Sacrifices & Miracles

 I see miracles every single day, and I don't like saying this but if I don't write them down, I sometimes forget some of them! I have repented and I have been doing much better this week. I have been writing down miracles in my planner right after they happen. I have seen so many this week, but I will just share a few. 

     District Meeting was one of them. Some of you may know that I get super nervous when I am speaking in front of a lot of people, so it is usually the same right before I teach my district. Well, this past week I planned really well in my studies and I just told myself that I will not be nervous. District Meeting was so good! I have come to the conclusion that the reason I was so nervous before is because I was wondering what "I" was gonna do, or what "I" was going to say. It's not about me though. As long as I am obedient and prepare myself well, I will be given exactly what I need to say and when to say it (D&C 84:85). Jesus also told his Apostles this right before he sent them to preach and administer to the sick in Matthew 10:19. I know that I was given certain things to say and we all had a really great discussion about the importance of working with members in Preach My Gospel pg. 160. 

    We were able to get in and teach a less active member that has not been to church in over a year and we also were able to talk with her boyfriend and he was interested in learning more so we were actually going to go over there this evening, but she told us it wasn't going to work out today earlier this morning. Anyways, it was a miracle that we even got in! We hope to start teaching her boyfriend soon!

     Okay, this one is going to be kinda funny/weird but this really happened. We went to check on another less active member this past Saturday and HE WAS ACTUALLY HOME! He was busy doing yard work so he told us to come back at 3:30 and we could come in and share a message with him. So, we went finding at some stores for a couple of hours and when we were about to get back on our bikes to head over to his house, I had noticed that I had stepped into some nasty gum. Party foul!!!! I am very particular with my clothes and I take good care of them, especially my shoes, so it took a lot in me to not get super upset about this gum. I scraped off the majority if it so it wouldn't get all over my bike pedal and then we headed to the member's house to find him not there. I was so upset you guys....I was heated, literally! So he has a bench out front and I was like well I am going to get more of this gum off so I sat down and started scraping away and then like 30 seconds went by and he pulled up. This was a miracle and then I immediately noticed that had I not stepped in the gum, we would have knocked twice then just left and we would have never seem him. He had to go pick up his autistic brother last-minute and then was rushing back. I felt so bad for getting upset because we were able to go inside and share the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it went so well. There are reasons for everything you guys. There are no coincidences, only miracles. 

    

 I could keep going, but I want to talk about sacrifices. We had such an amazing Sacrament meeting this past Sunday and the Spirit testified of so many things to me. Sister Juergens gave an incredible talk and I want to share some of the things that she had mentioned, so please note that this is all her and I take no credit for this! The thing that stuck out to me most was this: "Our degree of love for the Lord, the gospel, and our fellow men is measured by what we are willing to sacrifice for them". I LOVE that! It is so true if you really stop and think about that. She went on to say how we have different sacrifices today than what the pioneers had to sacrifice back then. For example, we aren't asked to leave our homes and travel across the plains, but we are asked to fill our homes with the light of Jesus Christ, and this can be difficult in today's changing world. We aren't asked to leave the temple we just built and move on, but we are commanded to hold a current temple recommend and be worthy to enter the temple. This can be very difficult for some people, and it may be easy for some. As we see, we have different things to sacrifice today, but we are still showing our love for God by what we are willing to sacrifice. To me personally, sacrifice is giving up something you like, for something you love. To me there is a big difference between liking something and loving something. Likewise, liking someone or loving them. There is power with love, and when we give up something we like for something we love, we are so much happier. Sister Juergens had mentioned the sacrifice that missionaries make when they serve a mission and it made me think a little. I know that I have made some sacrifices in order to be out here, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else at this time in my life. I know I am right where I need to be and the Lord has and will continue to bless my family, my future family, and me as an individual more than anything I have had to sacrifice, just because He loves me that much. He loves us all that much! We are promised in Matthew 19:29  that we will receive an hundredfold as we keep the commandments. Also we read in D&C 130:21 "that when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

 

      I have changed a lot in the past few months that I have been out here on the Lord's errand and I promise you that it is all for the better! I was never a terrible person, but I certainly was not who I am now and who I want to become. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the center of my life and I will keep it that way throughout my journey here upon this earth. My Patriarchal Blessing has so many promises and blessings that I will receive on account of my obedience and faithfulness to the gospel. Like I said before, I am more happy now than I have ever been before and I promise you that it is because I am living the gospel. I owe everything I have and all that I am and who I want to become to my Father in Heaven. I love him more than anything and I have a strong relationship with Him. Every night before I lay my head down, I get on my knees and I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to be out here in Houston doing the Lord's work. I love being a missionary so much! I am really scared of snakes, heights, and doing flips on the trampoline, but it terrifies me how fast my time is going here. It seems like it is a new month every two weeks for me....it is cray. My time here is short, so I have made a promise to myself and to the Lord to be the best missionary I can be. I am so grateful for my family and my dear friends who all love and support me. Thank you guys! This would be so much harder for me without all your help. I love you all so much! 

Love, 

Elder DeLuca

​It is a small world in the church. We got to go have dinner with my cousins! I love the Turners!!!!! We had a great night! 

​I know I don't look like it next to Elder Bergman, but I really have lost a lot of weight! 

​I don't know about you, but I think this was $5.99 well spent at Goodwill. My buddy Elder Zeke Strong would be so proud to see me in this shirt. It even has a pocket for my name tag, so I pretty much had to but it!