Week #2

First off, I am so sorry for the worst missionary letter ever last week!! This one will be better.

 I´m writing to day because tomorrow for Pday there is a Big Wal-mart trip planned. Its seriously a big deal and everyone is looking forward to it.

Since coming to Guatemala I have been super humbled.  Not because im in a third world country, I have hardly seen any of Guatemala.  For some reason I thought the mission was going to be SO EASY!!  Wake up call was last week, as you all saw.  Language is hard, but I have changed my attitude about learning it.  Im getting better, its gonna be fine.  I´m not here for myself, at all. I was being so selfish last week.  This mission isnt about me.

I LOVE THIS MTC!!! THE FOOD IS SOOO GOOD!!!  Avocado's arent expensive here, so they give us guac ALL the time, and its delicious.  We literally eat like kings.  Im gonna be sad to have to make my own food when I leave.

Mom- Thank you for sending me balloons!!

Everyone is pretty fascinated with it.  My cute friend Hermana Phillips brought balloons too! She can make a dog and a giraffe.  I made my roommate an octopus for her birthday yesterday, im pretty proud of my work.  My fish needs some serious work.

They are re-doing a lot of the mtc so there is a bunch of construction. 

Its gonna be so nice.  They just finished they entry way for the hermanas entry way and a bunch of classrooms.  We´ve been having class in the cafeteria and sharing with the other district sometimes, so it will be nice to have an actual classroom.

I totally offended a Latina!!!  She´s my favorite one, and we always joke with each other.  She always jumps out and scares me and me laugh.  The other day I passed her in the hall and she pretended to scare me so I was all sassy and said "latina" cause I could't remember to pronounce her name.  We were being funny about it, then later her friend told me she was really mad at her and thought I was talking down to her, so I went to apologize and she kept running away from me.  The next day she apologized with a flower made out of napkins and a note.  It was really sweet.  I felt so bad!  I learned that you have to be VERY careful about joking with latinas.  

We did olympics last week, it was sooo funny.  When the two districts came out, all of us happened to be wearing reds or blues, so we split up into teams by colors.  Then the elders began singing the national anthem and we all joined in.  One of the elders was actually wearing red white and blue, so he grabbed onto a pole and another elder grabbed his feet and was moving him like a flag, so we all sang towards him, we were laughing so hard, it was so funny.  Then we just did relays back and forth.  Best deportes (sports,excersise) ever!

We got to go to the temple on pday, and we get to go tomorrow.  It is SO TINY!!  We did an english session, it was really special.  I get to go to the new Guat temple in my mission.

Elder Holland is possibly the best speaker in the entire world.  I don't think anyone can deliver a message the way he can.  Try to find this video on Youtube PLEASE and (post it on my blog if you can find it mom), Its called " Missionary work and the Atonement" by Elder Holland.  It was given at the MTC a few years ago. Its so amazing.  One of my favorite talks on Christ probably ever.

Our district is always really goofy in class.  The babies (elders) are still kind of immature and they make jokes all the time.  At night when i'm really tired and we´re in class I think they are soo funny and just laugh all the time... but now I laugh at them during the day too.  I think my IQ is going down.  Actually im positive.  A couple days ago an elder brought popcorn to our class (we have a microwave cause we have class in the cafeteria) and shared it with everyone.  Someone mentioned something about where they grow the seeds and I asked "what kind of seeds do they use?"... popCORN..

 Then at dinner one night we found out an elder is from the mountains of Reu, and speaks Ketche(?) the language I would speak if I serve in the mountains.  I tried calling him over "Hermano, hermano!" he finally came over and I noticed his tag said "Elder" and not "hermano", I told hermana Phillips, I think he´s going stateside, and she looked at me weird. Then his companion came over and his tag said "Elder" too!  I was like "I think they both are going stateside!"  Then is dawned on me.. all of the tags say Elder.  So I know the CCM is helping with my espanol and patience.. but thats about it.

