Hola mi familia!
I have one thing to say about my life right now: ¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!
Really though. I am craving Taco Bell so bad right now. So, if you're reading this, please just go to taco bell and have a quesadilla in my honor.
This week was awesome. Just another average week at the lovely Mexico MTC. I can't believe I'm in Mexico... Its so weird. I'm so lucky!
Today, we got the opportunity to go to the Mexico City Temple. It was so awesome! We had to leave at 7:15, so we had to be at breakfast by 6:45. It was a struggle to be in the comedor 15 minutes earlier than normal. Sleep is so so precious. I'm glad it was worth it. So we got on the buses at 7:15 this morning and it took us about 45 minutes to get to the temple. It was so much fun to leave this bubble that is the MTC and finally get to see the world that is around us.
It is so crazy, we are in one of the biggest cities in the whole world, but inside the walls of this CCM, it is silent and is probably one of the most spiritual places on the earth, aside from the temples. The spirit is always here, constantly teaching us and transforming us. I love it. BUT, leaving was really fun, it can get stressful in here sometimes. Mexico City is so insane. Like I already said on my first email, the traffic is INSANE!
It was so fun to see all of the beautifully colored buildings and seeing all of the Mexican people, just going about their daily lives.
We also passed by this HUMUNGOUS university place. It was so huge, but it was cool to see. There was a bunch of nurses and doctors walking around.
When we got to the temple, it was the same spirit that we have at the
MTC on the temple grounds. Quiet peaceful place right in the middle of a
busy city. I love that feeling.
I have one thing to say about my life right now: ¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!
Really though. I am craving Taco Bell so bad right now. So, if you're reading this, please just go to taco bell and have a quesadilla in my honor.
This week was awesome. Just another average week at the lovely Mexico MTC. I can't believe I'm in Mexico... Its so weird. I'm so lucky!
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| Fun fact: Mexicans don't flush their toilet paper, so they have these signs in the restrooms that remind them that they should flush their paper. |
Today, we got the opportunity to go to the Mexico City Temple. It was so awesome! We had to leave at 7:15, so we had to be at breakfast by 6:45. It was a struggle to be in the comedor 15 minutes earlier than normal. Sleep is so so precious. I'm glad it was worth it. So we got on the buses at 7:15 this morning and it took us about 45 minutes to get to the temple. It was so much fun to leave this bubble that is the MTC and finally get to see the world that is around us.
It is so crazy, we are in one of the biggest cities in the whole world, but inside the walls of this CCM, it is silent and is probably one of the most spiritual places on the earth, aside from the temples. The spirit is always here, constantly teaching us and transforming us. I love it. BUT, leaving was really fun, it can get stressful in here sometimes. Mexico City is so insane. Like I already said on my first email, the traffic is INSANE!
It was so fun to see all of the beautifully colored buildings and seeing all of the Mexican people, just going about their daily lives.
We also passed by this HUMUNGOUS university place. It was so huge, but it was cool to see. There was a bunch of nurses and doctors walking around.
THE CHURCH IS TRUE, YOU GUYS!
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| The fab four at the temple |
It was
kind of scary and intimidating to do a session in espanol, but it was so
awesome, and the spirit was the same as it was if it were in English.
The workers were so sweet to us because they knew we were missionaries
and they knew we struggle with the language. Also, I was really excited
to go to the temple because our teacher, Hermana Arbon, came with us! It
was so fun! I love our teacher, shes just a really comforting person
for me to be around. I don't know why.
Last night, we had the most amazing devotional from Richard G. Scott.
It was the first ever live broad casted devotional from the Provo MTC.
It felt so great to know that the missionaries in Provo were watching
the exact same devotional as us. I just felt so united, it was so
comforting to feel like I was home for one hour. In addition to it being
the first ever broadcast devotional, It was honestly one of the best,
most inspired talks I have ever heard. So many times throughout the
night I would look at Elder Scott up on the screen, and I knew he was
being directly inspired by a loving Heavenly Father. He spoke to us
about prayer. We as missionaries needed to hear his words and I know
they impacted every single one of us differently. After the devotional,
we met as a district in our classroom, and we had a really great
discussion about what was said. We all said that we knew he was directly
inspired to give that talk to us tonight. Yesterday, Hermano Klabacka
gave us the assignment to do this spiritual assessment that is in Preach
My Gospel. We all did it yesterday afternoon, and we all scored
ourselves kind of low on prayer. We all felt very inspired by his words.
