Hola Everyone!
Wow what a week. So after you dropped me off it was a complete whirlwind. My host led me to a building where I got my tag, and checked in, and then got on a bus to head to West Campus. (Tell Cole Vance that he was right; it does feel like you're a bunch of cattle being herded from place to place.) I didn't really have time to be sad or scared really; there was too much going on!!
So I have TWO companions: Hermana Rhondeau who is in my district, and Hermana Wells who is a solo sister in the intermediate Spanish district. They're both great girls and I love them already! I definitely lucked out with my companions. Hermana Wells is headed to Panama, and Hermana Rhondeau is heading to Merida with me!! There are two other hermanas in our district; Hermana Cook and Hermana Messenger. We're the only hermanas in our zone so we kind of function like one big companionship. I guess our zone hasn't had hermanas for a WHILE; one of the elders told us "I feel like we're the lost boys and we found our mothers!".
And that about sums up our zone. Hahah
The elders are great; it always strikes me how YOUNG they are. In reality these are 18 year old boys who are choosing to dedicate two years of their lives to the Lord. It's really impressive that they all chose to do that. (I'm not saying they don't act like 18 year old boys sometimes, but for the most part they're great. There are six of them in my district and they are all fresh out of high school, and sometimes they get a little homesick which brings out the mother in me.
Spanish is going. It's true they have you teach the second full day there. It is also true that that is incredibly difficult to do. Hermana Rhondeau and I were a mess after that lesson, but in subsequent lessons it did get better, and there are times where we just get in tune with our investigator and the Spirit and even though our Spanish is horribly broken we someone get the message across and it's powerful. We were practicing challenging people to baptism last night, and even though it was just my companion I felt the Spirit so strongly and I was able to say everything I wanted to say, and as soon as I was done I couldn't remember a word I said. I love Spanish!
Awesome stuff that happened this week:
They broadcasted the Ogden temple re-dedication here. It was so powerful to be in a room full of missionaries during that sacred event, and when we all stood and sang the Spirit of God....it was so powerful. Also.....Elder Ballard came and spoke to us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so good! He told us he just wanted to talk to us like a grandpa, his talk wasn't really written down, he didn't read off the teleprompter; he just talked to us. He spoke about a lot of really simple powerful ways to be better missionaries. My favorite part was at the very end: "I get up. And then I do the best that I can." That is now my motto for the mission. Also, there is nothing like hearing an apostle of the Lord bear testimony of this gospel. So amazing.
Not as awesome...but pretty great:
On Wednesday (my 20th birthday for those of you who are paying attention, thank you Dad for the package!) we got up early to do service, packed up, and MOVED. Yes moved, again, to Main Campus. I guess they're shutting West Campus down so they're slowly moving missionaries over to Main Campus and we're the lucky branch that gets to go first. Woooo..... ;) Main Campus is nice, but I was just adjusting to West Campus. West Campus was completely Spanish speaking so everyone said "Hola" and such all the time, which I miss. And instead of just having a classroom like we do here, at west we had a whole apartment for our classroom. We liked to go study on the balcony (I think I sent a picture). And where we share a room with the five of us here, at west we had an apartment with our own bathroom and a kitchen....It's been an adjustment. I think my least favorite part is being the new kid again. Oh well I'll adjust. On the plus side, the food is a lot better here!!!! (Also we've developed a # here; #MainCampusProbs. hahah)
So that means my address has changed too:
Hermana McKenna Dee Wilson
OCT 27 MEX-MER
2013 N 900 E Unit 351
Provo, Utah 84062
And Thursday is permanently my P-day. :) (We went a week without a P-day...that was REALLY hard hahah.)
Well, that was my week. I am loving it so far, and I am SO HAPPY! I love being able to spend all day studying the gospel and feeling the Spirit. I know that this gospel is true. I know that with every fiber of my being; and I can't wait to be able to teach the people of Merida. I know that I can't do this alone, but that in the strength of the Lord I can.
Love you all!
Hermana Wilson
