Letter #1 - Week 1.5- Me No Speak Americano, Pero Mi No Hablar Mexican Either
September 27, 2018
¡Hola Everybody!
It's hard to believe that I have both already and only been at the CCM for 10 days. It feels like an eternity and no time at all at the same time. It is incredible being in a place where everyone is prepaing to serve in Spanish. As you try to immerse yourself in the language, you find that you don't know what the Spanish palabra is, but you can't remember what it is in English either. I'm emailing late this week because today my district had the opportunity to attend the Mexico City Temple. It is the biggest temple outside of the United States and one of the only ones in the world where angel Moroni is carrying gold plates.
After leaving my Mom and Grandma at the Idaho Falls airport, I was able to meet up with 11 other Elders traveling to the MTC, most of which were going to Mexico, but some were going to others around the world. I was the only Hermana there. I didn't actually meet any other sister missionaries until I arrived in Mexico. There were so many missionaries going from SLC to Mexico City, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was half the plane.
After leaving my Mom and Grandma at the Idaho Falls airport, I was able to meet up with 11 other Elders traveling to the MTC, most of which were going to Mexico, but some were going to others around the world. I was the only Hermana there. I didn't actually meet any other sister missionaries until I arrived in Mexico. There were so many missionaries going from SLC to Mexico City, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was half the plane.
I love my companion and my district. Hermana Gonzalez is from Tucson, Arizona. She's a very hard worker and pushes me to be better everyday. She's also going to New York City, as well as Elder Lambert, our district leader. The others in our district are going to Paraguay, Chile, and Tacoma, Washington (which is cool because that's where my brother served). Elder Wood and Elder Jensen are missing form the group picture, but everyone else is there. This past week we taught ¨Ramona¨ (our teacher) the gospel in Spanish. Teaching lessons in Spanish started on Day 3. She was role playing as one of the people that she taught on her mission. I have definately been able to see the gift of tongues here on my mission, even in the first few day. Heavenly Father qualifies His chosen.
Mexico City is beautiful and colorful. All of the buildings on the hill are the real reminder that I'm in Mexico right now. It has been amazing to be preparing to go to New York in such a wonderful place. I think about this scripture a lot (3 Nephi 12:14-16):
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love and support.
Love,
Mexico City is beautiful and colorful. All of the buildings on the hill are the real reminder that I'm in Mexico right now. It has been amazing to be preparing to go to New York in such a wonderful place. I think about this scripture a lot (3 Nephi 12:14-16):
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love and support.
Love,
Hermana Prue
What a beautiful testimony of the missionary work you have already. You were ready to go on your mission for sure!
ReplyDeleteYou're so wonderful and you will be blessed for your service as well as your family for their sacrifices.
Much love, Lisa Burns
Sounds like you're having a wonderful experience, Hermana Prue! How neat is it to have everyone in your MTC speaking the same language?! I hope the language comes to you easily, but if not, just know that Heavenly Father will use your weakness just as much as He'll use your strengths! I don't know if they still do exit 'exams' at the MTC, but I earned the lowest possible score on mine (I said I ate my lunch with a shoe and who knows what else I said, but I pretty much butchered the language). And yet, Father had a use for me, even with my language butchering abilities. LOL Best of all, He blessed me that I could understand many of the people I love best from my mission spirit to spirit -- long before I could communicate with them in Spanish. 35 years later, I've been blessed to not only love, teach & serve the people of a nation that became my second home, but through dedicated effort and tremendous blessings, I'm fluent enough in the language and have used to bless the lives of the students I teach and their families! You never know where He'll lead you and how He'll allow you to bless others. Keep up the good work and the great attitude! Te deseo mucho éxito y gran alegría en tu servicio al nuestro Padre Celestial y su hijo, Jesucristo.
ReplyDeleteAunt Kelli