I want to share some of my notes with you all because his words were
very important to me.
He said that our father has put us on the earth so that we can succeed, converse with him at any time and any place, always trust in him. As you pray, recognize that he is near and he is listening, just speak with him, he loves you and wants to help. Don't rush your prayers, take the time to share your deepest fears and listen for his response. Read D&C 6, 8, & 9. Be careful of what you do with an impression of the heart. Ask him for things in faith and have confidence, ask the right questions. Too often we want a confirmation of our own desire. SEEK HIS WILL. Seek what he wants, then pray for the strength, capacity and effort to fulfill it. The Lord will always answer in one of three ways. 1. Peace, comfort and assurance, to know you are doing right. 2. Sense of unsettled feeling and a stupor of thoughts to know you are wrong. 3. Nothing. When he withholds an answer, it is so we can grow. have faith and take accountability. Act on something you know is of his teachings, proceed with trust. he is our perfect father, he sees the end from the beginning. He will confirm the correctness of choices in HIS timing. Act, and you will be given power. Very seldom, answers come while you are on your knees praying. Sometimes the lord lets you struggle because he knows what you need to grow. Pray even when you have no desire, that is when we most need to pray. There is no reason to fear repentance. Repentance is hope. Continually express unbounded gratitude. What god does in your life is for your eternal good. he will not abandon you, he inspired your call, this experience is for you to discover things about yourself that you never knew. He will fit the task to your capability... Then my favorite part- He said to all of us missionary languages, with apostolic authority, he blessed us with the gift of tongues predicated upon our faith and our studies.
I feel so much better about Spanish after that. I know that Richard G. Scott is an apostle, and I know that I can learn Espanol because an apostle of god blessed me that I will be able to. So awesome. I love apostles.
OH!! Last Thursday we did this thing called TRC. I don't know what it stands for, but we got to teach real investigators... Well they aren't actually investigators, they members of the church in Mexico City. But it was so awesome. H. Schaefer and I got a young girl who was 18, and she actually isn't a member of the church. She lives with her aunt and uncle, who are members. She was such a sweet girl. We talked to her for 15 minutes and just got to know her. It was so fun to converse with her, I felt so much love for her in such a short amount of time. We then spent a few minutes sharing our favorite scriptures and bore testimony to her. It was way awesome. I know the gift of tongues is real! During my studies and while I talk to the other members of our district in Spanish I always feel like my Spanish is terrible, but when I go into a lesson, all of a sudden I can say what I want to say. Definitely not perfectly. Actually no where near perfect, but I can get my point across and I can teach people and bear powerful testimony. It is a miracle. TRC was such a good experience and I am really excited to get to do it again tomorrow.
We had some really bad lessons this week, then on Saturday and yesterday, we had some really great lessons. Earlier last week, we had a really horrible lesson with Lucas. He wasn't focused and he didn't really understand or believe anything we were telling him. On Saturday though, we felt really prompted that we should talk to him about the Book of Mormon, then during my personal study I found some scriptures that I wanted to have him read.During our lesson on Saturday, we had really fun conversation with Lucas and we got to know him a lot better, then we got him really involved in the lesson. He agreed to read the passages in the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he read the Book of Mormon, he would know that it was true and that Joseph smith was a prophet. It was awesome. I'm excited to teach him again in a couple of days.
Yesterday, we had a really really awesome lesson with Holly. We had talked to her about baptism a few days earlier and she said she wasn't sure that she felt like she was ready yet, so we taught her about the Book of Mormon, then yesterday, we decided that we should talk to her about baptism. We shared some verses from the BOM and then talked to her about the holy ghost. We asked her lots of questions and she had really great responses and she just kept smiling and saying "me gusta!". Then she committed to baptism. I'M so stoked!
Earlier last week, we had a lesson about the atonement from Hermano Klabacka. It was such a powerful lesson. For the first time, I really thought of Christ as a person, not just the son of God. I realized how sad he must have felt and what a hard thing he accomplished. Then we talked about Christs first miracle, John 2, he changes water to wine. In his first miracle, we learn that Christ has the power to transform. That was so powerful to me. Christ has the power to transform. I know that if we put our faith and trust in him, He can transform us through the atonement.
