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Hi I'm Cristina Collazos
About Me
I grew up in the beautiful city of Madrid, Spain. I moved to Los Angeles, California when I was 10 and I've been there ever since. I have a younger brother. My family is everything to me. I love to dance hip-hop and learn new languages. I also love food. It's one of the main highlights of my day. More than anything, I love my Heavenly Father. Without Him, I would not be where I am and I sometimes wish I would have realized His love for me sooner, I know that I would have had a better perspective on life. I'm not perfect by any means. I make mistakes everyday. We all do. Knowing that we can always improve, even when we fall back sometimes, is such a blessing because it means that if we turn our lives around and strive to be better, He will forget our past and help us shape our new future.
Why I am a Mormon
My parents converted when they were young and my brother and I were born in the church. However, after my parents' divorce process, I had a really hard time believing that families could really be together forever or that God was really there for me. I had been relying on my mother's testimony for so long that I didn't have one. I felt hopeless and unloved. I became bitter at the world. I just stopped caring. One day I finally hit rock bottom and told my Heavenly Father everything I was feeling, my worries, my complaints, everything. I felt this warmth taking over me, as if I was being hugged. I could feel Christ's Atonement and I knew at that moment that when He was at Gethsemane, suffering for all our sins and pains, that He felt everything that I was feeling at that moment. I knew that He knew exactly what I was going through and that I was not alone. Even if my parents on earth weren't perfect, my Heavenly Father was. Since then, no matter how hard things have been, I know I can always rely on my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, to help me through those times. Currently, I'm a spanish-speaking missionary in the Iowa Des Moines Mission. I love my full-time calling and love teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who want to hear it. I've never been happier. :)
Personal Stories
How has the Book of Mormon brought you closer to God?
The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ constantly. Every time I read it, I am reminded of the Lord's mercy, love, and justice for us. Sometimes when I'm reading the Book of Mormon, I feel as if certain verses are being addressed to me directly at that moment in time. These scriptures bring me closer to God because it is about God. I learn so much about my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the pages of the Book of Mormon and it makes me want to be like them someday and come back to them. If someone hasn't read the Book of Mormon with an honest intention, then I don't feel they can say it's not true. Reading this book has changed my life. I'm sure it will change yours.
How I live my faith
I live my faith by being an example to those around me. When given the chance, I talk about what I believe in with others, but I don't force on anyone. Having lived in Los Angeles for a while now, I have learned to love and respect other cultures and beliefs, even if I don't agree with some things. I also do my best to do these two things everyday: constant prayer and scripture study. I need to practice and believe what I preach, so studying my scriptures everyday and conversing with my Heavenly Father not only strengthens my beliefs, but it also makes it easier to be and stay an active member of the Church.
