A poem that explains what God does with us:
'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three-" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!" said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game- and he travels on.
He's "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Una poema que explica lo que Dios hace con nosotros:
Estropeado y marcado por el tiempo,
no despertó interés en el subastador,
mas él, disimulando y sonriendo,
tomó el viejo violín y a todos los mostró,
"Qué me ofrece, por este instrumento!
Quién va a ser el mejor postor?", preguntó.
"Un dólar, uno. Alguno ofrece dos?
Dos dólares! Ah, alguien tres ofreció!
Tres dólares, tres! Por tres el violín doy..."
Entonces, un anciano de cabello gris
se acercó lentamente, el arco levantó,
quitando el polve al vetusto violín
las cuerdas flojas con cuidado ajustó,
y una melodía dulce dejó oír
que cual son de ángeles a todos pareció.
Al morir las notas, el subastador
con grave y mesurada voz preguntó:
"Ahora, cuánto dan por este violín!"
Y en alto el instrumento levantó.
"Mil dólares allí. Alguien me da dos mil?
Dos mil, dos mil! Y quién me ofrece más?
Ah tres mil! Por tres mil el violín se va!"
Hubo ovaciones, pero alguien preguntó:
"Y, cómo puede ser? Si no valía nada,
por qué de pronto su valor aumentó?"
Y al punto se oyó la respuesta muy clara:
"Es que la mano de un Maestro lo tocó".
Muchos hay que, con desafinada vida,
marcada y estropeada del pecado, al fin
a la malvada multitud se ofrecen
al más bajo precio, como el viejo violín,
por "Un plato de lentejas", una copa de vino
o un judgo de necios, al mejor pastor.
"Se vende! Se vende! Y ya está vendido!"
exclama contento el subastador.
Mas viene el Maestro, y los insensatos
"No lo entiendo", dicen, pues nadie captó
el valor de un alma y el cambio forjado
cuando la mano del Maestro la tocó.
Nauvoo is a place of peace. It is filled with a spirit that is particularly special to this place. As you walk the streets of old Nauvoo, you can almost feel like you are back in time walking with the saints of the past. As I walk the streets the saints of old have walked, I am able to reflect on my own trials and see how different life is but, how we still need to be strong in our own faith. Two of my favorite spots in Nauvoo are the bank of the Mississippi and the temple. The bank because I can look west and think of how, in my own life, I need to keep looking forward during trials. The temple because it is a reminder of continually keeping my eye on things that are most important: following God's will. There's a statue in front of the temple of Joseph Smith, the prophet, and his brother, Hyrum, as they were leaving Nauvoo. This statue, with the temple in the background, is one of my favorite pictures because it encompasses all of Nauvoo in one moment. Life was hard and the saints gave up a lot to follow Christ and live what they believed but, they were blessed with so many blessings that we do not even know all about.
La fin de la semana pasada fue Conferencia General de la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los últimos días. Yo estaba escuchando a las mensajes inspiradas de los apóstoles del Señor, sentí mejor y encontré respuestas a mis preguntas. Estoy agradecida por un profeta viviendo quien recibe revelación de Dios para nosotros. Me encantan las escrituras pero también me encantan las revelaciones que nos ayuda en este mundo. A veces es fácil a sentir triste o perdido pero mediante Dios podemos sentir mejor. Para los que no miramos a conferencia, me gustaría invitarles a ir a lds.org para mirar or leer las mensajes cuando están allá en español. 
I am grateful for my mother, or "mommy," because she has always been there for me. When I was in high school, she would stop what she was doing just to listen to me talk about my day as we both ate a bowl of ice cream. Even though we both hated it, we would go shopping together when I needed new clothes or something for school. When she says she will do something, she does it. At church, when she is asked to serve in some capacity, she always says yes and tries her best to do it the best she can. She does service for the family in little ways, well, they're actually pretty big: she cooks, cleans, does laundry, helps with homework, and teaches us how to do those things as well. When I went to college, I was so grateful for my mom making me learn how to do all sorts of chores because I was able to take care of myself and I knew how to have a clean apartment. I am grateful for my mom's testimony. When she shares what she believes to be true, you can feel it and see it in her face that she means it. She is not afraid to be herself. She is fun and loves to make everyone laugh by dancing around the kitchen as she sings and cleans or by making faces that look like animals. Whatever it is, she brings light and happiness to the room she is in. 
I began my day really just wanting to be alone but, as a missionary, you need to stay within sight and sound of your companion. So, I just tried to forget my stress. Then, church began and once again it was becoming overwhelming. I began writing my thoughts and praying that the Lord would help me overcome this so I could be the missionary I needed to be. A young girl got up to bear her testimony and talked about patience and trust in God. I felt at peace. I almost began crying because I felt that her simple testimony was an answer to prayer. The day continued and my stress level would go up and down at random moments to changes in schedule and things I had to do, etc. Then, I finally reached a peak and I knew I would snap if I didn't take care of it. I went with my companion to a different room with a piano. I just played and played and played. Let my stress enter the black and white keys as my mind began to focus. Then, I stop. I bowed my head. Clasped my hands together. and Prayed.
