Week Two

Buenos tardes familia!

 

I told myself that I would be more efficient at emailing this week, but being that a gazillion things happen everyday, we will see how this goes. Just know that if you are not getting an email that I am working on a letter. The only problem with that is when you will get it! :D

 

The challenge of this week has been about trusting in the grace of Christ´s Atonement. Spanish has gotten so much better, yet the first couple days of this week were really rough for me and Hermana Hunter. It is amazing how exhausting it is to exert so much mental energy from thinking in two languages 24/7. Hermana Hunter and I are both perfectionist, so it was super difficult at first to go into a lesson with an investigator, even though it is staged, and come out feeling ineffective. Tis the life of a missionary when you care so much, I suppose. One night we were thrown into a surprise lesson with latino Elders. We traded off as being the missionaries, but we felt like total failures when it came to trying to convey gospel doctrine in Spanish. We went to bed that day a little upset, but the next day was better. At a very low point in the day I decided to watch a short video on the Atonement. In the beginning President Eyring described how the Savior, when after He completed the Atonement, had every reason to say that He was too tired to keep working. But we know that He went to the spirits in prison to preach the gospel. It was a humbling moment for sure when I heard Eyring´s testimony, because I have wanted to stop and just rest at time. Elder Holland came up later in the video and tesified ´´missionary work is not easy, because salvation is not a cheap experience!´´ Then he added, ´´Salvation was never easy! Why would we think it would be easy for us when it was never easy for Him? How could we possibly bare any moving lasting testimony of the Atonement if we have never known or felt anything of such an experience?´´ Let his words sink in a bit.

 

I have come to realize that my experience here at the CCM is a testing ground for the mission field. In one of mine and Hnm Hunter´s lessons, we decided to put our faith in the Savior and believe that He would help us. We were at our braking point, but we knew that we couldn{t go into that lesson without the Spirit, and definitely without Christ. We had faith that through His Atonement we could experience divine help in saying the words that were in our hearts, even if we couldn{t exactly say them in Spanish. That lesson was a miracle! The Spirit bore witness of our words, and we came out crying. It is super hard to have your limits pushed, but I am so grateful for the challenges I have had, and will yet have, because of the opportunities they bring to grow in testimony. I have a testimony that trials are blessings, for the sole reason that they have brought me closer to my Savior.

 

A few days letter Hunter and I received feedback from our lessons, and our maestra complimented us on how much Spanish we know. Happy day! And just the other day our investigator Karen committed to baptism! Slowly, but surely we are learning the language. Not only Spanish, but the language of the Spirit. D&C 100:5-8 has been our constant hope as we{ve gone into each lesson. The promise is real, and Hna and I know it because we´ve tested it! That´s the only way to gain a tesimony about a gospel truth: try it for yourself.

 

Entonces, General Conference was an answer to so many prayers! It´s amazing how the Spirit will cater the words of living prophets to your current needs. I loved the talk that Elder Bednar gave with his anology about the truck load and traction. And Uchtdorf´s words about gratitude? Ah! Encontra. I have found so much happiness in my circumstances, even when life is hard. Knowing Christ makes it so much easier!

 

Also, I have a new love. It honestly rivals track...so it´s pretty serious. Me and all of the Elders and Hermanas in my zone love to play ultimate football every chance we get, and it is the beeessst! The highlight of each day is either ultimate football, helado, or singing. Every minute is a fiesta if we´re not studying or teaching. It´s fun!

 

Yesterday we said goodbye to the Advancarios. We weren{t allowed to sing ´´God be with you til we meet again´´, so we sang through this big wall that separates the elder and hermanas...oops.

 

Today while we were out shopping for p-day several people waved and said hello. It´s so cool to be on the other side of things have people get excited when they see you, because you´re a missionary. Mom and I wold always honk at them and say hello every chance we got...It´s truly humbling to be on the flip side now. And I want to be the missionary that is always seen doing good.

 

Funny moments of the week:

 

At every meal time the Elders step aside in the line to allow Hermanas go in front of them. Many of them do it to be respectful, others, I imagine are more reluctant. Well, the other day as mi compañera and I were headed to the cafeteria, we saw just as two Elders were booking it the get through the doors. So funny! We would do the same

 

Hermana Purse, a super funny and random Hermana in my district makes awesome comments daily that have us all laughing in tears. One day during personal study she asked, ´´Personal study? May I go personally study my pillow?´´ Good one, Purse.

 

Well, time is up! There is seriously twelve minutes left to reply to emails. Aaaaah! I love you all - your letters will come in a few weeks! haha.

 

Bueno fe

 

Hermana Arroyo

 

PS SYDNEY F. Send me your email. :D