OK, now the saddest thing EVER. The first generation left on Monday. They are actually on their missions now. It is so weird not having them here. We looked up to them so much, they were incredible examples to us.
 |
| District 11-C at the temple with Hermana Arbon |
He said that our father has put us on the earth so that we can succeed, converse with him at any time and any place, always trust in him. As you pray, recognize that he is near and he is listening, just speak with him, he loves you and wants to help. Don't rush your prayers, take the time to share your deepest fears and listen for his response. Read D&C 6, 8, & 9. Be careful of what you do with an impression of the heart. Ask him for things in faith and have confidence, ask the right questions. Too often we want a confirmation of our own desire. SEEK HIS WILL. Seek what he wants, then pray for the strength, capacity and effort to fulfill it. The Lord will always answer in one of three ways. 1. Peace, comfort and assurance, to know you are doing right. 2. Sense of unsettled feeling and a stupor of thoughts to know you are wrong. 3. Nothing. When he withholds an answer, it is so we can grow. have faith and take accountability. Act on something you know is of his teachings, proceed with trust. he is our perfect father, he sees the end from the beginning. He will confirm the correctness of choices in HIS timing. Act, and you will be given power. Very seldom, answers come while you are on your knees praying. Sometimes the lord lets you struggle because he knows what you need to grow. Pray even when you have no desire, that is when we most need to pray. There is no reason to fear repentance. Repentance is hope. Continually express unbounded gratitude. What god does in your life is for your eternal good. he will not abandon you, he inspired your call, this experience is for you to discover things about yourself that you never knew. He will fit the task to your capability... Then my favorite part- He said to all of us missionary languages, with apostolic authority, he blessed us with the gift of tongues predicated upon our faith and our studies.
I feel so much better about Spanish after that. I know that Richard G. Scott is an apostle, and I know that I can learn Espanol because an apostle of god blessed me that I will be able to. So awesome. I love apostles.
OH!! Last Thursday we did this thing called TRC. I don't know what it stands for, but we got to teach real investigators... Well they aren't actually investigators, they members of the church in Mexico City. But it was so awesome. H. Schaefer and I got a young girl who was 18, and she actually isn't a member of the church. She lives with her aunt and uncle, who are members. She was such a sweet girl. We talked to her for 15 minutes and just got to know her. It was so fun to converse with her, I felt so much love for her in such a short amount of time. We then spent a few minutes sharing our favorite scriptures and bore testimony to her. It was way awesome. I know the gift of tongues is real! During my studies and while I talk to the other members of our district in Spanish I always feel like my Spanish is terrible, but when I go into a lesson, all of a sudden I can say what I want to say. Definitely not perfectly. Actually no where near perfect, but I can get my point across and I can teach people and bear powerful testimony. It is a miracle. TRC was such a good experience and I am really excited to get to do it again tomorrow.
We had some really bad lessons this week, then on Saturday and yesterday, we had some really great lessons. Earlier last week, we had a really horrible lesson with Lucas. He wasn't focused and he didn't really understand or believe anything we were telling him. On Saturday though, we felt really prompted that we should talk to him about the Book of Mormon, then during my personal study I found some scriptures that I wanted to have him read.During our lesson on Saturday, we had really fun conversation with Lucas and we got to know him a lot better, then we got him really involved in the lesson. He agreed to read the passages in the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he read the Book of Mormon, he would know that it was true and that Joseph smith was a prophet. It was awesome. I'm excited to teach him again in a couple of days.
Yesterday, we had a really really awesome lesson with Holly. We had talked to her about baptism a few days earlier and she said she wasn't sure that she felt like she was ready yet, so we taught her about the Book of Mormon, then yesterday, we decided that we should talk to her about baptism. We shared some verses from the BOM and then talked to her about the holy ghost. We asked her lots of questions and she had really great responses and she just kept smiling and saying "me gusta!". Then she committed to baptism. I'M so stoked!
Earlier last week, we had a lesson about the atonement from Hermano Klabacka. It was such a powerful lesson. For the first time, I really thought of Christ as a person, not just the son of God. I realized how sad he must have felt and what a hard thing he accomplished. Then we talked about Christs first miracle, John 2, he changes water to wine. In his first miracle, we learn that Christ has the power to transform. That was so powerful to me. Christ has the power to transform. I know that if we put our faith and trust in him, He can transform us through the atonement.
