That was my answer

Made it the Temple!

Dear Family,

Hermana Granados was my companion this week. It was a crazy week, needless to say. I feel bad for her because she was originally in the 3-week Latino program, but due to medical reasons, she ended up staying here for 7 weeks! On Saturday, she broke a chunk of her tooth off and we were worried that she'd have to stay even longer (the same thing happened to her old companion, and she wasn't able to get her tooth fixed for 4 weeks). But we got a priesthood blessing and then Granados and I were off to the ER! (I LEFT THE MTC! I WAS IN REAL LIFE! And I was alone in the lobby for several hours!)

We just had several adventures together all week. All too soon, she left for Mexico City North, and I'm back to three companions. She's going to be an amazing missionary. She listens so well and she's so full of wisdom. She was a big help to us STL's (Sister Training Leaders) -- and speaking of which! Eight new girls!! It reminds me of the craziness that happened my freshman year of college when there were that many of us in one dorm.

 Moroni with Plates

Visitor Center

As Sister Training Leader's, we have to interview our girls one-by-one each week. I enjoy getting to know the girls, but it also means I have zero personal study time! Which is my favorite. But, oh well. I'm still ahead of my class for number of words memorized. There was one sister I interviewed who was frustrated because she was a light sleeper and there was a heavy snorer, so she got no sleep at night. LUCKILY, my magnificent mom packed some ear plugs in my first aid kit! So Hma Granados and I sprinted back to the casa (it's 9:25 pm and you have to be in your houses at 9:30) to get the earplugs and then we had to sprint to the new sister’s house, then back to our house. We made it on time, because we're just so exactly obedient. Also sprinting at 10,000 feet above sea level is not easy, and we were laughing the whole time.

Guess how many new girls we're getting this week! SIX more!! Personally, I'm super grateful for all these new girls. I think it's God's way of answering my prayers for more charity and patience, and for more opportunities to serve. This week was tough mentally, but when I felt bad, I just prayed to know how to help my new girls. For anyone who has watched “The Character of Christ” by Bednar (this link is a written version) where he talked a lot about how Christ was so selfless and was constantly turning outward. I'm trying to do the same.

My companions and I had to give a tour to 20 new Latina hermanas. My Spanish was intelligible, and I understood half of what they said. Gift of tongues, dawg.

I've been learning a lot about how I receive personal revelation. I recognize 95% of my answers in things that people say. My answers are usually not thoughts that pop into my head. Except one night! I was praying for a particular sister that was causing a lot of hard feelings in her district, and I wanted to know how to help her. I waited a few seconds after my prayer to see if I felt anything-- and I was reminded of a lesson that was given in an STL training meeting! (You can listen or read the story here). This guy, Ensign Blair, is on a boat and they're in a storm, and they only have half an engine or something. He prayed to know what he could do to help. He felt that he should walk around the ship and gather more information. And that was my answer-- gather more information. I just need to talk to this sister more and hear more of her side of the story. I'll have to let you know how everything turns out, because this has been a problem all week. It's kind of stressing me out.

Mexico City Temple

I just went to the temple! Everything was in Spanish, but I wore a headset so I could try and catch all the changes. I got pictures! This temple is the largest in South America and their Moroni is one of five in the world that is carrying the plates!

Mexico has some crazy drivers, and I've heard the DR is even more lawless. An elder in my district said his brother couldn't even walk on the sidewalk because drivers just... go everywhere.

OH! And JEFFERY R HOLLAND spoke last night! Well technically he was in Provo, but it was a live broadcast! And it was awesome. He just wants us to be good, obedient missionaries. Also, he's funny and it's too bad you can usually only see him during General Conference. The 12 are a lot less stiff when they're giving devotionals. He tried to tell us that we share similar callings. Then, he looks at the camera and throws in, "except I'd have to die to get out of mine."

During this lovely devotional, we sat behind some... singers. We had just had our new mission president tell us that we need to be more reverent. Then we start singing the opening hymn and I thought, "Wow, there's someone else singing alto" and then I thought, "I can't even hear myself sing alto." But she wasn't even singing alto, she just sang whatever she thought would fit. So she jumps between tenor two octaves up and then bass and then... searching for the note for like five seconds... It was wild. Also, she was loud. It was like a bagpipe drone right in my ears. No emotion or anything, just solid shoving air out her pipes. Me and my companions tried so hard not to laugh. Then we sang the second opening hymn, Called to Serve, in English (we were trying to kill time since we were waiting for the broadcast to start) and we start singing, except then Hermana Bagpipe's companion says, "Okay, let's just sing as loud as we can" and now I have two bagpipes behind me. Also, there was an elder somewhere in the corner who would throw in a very loud "WO-AH!" after ever "forward, pressing, forward." Hermana Day, my comp, was laughing so hard from everything that when she gave me back my himnario, it was wet with sweat. After our song, Hma Bagpipe II says to Hma Bagpipe I, "Wow, singing in English is so fun!" And they sang like that for every single song.

Then we got home and I forgot my skirt wasn't stretchy and I tried to climb into my top bunk and I hear a giant RIP and now I need to mend that skirt so it fits missionary standards again :) Also Hermana Day just got a package from home full of lots of goodies and ginger ale. She realized that she opened her box upside down so she flips it and opens the top. It was covered with pretty scrapbook paper and stuff. Then it's time for bed and Hma Day tries to move her box that is now open on both sides and everything crashes out and the ginger ale cans go everywhere. I felt bad for laughing so hard, but she was laughing, too. The end.

Also, I heard the basement caught on fire back home! All the exciting things happen after I'm out of the house! :(    I hope everyone has a fantastic week.

Love,
Hermana Ludlam