So this week was pretty hard because one of our elders went home sick. This happened Tuesday night and it surprised me how sad it was. But it's been amazing how close we all are, we have become like a family here. And when Elder Neilsen went home they took Elder Reis from our district too. So we are now the only district in our zone and we have no Elders. We are the oddball outcasts. It was rough at first because it felt like we had been forgotten, but then we started counting our blessings and it is really amazing what you can find when that happens! This place is a place of miracles. We decided to give up english for a day and only speak spanish. It was rough, but the words simply came and we were able to communicate and we learned so much! For my last two weeks in Mexico we are speaking only Spanish. Some days it is harder than others, but those are the days that I'm forgetting to seek for the Holy Ghost to be my teacher. Usually when you seek the Spirit first you're able to accomplish those things that you are trying to do. Another hard thing is that being a missionary has not made me better at volleyball. We love playing it here, but somedays I just get so discouraged because I can't play the game! So it's not the spanish or the people or the study of the Gospel, but the sports! But what I love about this work is that we don't have to be good at it, we just have to give our best and that's enough. I mean, it's not because the gospel is what the world NEEDS so badly, but Christ makes up the difference. And it's hard when that doesn't apply to my ability to play volleyball haha.
For a service project this week we all were given push brooms and were told to sweep.... the walls. It was so weird and our arms were way more sore than they should have been for all the good that our service did, but it was a good experience because everyone was so willing and happy to do even that little thing to help out and serve. Working hard to serve others with a willing heart is such a good feeling. Before that we played an epic game of around the world ping pong with our hermanastros. Its like a cardio game of ping pong with about 18 people running around the table passing the paddle around. So fun!.
The next day we had a demonstrate teaching – which are my favorite! The teachers are the missionaries and another teacher is the investigator. And every time I just learn so much from them about how to ask inspired questions and how to teach with love. This time though a teacher taught our investigator Gris with us. He was able to ask her about her life and find out exactly what she needed help with and in that moment it was so clear that this message is something that changes people's lives for the better. I learned on a deeper level about the role the Savior can play in our lives, simillar to the one he played in the life of the woman at the well, who looked everywhere for lasting happiness but couldn't find it anywhere. Christ sought her out, He knew her and He knew her needs AND her weaknesses and mistakes – and He loved her. The living water He has to give is something so precious and personal.
Later on that same day though I reached a point I haven't reached before. I broke down so hardcore. Not in tears, no. But I said something mildly funny and when Hermana Hilton kind of laughed at it. I just lost it in the middle of class. Hermano Morillo stopped class and was like, "Ësta bien Hermana *Oaden* (is how they say it) and gosh it took me so long to compose myself.. It happened like three times that day. Either I was just so overwhelmed with everything or by some sort of magic I've turned into a really comedic person. Probably the first.
This week had a few downs that were hard to get out of. One day I didn't really feel like I had it in me to teach "G", and Hermana Sorenson has been having a hard time when it comes time to plan out our lessons. I didn't know what we were going to do cause usually I'm the one who has to do the plan. But I told her that I didn't have it in me that day and explained to her how I was feeling and she recommended that we pray. After that her whole countenance changed and she took the lead and that was a miracle. We were so much in sinc during our lesson. We had planned out an awesome lesson but when we got there we both felt that we needed to teach about something else. And even though we hadn't prepared things to say in spanish specifically for the thing we were going to teach the spirit directed our words and it was such a good lesson. Ever since then we've been on fire as a companionship. Even though she has a terrible cough. But I made her pinky promise not to die so we're still good :) .
Okay so I'm almost out of time which is a bummer because there have been so many other great things that have happened this week. But Sunday, combined with our hermanastros because we don't have elders in our zone, the branch president who doesn't even know me got up and started calling people to give talks and he called my name! We are supposed to prepare talks every week but this week since we were joining with the other zone I only prepared an outline. But nope, he calls my name to give a talk in spanish in front of about a billion people. (not really.) It was such a cool experience. It's amazing how much spanish I have learned here. Not a whole lot, but enough to testify of Jesus Christ.
So this week we have a goal to qualify for the gift of tongues --we are speaking only in spanish, seeking for the Holy Ghost to be our teacher, and praying our guts out for that gift of the spirit. We wrote it on our whiteboard and Hermano Morillo comes up to us (this man is just the coolest I can't convey how awesome he is – he taught himself REALLY GOOD english because preach my gospel told him to) and says that he doens't understand it. We quickly realized how strange the english language is.
So this week I read in Helaman 10 verse 4. It says something like "he ponders on the things the Lord has showed him". If you really tell our Heavenly Father that you are going to look for the ways He has blessed your life and then think hard on it, ponder on it and write them down, with the intention of acting on the knowledge and direction you have received, you will see many things you hadn't noticed before.
