Another week here in Micaela!

Dearest family and friends,

This week was another really neat week here in Micaela! Yesterday we had a really neat conversation with a less active woman that we met a few days ago that really left me thinking. When we walked in, you could tell that she was just phisically and emotionally exhausted. We asked her why, and she started to tell us about a normal week for her...starting every day at 7 in the morning to cook for and send her kids off to school.  Then at 10 she goes to work in the grapevines picking grapes until about 2 or3am, comes home to sleep for a couple hours and then the cycle starts all over again. Her only day to relax is Sunday, and as you can all imagine, Sunday ends up being her clean-the-house, wash-all-the-clothes day. As we sat there listening to her, a question came to my mind...and I started to reflect a lot on it:

What would you do if you knew that today was your last day to live? Would you want to spend more time working so that your family could have more things? Or would you spend the day making happy memories with your family? Would you spend a bunch of time on Facebook or Instagram, or would you go out and find someone to serve? The scriptures teach us that "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." The things that we invest our time in doing and sacrifice to make possible end up being the most precious things in our lives. If we spend a lot of time working, then that will be the most important thing in our lives. Sure, it's important to work because we all need to eat and have a place to live, but is that really what we want to be our first priority? But it's the same, especially with our families. Elder Bednar told us in a talk one time that love in the family is spelt TIME. It's so true. If our family really is the most important thing in our lives, then that's where we need to dedicate our time. If the Lord is someone important for us in our lives, we have to be willing to sacrifice to dedicate time to Him. I know that this is so true, because I've been able to see both sides of the coin. I've been able to experience the blessings of the sacrifices that my own parents have made to have our family united with the gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of our lives. I've also been able to see how the people here dedicate so much time to work "for their families" that when the day is over, they hardly know who their family is. 

I'd like to invite each and every one of you to take a moment and reflect about the things that are most important to you, and if today really was the last day of your life, what would you want to do with your time? Because really, time is the only thing that we can never get back, and NOBODY knows when it will be their last day. I love you all and I am so grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me to recognize the priorities in my life. Spend time with your families. Read you scriptures. Pray. Trust that the Lord knows your righteous goals and He will help you find a way to accomplish them if you make sure that they're in the right order. Love you all, and hope that you have an amazing week!

Love,

Hermana Garner