A chance to SING! - "The gifts we have aren't ours."

Grabbed an old picture today - she's had technology problems and hasn't sent any new pics in a few weeks!

Cool thing this week. I got to SING! I was asked by a sister in our ward to sing for a stake activity. They lipsang and acted a bunch of parts from The Sound of Music, but she wanted me to sing the first opening song. So -  Super cool! Until they showed the clip of Julie Andrews singing it....right before me....like when I was already on the stage....yup....Julie Andrews....my hero...yeah....no comparison.....BUT!!! I prayed before the activity that I´d be able to fill the expectations of the Irmã for her activity and that everyone would enjoy it, and guess what!!!! Without training for MONTHS, I SANG!!! It felt SO GOOD! Everything that I had practiced forever before the mission just came back, and BETTER! I´m WAY MORE RELAXED here, and that makes singing WAY easier! My comp told me after that she videoed it, so I´ll try to find a way to send that. But after. Wow. Everyone is SO KIND!!! They said that it was wonderful, and as good as Julie Andrews or better (super sweet-take that compliment with a grain of salt-whoa!), and that I´ll be in the next remake of the Sound of Music. All said and done, SUPER FUN and SO GOOD to really, really, SING again!

And beyond all of that-such a testimony of doing the best things. Studying, practicing, continuing my life back at home would have been a good thing, but God knew what would be BEST for me, and with His help, I can still use the gifts He´s given me even when my focus is somewhere else. A HUGE testimony that the gifts we have aren´t ours. They´re GIFTS and God will use them in the way He needs, and those gifts sure work a whole lot better when we let Him do the driving!

 I´m super grateful for what I´m learning here on a mission.  I´m learning how to stay happy when things are happy and when they´re sad, or the days when you´re irritable, or just tired and your body wants to flop. If you´re happy, people will want more of what you have. If not, who will want what we have? So keep on a keepin' on. Forgive others, and refrain from judging. Life is WAY happier when you don´t judge others. I´ll never forget what I heard one time from a friend - that what he wants to be remembered for after his life is that he never judged anyone. Yeah. That´s the kind of charity that I want to develop.  Mother Theresa said "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." And the same goes for loving yourself. See not who you are, but who you WANT to be and who you CAN be and ARE throught the Atonement. Everything will line up to become that when you think and work in that manner. Remember, if you don´t love yourself, you can´t love others.

So, I love you all, and send my prayers and faith!!! Keep on keeping strong!!

Sister Little  (At church, I´m now "Sister Little-Andrews"...Talk about childhood dreams come true! Haha!)