Yo sé que Jesucristo vive y que este es Su iglesia resauró el el tierra hoy. Sé que Él es nuestro Salvador y que Él nos sabe perfectamente. Es difficile dar nuestras vidas, y cambiar, pero nuestro Salvador nos sabe y nos ama mucho y ayudara nos cada dia que buscamos por Él. Es un milagre estay aqui, y hay muchos bendiciones de cielo. Por favor busce por ellos!
Gosh there is so much more that has happened but I don't have any more time. I love you! Read the Book of Mormon – follow the spirit when you read, and trust that there is something to learn from everything in there. But I also think Helaman 5 is a great chapter to read and look for miracles there. Es bueno.
Love you!
Hermana Ogden.
For a service project this week we all were given push brooms and were told to sweep.... the walls. It was so weird and our arms were way more sore than they should have been for all the good that our service did, but it was a good experience because everyone was so willing and happy to do even that little thing to help out and serve. Working hard to serve others with a willing heart is such a good feeling. Before that we played an epic game of around the world ping pong with our hermanastros. Its like a cardio game of ping pong with about 18 people running around the table passing the paddle around. So fun!.
The next day we had a demonstrate teaching – which are my favorite! The teachers are the missionaries and another teacher is the investigator. And every time I just learn so much from them about how to ask inspired questions and how to teach with love. This time though a teacher taught our investigator Gris with us. He was able to ask her about her life and find out exactly what she needed help with and in that moment it was so clear that this message is something that changes people's lives for the better. I learned on a deeper level about the role the Savior can play in our lives, simillar to the one he played in the life of the woman at the well, who looked everywhere for lasting happiness but couldn't find it anywhere. Christ sought her out, He knew her and He knew her needs AND her weaknesses and mistakes – and He loved her. The living water He has to give is something so precious and personal.
Later on that same day though I reached a point I haven't reached before. I broke down so hardcore. Not in tears, no. But I said something mildly funny and when Hermana Hilton kind of laughed at it. I just lost it in the middle of class. Hermano Morillo stopped class and was like, "Ësta bien Hermana *Oaden* (is how they say it) and gosh it took me so long to compose myself.. It happened like three times that day. Either I was just so overwhelmed with everything or by some sort of magic I've turned into a really comedic person. Probably the first.
This week had a few downs that were hard to get out of. One day I didn't really feel like I had it in me to teach "G", and Hermana Sorenson has been having a hard time when it comes time to plan out our lessons. I didn't know what we were going to do cause usually I'm the one who has to do the plan. But I told her that I didn't have it in me that day and explained to her how I was feeling and she recommended that we pray. After that her whole countenance changed and she took the lead and that was a miracle. We were so much in sinc during our lesson. We had planned out an awesome lesson but when we got there we both felt that we needed to teach about something else. And even though we hadn't prepared things to say in spanish specifically for the thing we were going to teach the spirit directed our words and it was such a good lesson. Ever since then we've been on fire as a companionship. Even though she has a terrible cough. But I made her pinky promise not to die so we're still good :) .
Okay so I'm almost out of time which is a bummer because there have been so many other great things that have happened this week. But Sunday, combined with our hermanastros because we don't have elders in our zone, the branch president who doesn't even know me got up and started calling people to give talks and he called my name! We are supposed to prepare talks every week but this week since we were joining with the other zone I only prepared an outline. But nope, he calls my name to give a talk in spanish in front of about a billion people. (not really.) It was such a cool experience. It's amazing how much spanish I have learned here. Not a whole lot, but enough to testify of Jesus Christ.
So this week we have a goal to qualify for the gift of tongues --we are speaking only in spanish, seeking for the Holy Ghost to be our teacher, and praying our guts out for that gift of the spirit. We wrote it on our whiteboard and Hermano Morillo comes up to us (this man is just the coolest I can't convey how awesome he is – he taught himself REALLY GOOD english because preach my gospel told him to) and says that he doens't understand it. We quickly realized how strange the english language is.
So this week I read in Helaman 10 verse 4. It says something like "he ponders on the things the Lord has showed him". If you really tell our Heavenly Father that you are going to look for the ways He has blessed your life and then think hard on it, ponder on it and write them down, with the intention of acting on the knowledge and direction you have received, you will see many things you hadn't noticed before.
Yo sé que Jesucristo vive y que este es Su iglesia resauró el el tierra hoy. Sé que Él es nuestro Salvador y que Él nos sabe perfectamente. Es difficile dar nuestras vidas, y cambiar, pero nuestro Salvador nos sabe y nos ama mucho y ayudara nos cada dia que buscamos por Él. Es un milagre estay aqui, y hay muchos bendiciones de cielo. Por favor busce por ellos!
Gosh there is so much more that has happened but I don't have any more time. I love you! Read the Book of Mormon – follow the spirit when you read, and trust that there is something to learn from everything in there. But I also think Helaman 5 is a great chapter to read and look for miracles there. Es bueno.
Love you!
Hermana Ogden.