Week 2

Hello!!

First of all I just want everyone to know how amazing the gospel is and how I am truly loving everything so that is such a blessing. Well this is the start of my third week and i can honestly say that I have learned more spanish in these couple weeks than the 3 years of spanish I took in high school combined. Honestly. The way to learn spanish is speaking the language and totally butchering it and sometimes not even conjugating. When Im teaching I know I am butchering half the things I say but I feel so much love for the people I teach and like I just smile a lot and laugh a little and say lo siento hahah. But seriously when i teach i fully rely on the book of mormon. EL LIBRO DE MORMON ES LA PALABRA DE DIOS. I know it with all my heart. Wanna know why? because I don't do the teaching. If I did and only relied on my spanish we would all be in trouble hahah when an investigator has a question, all you have to do is pull out a scripture. The scriptures speak in perfect sophisticated spanish and then its up to el Espíritu Santo to speak to the investigators heart with power. I know this is true because i have watched it happen and i am so lucky I get to watch it happen everyday.

Okay so I wrote out a little outline cause last time I was so flustered and I wont have this short of time once I'm out on the mission. but first real quick shoutout to all my amazing friends and family in my life. I opened my email to 17 emails. I truly am so lucky and loved. I even got an email from the NJ morristown assistants about the musical number we will be perfroming for my mission presidents when they leave! sometimes I forget there is life after the CCM. 

BIRDS. Birds people. They are everywhere. They fly low and they fly right at me. They are not afraid of people but anyone who knows me knows that I don't do well with flying vultures. So yeah theres that. And one pooped on me today so thats good. First time for everything? My district calls me Tris from divergent and tell me just to get a flaming stick to fight them off hahaha. Oh speaking of animals, last night we were getting ready for bed and i saw a fat mouse run across our room and I almost stepped on it and we were all screaming and freaking out and it was so traumatic. I had nightmares about it. If that ever happens again I will probably swan dive off my bed on the top bunk. 

So apparently our district is doing really well in Spanish and since there are so few people at the CCM, they are having us teach two investigators a day! I know in the field we will be teaching way more, but it is quite the task. We try to talk and really get to know them and be their friends and we only teach for out 5 minutes. We commit them to do things in order to invite the spirit in their life and prepare for baptism and that is what we spend the longest time doing. Hermana Spencer and I were all prepared to teach a lesson to this investigator Daniel and our teacher told us his backstory and we were all pumped about it and then when we were talking to him we realized it was the totally wrong back story (That tricky teacher) and so we were both kinda thrown off and I said the opening prayer and looked over and Hermana Spencer and she whispered "Restoration" so there we went off with the restoration. It was so great for me to be able to recite Joseph Smiths first vision in spanish. It is impossible not to feel the spirit when I say it. And I know that if Im feeling it, the investigator is too. It is truly a privilege to have a member of the Godhead as a companion. 

So in the last email I told you about Hugo. We knew he was a fake investigator cause he was wayy too understanding of what we were saying through broken spanish hahah and i honestly love him. His name in Hermano Montes and he makes me want to be the best ever. The teachers here are amazing. They are so humble and their message is simple but they teach and speak with power. One day after personal study, I was reading in the scriptures about the Doctrine of Christ. (which is so simple. Repent, be clean and come unto him and be baptized and honor those convenios forever). Anyway, I was feeling pretty lousy about myself. I have always taken my baptism and the book of mormon for granted. and I have make some lousy mistakes in my life as well. Havent we all? any way I was looking bothered and Hrm Montez asked me how I was doing and i said good and he wouldn't stop asking me until I finally just told him how I was feeling inadequate just lame hahah then he had me read D.C. 29:3-6. I am so grateful for a Savior who literally died for me so that I can have a merciful god you loves me and all of us enough to forgive us of our sins so  that we can go out and do His work. 

Sorry this is so long hahaha one more thing. I gave a talk in church (oh yes in spanish, everything is in spanish) about diligence! It was so nerve-wracking but also so rewarding to stand up there and say what I believe in such a simple way. I also taught the lesson in District meeting that sunday about the importance of making and working towards Goals in the mission and throughout our lives haha sunday was a big day for me i guess. 

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. I don't know what i did to be lucky enough to have been raised in the best family ever. Mom and Dad thank you for making family home evening on Monday nights as the prophets have counciled such a priority. We have never missed one my whole life. and when i committed an inactive member who is about to be a father to hold a family night with his wife, I was able to bear my testimony about how important it really is and how the evangelio restorado prophets in our day bless families beyond belief. 

wow im so sorry just so much to say! hahaha okay well I think thats all I can think of... oh wait no actually there was an earthquake alarm and we all slept through it so yeah thats exciting. 

Love you all and the church is true. 

Cue Brittany: All eyes on me in the center of the ring, just like a circus (actually this is an earthquake circle)