That was another hard decision, I left my home, my parents, my brother and my sister, my beloved pets, my lifetime friends, but once again I was blessed with a wonderful family that was waiting for me here, I remember my first day here in Dave and Sherrie’s house, she told me: “I want you to feel like this is your home” and let me tell you something, there has not been a day that I don’t feel like that is my home, or that I am not loved and care for and I will be forever grateful for that too.m

This is our story

Everything began on Friday March 23 rd 2007 when I met Michael for the first time not realizing that my whole life was about to be turned upside down. Kika my friend had felt bad for a gringo she saw walking down the street early that day. She had stopped and given him a ride and invited him to a party that night. He had agreed to go. I was not going to go to the party but she convinced me to go along. That was the first time I met him. I thought he was very strange because he wasn’t drinking at the party (as I was not a member of the church that was very weird to me). When I asked him why he wasn’t drinking he told me it wasn’t good for the body and that he was a member of the Mormon Church. I didn’t pay attention to him that day. A few days after he found me at work and asked me on a date, so I went. We went on a second date and during the date he told me he wanted to show me place in Down Town Merida (where I am from). He took me to the temple. That day I thought he was the weirdest guy ever because when we got their he told me we couldn’t go in. I kept asking myself, why would he take me to a place and then tell me I couldn’t go in?
The more I learned about the church I realized that the time would come that I would be forced to make a decision whether to proceed or turn back. I had to face many fears. I think the first was persecution, I was afraid to have my parents and my social circle watching me becoming a different person. I thought they were going to reject me, or even worst, they were going to make fun of me. My next fear was going to church alone. My friends would not go with me, I was afraid to even ask my family to take me, I didn’t know anyone and I thought it was weird. I kept thinking “this is a weird church”, and what made the experience even more difficult was that nobody would talk to me, I know I wasn’t a modest girl, but I didn’t know I wasn’t. Anyway, I had to go because I had promised Michael that I would try to learn and understand his religion. I faced many more fears opposing my own religion, my parents, my social life, asking my boss to let me have my free day on Sunday. I felt so alone, sad, and scared. I started having the missionary discussions and they challenged me to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. I did pray and as I read it I knew from the very beginning that the book could not made-up. It was too elaborate to be something that someone just wrote. It didn’t take me a lot of praying to know that this Church was true but it did take me many prayers to get the courage to act upon the feelings that I had. Knowing what I knew I felt like living in a lie if I did not do something. I still remember the many nights in my room trying to pray and trying not to cry to loud so I would not wake up my sister, I thought the world was going to kill me if I dared change religions. I was soon to learn that when I acted on the promptings of the spirit the Lord would bless me and guide me. I had to go against my parents that I love very much. The Lord blessed me with great courage when I had to face my parents. I had that courage because I knew I was doing the right thing even though my parents told me I was not.
I was praying often to help me to find the courage to go against my parent’s traditions. As you might know I was born in a Catholic family. The time came when Michael asked me to come to Utah, he wanted me to meet his family and see how he lived. I had to make a decision again. The first horrible experience I had to face was going to the US embassy. The entire process took 5 hours and after they took mug shots, finger prints and had me remove my shoes, I faced a man that depending on his mood that day would determine if I could come or not. After all the process to get a visa I prayed to heavenly father to help me find the way to talk with my parents about coming here. They had thought I would be rejected at the embassy and they were not concerned until I got home and had the visa in my hands. I have always been a good daughter, I always ask for permission instead of just letting them know what my plans are, so I did what I thought was correct and they said no, “you can’t go there, we don’t know them and if something happens to you we can’t go there and help you, you are not going”. I call that the first round.
I prayed again, and the next day I went to my parent’s room and told them that I was going no matter what, I told them that I knew these were good people, that Michael loved me and that I needed to meet his family. They said no again. My sister called me frog eyes because I was cried so much that my eyes swelled up. I call that the second round.

Getting to know me!

Well, this is my first entry ever!! . I feel that I have to introduce myself since the majority of you don’t know a lot about me. I am the newest addition to the Anthony family, Michael and I got married in July 23th 2010. I was born in Mexico City but when I was 7 my parents decided that it was best for us (my brother, sister, and me) to move out of that city into a smaller and quiet one. I grew up in a beautiful and quiet city in the southeast part of Mexico and there is where I fell in love with warm days and fresh air, I also fell in love with my beloved husband in that city. Since Merida is in the coast I got to eat fresh fish and I had tropical fruit all year, like mangos (I love mango). My mother is from Mexico City, her family came from Spain. My father’s family is from Mayan ancestors 100%, so I am an interesting mix. My childhood was very normal, my dad was very strict on schedules and was always working very hard; we liked to spend the weekends together my mom was always cleaning or cooking. Both of them taught me how to work to get things I wanted since we weren’t a wealthy family. They also taught us honesty, chastity, respect for each other, and all the values I try to live each day of my life. I spent my teenage years dancing and going out with friends I started paying for my school when I was 17, my first year on college I worked full time (sometime in Mexico that means 10 hours) so I struggled. I absolutely love animals, I feel that we should respect them, love them and that like us they are precious creatures that our heavenly father created so we weren’t all by ourselves on earth and also for us to learn to share and respect other creatures, I know, maybe I love them too much. My favorite color is pink; I have a hard time choosing another color when I have pink as an option. In 2007, when I was 21 years old everything changed, I fell in love with a Mormon gringo, my family is catholic and so was I. If you want to know our love story, which comes along with the hardest but most incredible decision I have ever taken (becoming a member of the church) stay tuned…