Diana Leaney López Ruano

The strongest man in the world is Jose Antonio Ruano Roca.  Mi abuelito.  We call him "Papito." El hombre mas fuerte del mundo es Jose Antonio Ruano Roca.  Mi abuelito.  Le decimos "Papito." He is so strong that he states spoken word poetry and the room stays still. El es tan fuerte que cuando recita poecia,  el cuarto queda callado para escuchar.   He is so strong that he lifts up his grandchildren and sings our most familiar of childhood tunes,  "Tingi riki riki riki,  tingi riki riki rin."  He never tires. El es tan fuerte que toma a sus nietos en brazos y nunca se cansa de cantar "Tingi riki riki riki,  tingi riki riki rin!"  Una melodia que nos penetra hasta el corazon.   He is so strong that the machete he wields is nothing compared to his testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ which he shares,  has always shared with the power of God. El es tan fuerte que el machete con que defende a su fam...

There was this moment,  in Japan.  The hardest of moments when I turned to my Heavenly Father for love and guidance.  I turned to the Priesthood Power, a blessing.  Afterwards,  the Elder said to me,   "Sister L ópez,  I just saw all of the times your plans have not gone according to plan."   All the times I have tried to do what is right, to change, to follow the plan Heavenly Father has set for me and failed miserably.   A patriarchal blessing is a blessing from God given to someone when they are ready to listen to Heavenly Father's plan and potential blessings for them specifically.  I read mine today and got stuck at the part after  my full-time missionary service.  My college life was always focused on going on a mission and for six months,  returning to finish my missionary service.  Things are different now.  Now,   I am here to stay.   Utah.  The place I want to raise ...

I never did my Personal Progress as a Young Woman.  I graduated at 16 and didn't think a grown-up college student needed a medallion to put a label on her progression. I was sooooooo smart back then,  and yet it has taken me these six years since graduating to finally discover the most important fact I could learn.  The fact that I am a Daughter of God.  If I could go back to little me and give myself one piece of knowledge it would be that-  the surety that comes with knowing who I am,  where I came from,  and where I am going. I wish I could give you the same knowledge.  I wish I could wrap my arms around you and somehow have you feel absence of a once existing pain that has been healed by our Father through our Savior.  I wish I could make you realize that He is real.  He is there for you.  He loves you.  He will guide you.  You are His Daughter!  If there was some way to help you see that you deserve everythin...

On Sunday,  August 12, 2013 we watched Elder Bednar's talk: The Character of Christ  in the MTC.  He invited all to start reading The Book of Mormon whilst studying a certain topic and focusing on that topic only.  After reading the whole book and learning about that subject specifically,  he asked us to write a summary about what we learned.  I just finished reading about my selected topic,  The Atonement of Jesus Christ.   Who. Moroni 8:8 States that Christ is not here to bring the saints unto repentance,  but the sinners.  Who are the sinners?  Us.  Those of us who are trying to move forward,  but are stuck without the bridge between mortality and eternal life,  Jesus Christ.   And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. (Luke 5:31)   We are all a little bit broken inside.  We are all in need of our Physician,  our Savior, ...

August 7, 2013 Day one of the mission.  Overwhelming.  Inspiring.  Motivating..  Humbling.   Said goodbye to the familia,  didn't cry.  Its 10:25 and I'm exhausted-  too tired to really process the change,  but I'm sure it will hit.  Me siento motivada para trabajar duro.  So much to learn.  One thing is certain,  I love my companion.   August 8, 2013 My companion sings Enchanted randomly.  I love her.  Watashi wa Feist Shimai ai shimashte.   This has been slightly easier than expected-  only cried for 10 minutes last night.  My love for my District is growing and [so is] my desire to repent from all of the wrong,  to change my actions,  to change the way I think and make sure that everything is centered on Christ and sharing that message through me.   The language is hard.  My pronunciation is fine,  but memorizing words and understanding gramma...

I need to finish this assignment. I need to pay off my loans. I need to study my scriptures. I need to fix my failing relationships. I need to work harder. I need to be a better example.   I need to change. I need.   I need.   I need.   I need my Savior .   I need more faith .   I need to act on what I know to be true.   I need my heart to be more patient,  more loving,  more kind. The entire world is watching.  All of human race is judging.   My whole family is questioning and yet I sit still.    Fear surpasses the problem solving abilities I was never taught.  How do you fix something if you were raised on broken pieces of the past? I have never known what it means to be without the problems I have never fixed.  Without them,  my friends Lack and Stress,  who would be left behind?  Who am I without my companion Fear?  Fear has been such a good c...

In the Japanese language there is no future tense.  To ask about the future,  one would say something along the lines of "From this time after,  where are you currently going?"  The respondee will then answer with what they will do after the current time. In the Mandarin Chinese language,  there is no future or past tense.  When I introduce myself to a Chinese person I usually say a translation of "I am an English teacher at China."   Obviously we are not in China at the moment so to make the statement true,  a past or present time frame must be inferred. How would we speak if we had no future or past? If we did not know who we are becoming or where we came from? If we all hustled around in right now , not then , or when  we would simply be ;  culture and history-  it would all cease to be.  What if we had no means to change our ways;  if we were permanently stuck in our current decisions,  without a ch...