OK, now the saddest thing EVER. The first generation left on Monday. They are actually on their missions now. It is so weird not having them here. We looked up to them so much, they were incredible examples to us.
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| Me and Elder Scaife, one of the awesome first generation elders. He called me Hermana Kanye West hahahaha |
When we got here, they were at exactly the point we are at now. They
had been here for 3 weeks. I remember sitting in the first sacrament
meeting and hearing them give their 5 minute talks and thinking, "There
is no way I can do that in 3 weeks". But, here I am, 3 weeks later,
preparing a 5 minute talk in Spanish about repentance. I really hope I
don't get picked to go this week. Ugh. But anyways, it was so so sad to
say goodbye to them on Sunday night. We had a district in our branch
that was just a couple classrooms down from us and we would chat with
them during TALL, lunch and during breaks. I admired them all so much.
Especially the Hermanas, Hermana Stewart and Hermana Carter.
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| Hermana Schaefer, Hermana Stewert, Hermana Carter and Me. They left for Ecuador on Monday. I miss them so much! |
They were
so awesome, and they looked out for us. When I was sick, H. Stewart
would find me every day and ask how I was doing and give me the biggest
hug. I miss it! Its so awesome to think that will be me in 3 weeks though! I'm so
excited to get out into the field. I'm so scared though, learning a new
language is hard, but I know that it will come as I use it out in New
Jersey.
It rains SO MUCH. We have had so much rain this week, and it is so cold. Its awful. I love the rain, but not when its cold. I miss the hot Arizona rain. Since when is rain cold?
Ugh, I almost forgot to mention. We have roommates. They are nice, but I really miss having a room to myself. They are Latinas, and they are just the sweetest girls, but they don't exactly measure up to the Latinas that lived with us previously. I miss them!! But I'm glad that none of the new ones speak any English. We are being so forced to learn Spanish now. We HAVE to communicate with them now that we live in the same room and we share our stuff. Our communication is so interesting sometimes. Sometimes they just say this really fast stream of nonsense so I just stare at them blankly for a second and say "Si." They think it is hilarious. hahahaha.
Have i mentioned to you all how much I love my district? Because I really love my district. I'm going to be so sad to leave them all in 3 weeks, but wow, I don't know if the world is ready for this. District 11 is about to unleash some incredible missionaries.
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| Elder Hatch asked us to sew his suit jacket for him. He brought it to us during gym time. We were laughing so hard at how silly he looked with his jacket on over his gym clothes. |
I still love all the Hermanas here too! The super six is still going
strong!
I love eating with them every day. They're awesome girls. BUT, sadly, this is Hermana Scow and Hermana McDonald last week here! On Monday they leave for the field. Ugh, saddest thing ever!I guess the super six will just have to shrink to the fab four. It will still be awesome though.
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| The Super 6. I love these girls mucho mucho |
I love eating with them every day. They're awesome girls. BUT, sadly, this is Hermana Scow and Hermana McDonald last week here! On Monday they leave for the field. Ugh, saddest thing ever!I guess the super six will just have to shrink to the fab four. It will still be awesome though.
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| Hermana Scow likes to creep on our class sometimes |
Tuesday is the most exciting night of the week, because we get to see
all of the new missionaries come off the bus, and most importantly, we
get pizza for dinner. Not just any pizza though. COSTCO PIZZA!! YESSS!! I
LOVE AMERICAN FOOD! Also, on Tuesday, its service day!! Service is
always so interesting, I love it. But, this week really wasn't that
great. It was actually really disgusting actually. We had to wash the
tables in the comedor just like we do every week, then they took us
outside behind the comedor and told us to sweep up all of the little
needle things on the sidewalk, so we did that. Then, this is where it
gets disgusting, they told us to remove the metal from the drain, and
lift up all of the needles that had fallen into the drain. With our bare
hands. It smelled so bad. I don't even have words to describe the smell.
So then we smelled really awful and we had black hands, and we only had
30 minutes to get showered and ready for dinner and devotional. Oh the
joys of missionary work.
But really though, missionary work is such a Joy.
But really though, missionary work is such a Joy.
I love my savior Jesus Christ and my Loving Heavenly Father with
all of my heart. It is hard to be here so far from home sometimes, but I
trust them to keep you all safe. I love you and miss you all so much!
Hermana Clark
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