Week 5

Happy Thanksgiving!  What a great holiday. We truly have SO much to be grateful for in this life!

It's pretty much just been another "week on the farm." (in mom's words) Class, rice, beans, tortillas, more class, lesson, sleep. It's great! 

Thursday was my favorite day. We have something called TRC. We teach people from the city. Usually its just members that volunteer so we have more of a home teaching lesson or they pretend to be investigators. BUT, this week we had the sweet opportunity to teach 2 real investigators! It was actually pretty ironic. All day my companion and I had been complaining how much we just wanted to be in the field. Sometimes its hard to make lessons real when you are teaching your teacher and in a time rotation. I had a really bad attitude about TRC and just didn't feel like teaching. I felt like I got slapped in the face when we walked in and our teacher told us they were real investigators. The Lord seriously has sense of humor. It was pretty cool. It taught me two things. 1. I don't know Spanish at all. Actually that's a little dramatic, I do know some, but people can talk really fast. 2. Sharing your testimony is the most powerful thing you can do. The first guy we taught was a man named Miguel. His son was a member and he was interested in the church. We asked him some questions about his thoughts on God and such and he just talked and talked. He talked so fast! Hma. Gates and I just looked at each other and smiled. We had no idea what he was saying, but we knew he had a testimony! He started tearing up and it really brought the spirit into the room. We just bore testimony and at the end he asked how he could become a member! I was able to explain baptism a little bit. He was interested! He was as sweet man. The second time we taught we taught a woman named Natalie. She is actually a friend to our teacher. That lesson went pretty good. Again, we mostly just bore testimony. It was really cool to share it to someone who hadn't heard it before and didn't have their own. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but it was just really refreshing. It was amazing to me the love I felt for these people I didn't know. I can safely assume that that is the love God has for them. I feel so honored to feel that and be one to help them feel of His love. Our teacher just told us yesterday that Natalie was really touched by meeting with our district that night and has decided to be baptized! Woot. It really was for real. I count it a great blessing from my Heavenly Father. Just to get a little taste of what is coming in a week. I'm so excited! 

Saturday we had a branch testimony meeting because one of the districts was leaving. Instead of going to TALL (which is a language study program on the computer) we had a testimony meeting. We actually got in a bit of trouble. Our teachers weren't too happy to find us skipping our language time. I felt a little disrespectful, but I had to laugh! Our major act of rebellion was having an inspirational testimony meeting to build each other up rather than study for another hour. The circumstances were just really funny. Only in the CCM. It's our district's time to shine now! We are the oldest and ready to go. I got a letter from my mission yesterday. One of the elders in my district delivered it to me. He said is super sketchy like something was wrong so my first reaction was a sinking heart and worry that I wasn't going to be able to go to my mission. But it was quite the opposite. It was just a welcoming letter. My mission pres. sounds awesome - I'm excited to meet him. 

Anyways, mi familia. Estoy muy agradecido por ustedes. Estoy muy agradecido por este Evangelio y por la oportunidad a servir un mison para mi Dios. Estoy muy agradecido por los Estados Unidos y por mi mision en Arizona. 

I love Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what I will be able to do yet. One of our teachers asked what we wanted, so we made a list. He said he'd do his best to get what he could. We might be making hand turkeys and paper feathers...the elders have strange ideas. I know we have a special devotional, but that's all that is planned as far as I know. I'm still grateful to be here I wish all of you the best holiday. I pray for you every night! Be happy and spread the sunshine! As Dove chocolate once told me, "You can't bring sunshine to the lives of others without bringing it to yourself." I hope you get the opportunity to serve someone this week - that is a blessing in itself. I love you all and wish you the best!

Week 4

Another week down. Only two weeks left in Mexico from today! Este es muy loco. 

Este semaña has been so wonderful. SO wonderful. The Lord has really blessed us. We've had some amazing lessons with our investigators. We are getting more comfortable with the language and with simplifying the gospel. Hallelujah. Instead of planning for hours, we are now able to just walk in with our spanish scriptures and teach whatever the investigator needs. It is so much fun! 

