Hola!
So missionary life....it's great! And the Lord is so good to us. Usually when I am about to make a big change in my life or do something important, I get really stressed out, I am a horrible mental wreck, and very disorganized! BUT, as I was packing to leave, I was so calm and peaceful. The morning before I left for the MTC was so tranquil. I didn't feel stressed, hurried, frenzied, or anything like that. There was a deep peace and happiness that has lasted all throughout the last week I echo the words of Lehi, "how great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty!" The Lord knows exactly how to comfort us, and He knew that I would need that abiding feeling of peace to get me through this first week!
It has been really great! I am in an advanced Spanish class, so the teacher talks pretty much only in Spanish, and everyone else in my district (which is my class) has grown up speaking Spanish, but they are all very helpful to and understanding of me, I appreciate and love them all so much! My companion is Hermana Palominos, from California. She is so cute, and so nice. She has just grown up speaking and hearing Spanish, so she is sometimes confused when she reads in Spanish, so I help her with that, and she helps me with understanding and speaking, because I can read just fine. It's a good match. God knows what we need, and if we prove our love to Him through faithful actions, He will bless us with those things that we need! The other sisters that are in the same apartment as us are Hnas. Dominguez and Vasquez. from PUEBLA and Bountiful, UT, respectively. How cool is it that I get to room with a sister from Puebla, the very place I am going? Her city, Atlixco, will be in my mission, and she told me to request to be sent there :) haha, I don't know that it works like that, but amazing, right? Then we have Elder Rodriguez from NJ, and Elder Pardo from Chile. They are all so great.
Speaking of great, how about General Conference? Was it just me or were all the talks about missionary work? I really liked Elder Bednar's talk, as well as Elder Uchtdorf's. A good quote from the latter's is (something like) "How can we be waiting for the rainbow if we haven't thanked God for the rain?" God lets us pass through trials for a reason, and we can't expect the blessings without first having passed through the hardships.
Okay, I am running out of time, but I want to share a really spiritual experience that my companion and I had while teaching an investigator (actors, some members, some aren't, for all intents and purposes (or intensive purposes) they are all investigators). So we were talking to a woman named Mercedes about the teachings of the restored gospel, which brought us to the story of the Restoration. I had memorized the First Vision in JS-H in Spanish, so when the opportunity came up, I shared it, and then bore my testimony about the restoration and Joseph Smith. It was the best I have ever spoken in Spanish, and I know that it was only because of the strong Spirit present after having shared that powerful scripture. It was an amazing experience, and one that will keep me going for the whole mission! The gift of tongues is real, hermanos y hermanas. I am learning to develop and strengthen this gift within myself!
That's all I have time for right now, keep going strong, do good things, be an example.
"After all the testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony, last of all, which [I] give of Him; that He lives!"
Love always,
PS, I have some photos, but I don't have time. I will send some next week. Or some other time in the future :)
peace out
Speaking of great, how about General Conference? Was it just me or were all the talks about missionary work? I really liked Elder Bednar's talk, as well as Elder Uchtdorf's. A good quote from the latter's is (something like) "How can we be waiting for the rainbow if we haven't thanked God for the rain?" God lets us pass through trials for a reason, and we can't expect the blessings without first having passed through the hardships.
Okay, I am running out of time, but I want to share a really spiritual experience that my companion and I had while teaching an investigator (actors, some members, some aren't, for all intents and purposes (or intensive purposes) they are all investigators). So we were talking to a woman named Mercedes about the teachings of the restored gospel, which brought us to the story of the Restoration. I had memorized the First Vision in JS-H in Spanish, so when the opportunity came up, I shared it, and then bore my testimony about the restoration and Joseph Smith. It was the best I have ever spoken in Spanish, and I know that it was only because of the strong Spirit present after having shared that powerful scripture. It was an amazing experience, and one that will keep me going for the whole mission! The gift of tongues is real, hermanos y hermanas. I am learning to develop and strengthen this gift within myself!
That's all I have time for right now, keep going strong, do good things, be an example.
"After all the testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony, last of all, which [I] give of Him; that He lives!"
Love always,
Hermana Cheever :)
PS, I have some photos, but I don't have time. I will send some next week. Or some other time in the future :)peace out
So glad to hear from you in the MTC. We are so proud of you and are praying for you at all times. We love you.
ReplyDeleteGrandma