February 17, 2015

 
This week was strange. I’ve grown and learned so much.  Not strange like bad, but strange as in ... I don’t know, just fun and weird at the same time.  I’ve learned a lot about being in tune with the spirit. I can’t believe how much I can feel God and Christ in everything.  I wish I could explain it. The other day our Spanish teacher was getting on us for not speaking enough Spanish just around the MTC, and I was thinking, "But you’re speaking English right now!!" And then I realized he was actually speaking Spanish and I felt super cool!  Everyone else here I realized is learning the language as a flashcard or memorized term, but I learn best by talking with everyone so instead of learning the term in English and having to translate from Spanish to English to understand what people are saying, I have been learning it as a completely separate entity apart from English altogether.  It’s kinda hard to explain... anyways something else to happen this week is just the other day I felt like one of our fellow district members needed an interview with the branch president.  But our district leader just kept rushing everyone along before they could make the choice to have an interview or not since we were late already for another thing because our branch president wanted to talk with us for a while.  I felt that we needed to stay but he wouldn’t. So as we were leaving I told him what I had felt and he said, “aw well, we'll just figure it out next week, were late.”  So since he is the district leader I agreed. But every step I took towards the next meeting my heart sank. So I said we needed to go back and help that elder anyways.  Then he said, “oh, he went to the cafeteria to find his scriptures,” but as he said that I got a clear image of him and his companion walking down the hall of our class building.  So I said no, and we went to the class building. It’s like my feet were just guiding me.  I was nervous because I thought maybe these are just my own thoughts. And it would look really ridiculous if we got there and they were not where I said.  But I kept going with the faith that what I had received was from God. And it turns out they were there. I was so relieved. But I knew it was God, not me, and I’m grateful for that.  I pulled the elder aside and I told him what I had felt and he said he had indeed decided he wanted an interview, but he did not want to hold everyone else back.  So I waited with him while everyone else went to the next meeting.  It's strange how I felt during that whole experience.  It was sort of powerful, yet completely submissive that it was not my power, but the Lord’s power that enabled me to help my fellow district member. I've been able to feel that power ever since.  I love it! 

On another note we started a casa war today. All the other districts in our house are out to get us because we made fake poop and put it in their toilets.  We tied our door closed and ended up escaping out our window that we had to unscrew because the screen was bolted in.  I had to take apart my pen to unscrew them.  It was pretty cool.  As part of our new zone we do family home evening, which is pretty cool.  We play signs and have a spiritual thought.  We play signs with sounds though. It’s kinda different, but I like it nonetheless. It’s very ceremonial and kinda strange.  I would compare it to a fraternity, but it totally is spiritual and helps to make the entire zone good friends.  It’s really very awesome!

The temple is beautiful.  I love it.  Possibly the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen.  I wish you all could be here with me.  Mexico is amazing!! My Spanish is coming along fantastically. No one knows how I do it because they never see me study, but I just know it’s the Lord helping me to learn as I do service and try to speak and make people smile while speaking Spanish.  I love you guys!  All of your support means a ton to me! Thank you so much! See ya later!