Week # 1
July 30th 2013
Hello familia!
WHERE TO BEGIN? I will start with the airport.
I got to the salt lake airport and had about 3 hours until my flight. I found a few elders going to my mission, then some sisters. We looked so funny with all of us there.
When we got to LA I had to print off another boarding pass at the gate, and our plane was going to board in 25 minutes. I was the first off the plane and decided to wait for the rest of the missionaries so we could go together to our gate. Another Hermana came offf and had to go to the bathroom so I went with her, then we walked to our gate. Only LAX is so confusing and we ended up at baggage claim! Then I asked a security guard how to get to our gate and he told us we had to go outside and to the next terminal. That didn´t sound right. (I know you`re freaking out right now mom). So me and the other hermana run to the next part of the airport and get inside and I run up to the desk and I felt very large and in charge. I told him our plane was boarding and we need to know how to get there and that I needed a new boarding pass. One of the guys was heading that way and took us over to the counters and printed it out, then we ran to another line (which we cut everyone in, so i´m glad we didn´t have our missionary tags yet) then ran up to security. Luckily the line was short! We sprinted to our gate and everyone had already boarded! We got on the plane literally just in time. I was so sweaty. So I right away gained a testimony of companions. I would have been crying if I was running around my myself.
On the plane I was trying to sleep but I kept talking to these ladies from guatemala next to me, they were going back to visit family. They spoke english and were so sweet. Later when I was trying to fall asleep, I remembered that our companions and district in the mtc didn´t have to be going to our same mission, since everyone was learning espanol, and that I could have both of those missionaries with me! Then I realized that I made sure not to pray for patience before I came out here, so I was fine:)
We got to Guate at about 5 am. This country loves me. When we walked to baggage claim they had One Direction`s What Makes You Beautiful music video playing. And when we were leaving the airport in our yellow school bus, there was a Justin Bieber billboard for his concert in Octobre. I felt right at home. (btdubs my teacher is going to his concert and she like the Jonas Brothers)
On the bus I sat by my cute friend Annabell aka Hermana Phillips, who I met randomly in hawaii in May! She`s my favorite person ever.
When we got to the CCM (MTC) a bunch of Elders y Hermanas came out to greet us. The Hermanas are so cute! Not frumpy at all. They`re all super sweet and took us to our rooms. The rooms are so cool. Well, I just like the woodwork, etc. There are 4 buncks, 2 for norte`s (north americans) and two for latinas. I like our closets a lot.
My favorite part of the day is when we watch these videos called The District, which is basically a camera crew who followed a district of missionaries serving in san diego around to their meetings with investigators. I love these because they`re in english. They make me cry every time. They also make me so jealous that i`m not in an english speaking mission.
I LOVE MY DISTRICT! There is about 20 missionaries who came with us and we were split into two districts, but we get to hangout with the other district all the time.
Here`s our schedule:
wake up at 6:30, get ready for the day
7 to 8 is companera study and personal study
8am breakfast. I love this part because we sit accross from the Latinas and talk to them. Its hard sometimes because we don´t speak spanish very well, all we know are some words that we badly put together. Its so fun though.
9am we study spanish with our companion
9:45-11:15 ish we have a bunch of spanish classes
11:15- 12:20 we have deportes (sports) which is when we work out. Its so fun because we`re with the other district. We play volleyball a lot and we just laught the whole entire time.
then class and studying the rest of the time
Funny things about the CCM
-we aren`t allowed to high five or shake hands because we dont want people getting sick
-elders sit on one side of the cafeteria, hermanas sit on the other. its so funny. if i have to get food thats on the elders side i dont look anywhere but at the food, I feel like i´ll get in trouble! (I wont, but its awkward)
-when we have meetings with everyone, we have ear peices we have to use to have it translated to english
So like I was saying before, last week was so frustrating. I couldnt understand anything we were learning in class, and I was mad at myself for my bad attitude. Then at night one of my norte roommates told me something that helped me so much. She said, God could have you know spanish perfectly right now if he wanted to. That was exactly what I needed to hear. That is sooo true! Obviously I REALLY need to learn patience and have trials in the CCM. So saturday night H. Watts and I prayed that we wouldn´t be frusterated with the languae and that we can better understand what were learning. In my personal prayer I just begged to not get frusterated because I didn´t like feeling that way in the CCM.
Sunday H. Watts and I fasted and prayed A TON. I love sundays. Our classes our in english, except for Sacrament. We have to prepare a 5 minute talk in spanish and they may or may not call you up to give your talk, we also all have to prepare a lesson in english for class, which is the easiest thing ever. ENGLISH SPEAKING MISSIONS WOULD BE SO EASY!
So Sunday I felt good and was happy all day, even though I was in the el baño (the bathroom) ALL DAY! The food is seriously soooo amzing here. Its like cafe rio and the best mexican reatuarant ever all in one. ITS SOOO GOOD! But, it makes you sick at first... so the bathroom is always very musical if you catch my drift.
Monday was the best. I didn´t get frustrated once, and I was learning way better. I was so happy, even when my companion was driving me insane!
So as a district we teach an investigator. Each companionship gets about 20 mins. each to teach a night. Last night our investigator was having a problem with feelings he had towards others, and he wanted those feelings to go away. Our lesson was supposed to be about the Restoration, but it changed to personal prayer. I told him about my experience the past few days, and that I prayed to have those feelings go away. I promised him that if he prayed to not feel that way towards people anymore, that God would recognize his desire and bless him. I told him if he did those things, pray sincerely, he would feel pèaceful feelings toward those people. He loved that and was so excited to pray.
I have so much I want to say but time is running out! I love the CCM now, its great, and spanish is really hard, but i´m getting better, especially having all these altinas around to practice on.
Today is P day and I thought it would be fun to have an Olympic games with the two districts, we all thought of funny events, I can wait. Oh and I get to go to the temple today!
LOVE YOU ALL,
Hermana Terry