This week has really been a week for service. On Friday, we had planned to teach our investigator, Carlos, about the Restoration. We were so excited and so prepared! We get in there and he starts off with asking us a question about the tree in Lehi's dream. Right then I knew we weren't going to say anything about the restoration, but I was SO excited! I could teach that one. I had no idea how I was going to say it in spanish, but at the moment that really didn't matter. I had shared my thoughts on this with Hma. Gates earlier so she just looked at me and urged me on. I started explaining how the tree is the love of God. The scripture John 3:16 says "For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son." Therefore, we can concur that the tree (being the love of God) is really Christ and the fruit is the Atonement. Therefore, our journey on this earth is really to partake of the Atonement and to know God. Oh my cupcakes. I didn't think my heart could feel that much joy. The look on his face when he understood it was priceless. All of a sudden, we weren't teaching Carlos, we were teaching our teacher. Man it was just really awesome. The spirit was there and the spanish just came. The gift of tongues is real. We left that lesson feeling so good. Later that day, I found out that one of our elders was having a really tough day, and was really considering going home - I didn't know that at this time. His companion came and told me he was having a rough time so I wrote him a note to help. Hma. Gates and I went outside to study the scriptures and of course, began with prayer. I just felt really strongly we needed to go in and talk to him. I wasn't sure about what, but we went in anyways. When we got to our classroom, only the two elders were there, (which was perfect) and I suggested we all read Alma 26 together. We sat in a little circle and started reading. A little side note, I absolutely LOVE reading the scriptures as a missionary. I learn something new everytime I read. Anyways, the spirit was super strong and that chapter pretty much outlines our whole mission experience. It was pretty cool. Half way through, the rest of the elders came in the classroom. I expected them to be super rowdy, but instead, they pulled up a chair and our reading circle grew. We all chimed in different comments and thoughts. It was so powerful. At the end, this elder that was struggling just broke down and told us what was going on. It was so cool to feel the love we all had for him. We spent another 30 min boosting him up and telling him he was loved. These boys are seriously like my other family. We are all there for each other. This elder wanted a blessing so they gave him one. It was the most powerful, spiritual, experience I have ever had in my life. What a sight to see 7 worthy preisthood holders surround this missionary as he called on his companion to give the blessing. We were all bawling by the end. I have never felt the spirit so strong. All but 4 of us ended up getting blessings. I loved how each one that asked for a blessing, asked their companions. It was just really cute. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to be surrounded by these angels. I love them and I know they love me. It was so cool to have all of them around me. I didn't really think I needed a blessing because we had had such a successful day, but boy was I wrong. I think because I wasn't preoccupied with something that was bringing me down, or that I needed help with, the Lord took advantage of it and told me what I needed to hear. I asked Elder Backus to offer the blessing because his blessing remind me the most of Dad, Jake, and Dustin. It just felt right. The Lord truly had a lot to tell me. I received answers to prayers I offered years ago. It just strengthened my testimony that Heavenly Father truly does answer prayers. I would count that blessing and experience as my conversion. It was pretty cool. 

That was really the highlight of the week for me. Ever since then our district has just gotten closer. It kind of scares me because I have to leave them in two weeks, but it's so fun. 

I'm getting a little nervous thinking I'll be in the field so soon, but with these experience I've had this past week, I'm so ready to go find people. It's time to storm the castle. (in Dad's words.)

I love you all, and am so, SO, grateful to be an eternal family. Hma. Gates and I starting talking about our families and we both ended up sobbing. Our elders were a little worried when they came back and saw our faces. It was funny. But really, the love I feel for all of you has only grown more and more with each week. You are all my inspiration. 

I know that this church is the true, restored church here on the earth. I know that my Savior, brother, and friend, Jesus Christ, lives. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us to return to him and to become like him on this earth. I know that prayer is real, and the Lord will answer in His own time, when you are ready for it. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, knows me, and helps me. I love this gospel. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

More Pictures...

Mi compañera y yo with our teacher Hermano Vargas and he is also Luis and José, two of our investigators. I love him so much - such a good teacher!

Random picture of Mexico...

 

That one is of today. We were driving back from the temple and a guy was selling bananas. I ended up having some pesos with me so I bought some for our district. They were so good! It was awesome to be on a bus in the middle of Mexico just chillin with some bananas.

We were super matchy matchy that day.

The FUNNIEST Latinos ever. Hands down. They always joke around with us. It's fun to practice our Spanish with them while they try to practice their English with us. 

Our teacher leaves us our homework on the board and draws the hermanas to look like me and my compañera. Just thought it was super cute.

Our district!

Week 3

It sounded like the wedding was a big hit! You all looked GORGEOUS. That was so fun to see. Thank you for the pictures! I was thinking of it the whole day! I was actually pretty emotional on Saturday. After praying for a while, I remembered that my Savior feels everything I do, and I pictured him crying with me. It was a sweet moment. I'm so grateful to my Savior and so lucky to have you all as an eternal family. :)

This week has been SO much better than the last week. I'm now considered one of the "old ones" and give advice to the newbies. That feels pretty weird. But we really do have 3 weeks left. They weren't kidding when they said the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. It's amazing. No bones were broken this week...luckily. My Spanish is slowly improving and we had a lot of success with our investigators this week. We have two now, (both our teachers) but we had an eval with them and they said we were progressing really quickly. I think we're a little too hard on ourselves. We forget we really have only been here for 3 weeks...we can't be fluent yet. I've learned so much this week though. How to be closer to the Lord, how to have confidence, a little on how to simplify the gospel. I feel very blessed. 