I´m a pro at speaking spanglish now, but I realized it's not going to get me very far.  I had to teach a latino in espanol, and he doesnt know any english, so I cant use the spanglish i´ve mastered.  It was cute for a second, but its not gonna cut it in the real world.

Mom and Tammi, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DEAR ELDER LETTERS!!!! It totally made my night when they brought them to me!! Everyone, go to dearelder.com and write me:)

It rained the other day durning deportes, IT RAINS SOOO HARD HERE!!  It was SO loud and rained so much for like a minute, then it stopped.  It was just a little taste of what I will get in Reu.

My companera y I got sick a couple days ago.. its my fault though. In the morning she was like, "my throat hurts, does yours?"  I was like "no." then durning breakfast I was trying to be a nice companera and let her have a taste of my OJ... then I got sick with a sore throat, and now its just a cold.  I think its in its final hours though.  I doTerra´d the heck out of it (THANK YOU FOR THE OILS!)   No one really wears scented perfumes her, excpet the latino elders and some of the latinas, so when I have the oils EVERYONE asks what it is, because they aren´t used to smelling anything.  I smell like Teresa and Roger´s house lol.

Last night my comp and I were feeling awful and were so tired, but we decided to be obedient and go downstairs to watch the devotional (we watch old devos given at the Provo MTC with a few american districts) let me just say, the Lord blesses obedient missionaries. It was devotional from last year, we started with a song, then a special violen musical number, then they were like, "and now we have another special musical number" (by this point we were like, come on, on with the talk) "by Elder David Archuleta"... lets just say Isolated missionaries + David Archuleta= BEAMING hermanas and annoyed Elders.  We were so excited!!  He sang "The Sprit of God", and sang the second verse in espanol!  Thats one of my favorite hymns in espanol, we sing it all the time (and Sisters in Zion because the elders think its so funny) it was so cute!  Then he got emotional at the end and all the hermanas were loving it and the insecure elders were laughing.  But let me tell you, it was definiatly a treat.

Also, yesterday we had a class from the doctor here about how to stay healthy.  It's safe to say he scared everyone, and no one will be drinking water that isn't from a water bottle.

LOVE YOU ALL!!  THANKS FOR THE EMAILS!  Send pictures!

DyC 59:23

"But learn that he who doeth worksof righteousness shall recieve his reward, even peace in this world..." I love this. If you are having trouble finacially, family related, spiritually, etc, wouldnt you do anything to feel hope or peace? I love the promise of peace in this world, because as the last days approach, I feel like the blessing of peacewould be worth anything.

love, Hermana Terry

ps.. i dont think ive ever heard my last name so many times in my life.

Kevin and Chris, Thank you for the check, that was so nice!  I accidentally brought it with me to Guatemala so i´m going to send it  home.  THANK YOU!

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.  

I am SUCH a baby. And whoever told me not to worry about learning espanol before the mission because i`ll learn it at the ccm (mtc)... never give that advice to anyone.  Last week was the most frustrating week of my entire life.  I almost yelled at a teacher.  All of these newly high school graduates have been taken spanish for the past 4 years and I haven't touched (idk why its slanted now but idk how to change it because everything is in espanol) spanish in 7 years!! They are understanding everything so quickly and I have no idea whats going on. Our teacher for the evening is nice.. but one night he started teaching some chart that everyone knew about and I had no idea what he was doing, because he didn´t explain anything, etc etc.. thats when I was ready to cry/yell at him/i dont know what, when an elder in my district came and helped me.

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

Jaclyn arrived at the Guatemala MTC Wednesday July 23th

K, I  only have 5 minutes!!!  I am at the MTC. I LOVE IT HERE!!!!  This year and a half is going to go by sooo fast!!  The food is amazing. I have to go, love you.  P day is next tuesday. Expect emails around 1 thirty.

 Love,

 Hermana Terry