“Using Goals to Grow Like Jesus Christ,” New Era, Sept. 2020, 14–17.

Using Goals to Grow Like Jesus Christ

By Natasha Andersen

Church Magazines

Youth in Argentina and Brazil share how they’re becoming more Christlike through setting goals in the Children and Youth program.

Goals are meant to help you improve and change. But if your goals are seeming too difficult to reach, or if you’re wondering why you even set them in the first place, don’t despair! Instead, remember that working toward goals helps you come closer to the Savior.

These youth from Argentina and Brazil keep their purpose in mind by setting goals that help them become like Jesus Christ. Check out their stories to see how teens like you are changing their lives through the goals they set.

Micaela

Micaela R., 15, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, strives to develop and share her musical talents. Together with two young women from her stake, she formed a band called Remive. They came up with the name by combining the first two letters of each of their names: Rebeca, Micaela, and Veronica.

“Music is something that has always brought us together, because we started in the stake choir,” Micaela says. “Thanks to that, I met Rebeca and Veronica. And the choir helped us a lot, both spiritually and in our friendship.”

Together, they created an Instagram account where they post covers of songs they play. They started it for fun, but Micaela explains they also wanted to touch people’s hearts with the songs they sing. “We wanted to develop our talent,” Micaela explains. “It’s something that we love, and to see that other people like it too is wonderful!”

Beatriz

Beatriz S., 15, is originally from São Paulo, Brazil, but she recently moved to Curitiba with her family. Once she was there, she started having problems with hair loss. “I did all the tests, thinking it was a lack of vitamins, but it was stress. It was psychological,” Beatriz says.

She found herself in a new place with no friends and a strange new culture. But when she felt alone, she knew that she could always count on Heavenly Father.

“I set a goal to make friends in my stake and to control my stress, and I downloaded an app that helped me control my breathing,” she explains. The app helped her practice meditation, and she focused a lot on the scriptures in her meditation. The hair loss eventually stopped as she adjusted.

“Now, I can see that I’ve improved a lot. I don’t think I’ll ever get that anxious again, because I’ve learned to focus on Jesus Christ. I’ve learned that I just need to control my breathing and help people.”

Gabriel

Gabriel J., 17, from Curitiba, Brazil, is a convert to the Church. The first time he went to church, he thought it was strange. But he soon got used to it, thanks in part to the friendly members in his ward, and he was eventually baptized.

When he talked with a returned missionary in his ward, Gabriel started thinking about serving a mission. “I got home and started kind of crying,” he says. “I didn’t know why. But I knelt and asked if I should serve a mission. At that very moment, I had a feeling of peace, and I received the answer that I really should serve a mission.”

Many of his goals are focused on preparing to serve a mission, both spiritually and physically. They include graduating from seminary, running, and developing better nutrition. He says he hopes his physical goal will prepare him to not get tired easily and to walk for longer amounts of time.

Gabriel notices the changes in himself since he joined the Church. “When I became a member of the Church, I was able, with the help of my leaders, to know what I wanted for my life, and that has changed a lot. Now I have a goal in my life, and I’m studying a lot too.”