HOLAAAAAAA
These past 2 weeks have been amazing. Full of ups and downs. the first week I made it to the Mexico MTC! It's a beautiful, clean campus in the middle of a hustling, bustling Mexico City. I met my comp, Hermana Garvin (love her so much) and we have a cute little apartment that we share with two other hermanas. Hermana Garvin and I keep our room very clean and organized which I love. Our Windows look straight into Mexico, so we like to look out the window and watch the people just live Their lives.
When Hermana Garvin got here she was struggling with the idea of leaving her family. Together we prayed and through faith and a blessing, she was completely spared from the pain of homesickness and she's been thriving since. It was truly a miracle and I was thrilled to witness it.
I came on this mission knowing basically no Spanish at all. Now I can carry a simple conversation, mostly use correct Grammar, and my vocabulary has expanded so much. I swear it's because of the presence of the Holy Ghost and the feeling of God's love here on this campus. I'm learning how to study. We study for like 10 hours a day! We also have a few hours of free time which is super dope. That's where we either play kickball or lift weights. That break is so needed.
OK back to the spanish. Spanish is so hard, but I have worked my butt off. There are moments where I will be super hard on myself about it but I notice I have more progress with positive thoughts. Our district has made a goal to sit with native Spanish speakers at meals so we can practice Spanish more. That has been so helpful. We've made so many friends. The hermanas in my district accidentally made an elder from the DR fall in love with us. Luckily he has since then left for the field. It was a trip. haha
We also got really close with some native speaking hermanas from Mexico who left for their missions yesterday. It was so sad to see them come and go so fast. Americans have to stay here longer because we're doing language training.
I love my district! A Lot of the boys in our district are fresh out of high-school and are barely 18. So, our teacher Hermano Flores makes them do push-ups and works in a lot of games and competitions into our curriculum which I love.
On p day we got to go to the Mexico City temple which was so beautiful. The workers there were all Latino and it was such a cool experience because I was able to see how diverse this gospel is, and how the church is truly world wide. I felt the spirit so strong.
Hermana Garvin is a baller and is a nurse's assistant. This week she was concerned that I was diabetic so she's been taking data on me just to make sure I'll survive through the mission. She also checked my blood pressure to make sure I'm alive. I've never had anyone so concerned about my health. if i am diebetic that would be a bummer. I'll keep you updated.
One thing i love the most about the CCM is the amount of time to study the scriptures. I had no idea that the scriptures were so packed with such good stuff! i'm learning a tonnn it's crazy.
I am also learning how to organize my time and be effective in my studies and efforts. Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with everything we are learning and doing, and it's exhausting on every level. When I feel this way my comp says "just focus on what's next, and do it." That helps a lot.
Well i miss you all a ton. email meeee!!! also sign me up for missionary emails PLEASE. reading emails is so fun now and i want to hear about how u all are doing. here's some scriptures.
alma 37:6-7
6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes;
alma 37:12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
alma 37:36,37
36 Yea, and a cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
alma 36:27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
alma 37:40-42, 44
40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.
41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;
42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and
44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.
I love these verses bc when we turn our lives over to God we will be granted clear direction in our lives and we will have a straight path to follow. Before I turned my life over to Christ I felt as though I was unsure what I should do and that I was wandering aimlessly. I'm so grateful for the direction god has given me in my life.
Another thing I've noticed since converting to a life directed by God is that I am more confident in myself and I have more love for myself and others.
Sé que Dios nos ama a todos. tiene un plan para cada uno de nosotros. un plan de amor. con él podemos tener paz en nuestras vidas. en el nombre de jesucristo amén.