BB MTC Pictures + Something Special

Baby Brother was finally able to send home some photos from the MTC! (read: they finally got card readers on their computers.) That, along with his companion's mom sending us some, made for a great missionary Tuesday. :)

All missionaries MUST take this photo. :)

District photo! These are the other missionaries in his class, learning Mandarin with him.

Hosting the new missionaries (ie- helping the poor saps with their luggage when they get dumped at the MTC curb.)

This is how BB feels about cafeteria food.

Gotta represent the Lord's school. :)

P-Day at the Provo Temple

As you can tell, he hardly EVER just gives a normal smile for a photo. Silly baby brother...

Last week, he sent us a good, long e-mail update, and he closed out with a beautiful testimony of the Savior. (This is the "something special," because it IS!) It made me so proud to be this kid's sister. I know the things of which he testifies to be true, and I share this, in the hope that it might also touch someone else. If any of you who read this have questions about the things he says, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. :)

"This week I've been reading through the Bible more. I love reading about the life of Jesus Christ. One of my favorites stories is when the lady who is "full of sickness" says to herself if I can but touch his robe I will be made whole. and while Jesus is walking she reaches out and grabs his robe and she is healed. I love what he says to her "Daughter, be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole" Wow. Blows my mind. Daughter be of good cheer thy faith hath made thee whole. It is our FAITH that makes us whole. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we CAN be made whole. I think of Paul's words "When I am weak, then am I strong" The Lord gives us weaknesses so we can be humble and so we can come unto Him. and when we come unto him in faith, He will make weak things be made strong. 

Pres. Bednar (one of our church's 12 Apostles) in a talk to us said "When you have given all you have, when you have come before the Lord and put all that you have on the altar of sacrifice, then will He give you strength beyond your own." He gave such powerful testimony of Christ. He said I bear witness, by my apostolic power, that Jesus is the Christ, The Son of the Living God. He is our advocate with the Father, pleading our cause.

I submit MY personal Testimony now, in addition to Pres. Bednar's, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He is the Beginning and the End. That through Him we can and will receive lasting happiness. This is the way and there is none other way given in heaven and earth to return to the Father. I bear testimony the Christ Lives! That He lives and loves us personally. That because He loved us, He willingly laid down His life so that through Him we could be made whole. 

In his talk, Pres. Bednar says [that] during the Atonement, Christ suffered so much agony that He literally sweat drops of blood from every pore. Because He was the Son of God, this could not kill Him. And at the end of all things, when He had completely submitted to the Father's will, when He had finished everything, He laid down his life. Because He was the Son of God, He had power over death and [rose] from the dead on that third day. He became the first fruit of those that slept. I testify that this is true. I testify That Jesus Christ Lives. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here serving the Lord. I know this is where I'm supposed to be! I know that through Christ We can be made whole. I know just like Paul that when I am weak, then am I strong. The Lord has called me to do a work among the people of Manchester, [and] because he has asked me to, I can. And I know there can be no other way.

I hope this lifts someone up while reading it. Because I loved the talk! hope to hear from you soon!

God be with you till we meet again!

- Elder Zavala"