I've actually had a cold for the past 3 days. One of the elders in my district got it and lo and behold, everyone else got it too, except for my companion. Her time will come. I know it. She has been very sweet though, and takes good care of me. It's another opportunity to be humbled, that's for sure.

My favorite thing that happened this week was on Sunday. Every week, we have to prepare a five minute talk for sacrament meeting and then our branch president calls on 8 people randomly. I had a feeling I would be chosen this week, and of course, I was. I felt super sick(stupid cold) and because we all have the same resources to prepare our talks in what little Spanish we know....my talk had already been given three times. So, I said a quick prayer and got up and spoke from the heart. The words kept coming, so I kept speaking. It was a really cool experience. After sacrament, we had a district testimony meeting. That was my favorite. It was really cool to see my boys let their guards down and speak from the heart. It definitely brought us closer together as a district and I respect them so much more. It amazes me that I can literally spend all day with these people and I still have no idea what trials they are going through. It was neat to share. 

Katie asked what my favorite scripture was so far in the CCM. I have a lot, but one that stuck out to me was what the one of the elders gave to me after he gave me a blessing. It's Philippians 4:11-13. Check it out. It's pretty great. We also had a devotional on Sunday that talked about Luke 17:32 - Remember Lot's wife. It was a great reminder to look forward, not behind - to give everything to the Lord. It was a good pump up talk. 

Today we went to the temple. It was my second time going through, which meant I went through in Spanish. It was really cool! I didn't understand a lot of it, but what I did, I could feel the spirit. Getting to the celestial room was interesting. I felt like I just mumbled everything, but they let me through. Boom! haha. It was funny. 

Anyways, mi familia, it's been a wonderful week in Mexico and I count myself SO blessed to be here being a servant and friend of the Lord. (John 15:13-15) I love you all and truly have felt your prayers and love. Thank you for your support and humor. I love you, and the Lord loves you!

Pictures!

My comp and I like to take random pictures. She can be goofy with me. The picture of us with the Latino girls is my favorite. We sit with them at lunch and try to talk to them with our broken spanish. They are the sweetest girls and just laugh at our mistakes. I tried to give you a sense of the view..it is breathtaking. Enjoy!

Week 2

So, I can't believe that I'm already going into week 3 on Wednesday. Time flies so fast here. It's crazy. It has definitely been a roller coaster week, but I've learned so much. I forgot to mention in my last email that I went to the temple that morning. It was beautiful! It took about an hour to get there, but I loved the drive. I was really glad to see more of the city. It's crazy and there are these food stands that just tempt me. I want to go explore so bad, but we can't. I also loved leaving the campus for the temple and then coming back to the CCM. It was a testimony builder that really, the spirit is here. We are on holy ground. 

Classes are good and we finished teaching our investigator. It was a great experience. 

Halloween was just another day, but some of the elders in my district got candy from their families so they shared with me. I also learned how to say trick or treat in spanish. Its "me da para me calaverita?" We felt pretty cool saying that to everyone we saw. Unfortunately, we couldn't do anything for the Day of the Dead, but we knew it was happening around us. The city was loud and there was spanish music playing constantly. It was awesome. On our way back to the casa one night there was some party going on and we could hear the music so well. We just stopped, ran into the street, and started dancing all spanish like. We felt a little guilty afterwards, but it was really good to hear music again. I'm glad I didn't bring any music, it's actually not allowed in the CCM at all, but man do I miss it. One experience this week was kind of funny..at least now. My comp is really good at soccer, which we play alot, but I'm more of a basketball kind of gal. I finally talked her into playing b-ball with me. We played a game against some of our favorite elders. She is tiny, but I guarded her anyways. I forgot how aggressive I get playing basketball, and when catching a rebound, I smacked her in the nose with my elbow. She thought it was broken so we had to go the clinic. I felt like an idiot. Poor girl. We went home after and both said prayers that the pain would be taken away. Immediately, her nose was healed. We both just started bawling as we realized how much the Lord is watching over us. It was a miracle. I told her we could just stick to soccer now. 

I've grown a lot this week and I wake up every morning so grateful to be in this beautiful place. The people here are so amazing and I love being with them. I love you all, and pray for you every day. Thank you for your emails, I love them! I will also send some pictures. There is another Elder Homer here and we look a lot alike. It's a bit freaky. We tell everyone we are siblings. It's great. Anyways, we took a picture this morning, but he hasn't emailed it to me, so I will send it next week. 

I know this church is true, and I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who loves us enough to give us trials. I am so grateful to be a part of this work.