Week 2: "Still love it here!"

So this week has been really hard but its also been really good! Tuesday was a bit tough for me, I was getting really frustrated with learning the language and didn't feel like I was progressing as much as I should.  I was putting myself down a lot about it and my companion, Hermana Read was feeling really frustrated about learning the language too but then we had the devotional at the Marriott center and it was amazing! It was what I needed to hear.  It was about how we have been called of God and that we wouldn't be here if we weren't supposed to be. They also mentioned that a mission is the best 2 years or 18 months of our life because it is so hard.  The devotional also reminded me that God is mindful of all of us and that I am not alone.  After the devotional we met as a district and other elders from our zone and we went around the room and shared what we learned from the devotional.  The spirit in that room was felt so strongly, It hit a lot of us that we are here for a purpose and that we are going to touch lives and invite others to come unto Christ.  It is going to be hard but it will bless our lives.

 So things got better throughout the week.  I have been working hard with Hermana Read and with my district.  We have set goals as a district.  We have memorized Called to Serve in Spanish.  We have taught more lessons in Spanish.  It is still hard but we are getting better day by day.  Hermana Read and I taught a lesson about the Plan of Salvation and that is a kind of a hard and long lesson to teach but we taught for a solid 30 minutes.  It was great! Our Spanish was still a little shaky but we understood everything for the most part.  We get the message across which is what matters and our investigator that we were teaching felt the spirit!



So for the 4th of July this week we had a normal day, we still had class all day but we had a special devotional that night.  There were a few speakers and we sang patriotic songs, we also got to watch the movie 17 miracles! That movie is so great, the pioneers had to go through such hardships.  After the movie we got ice cream and we were able to go outside to watch the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire. It was way fun! We usually have to be back in our residence halls by 9:30 and go to bed at 10:30 but we didn't get back till 11:30 so it was nice to stay up and see fireworks  considering we live in a little bubble here at the MTC haha.  It's a good bubble though, I love it!  Also while I was standing there watching the fireworks I met some sisters and elders going to the DC south mission! I talked to them a little saying that I am from there and that they will love it and that they better get ready for humidity haha!  They all seemed super excited since none of them have been to D.C.! So keep a lookout for new missionaries coming! Also while we were watching the fireworks I met an Elder that was going to the Quito Ecuador mission.  He's from Mexico and he thought I could speak Spanish cause of my last name so he started rambling on in Spanish haha. I could actually understand most of it but then I had to tell him that I am not that good yet haha.  A side note, before my district and I got to the MTC the elders in my zone had the names of our district before we arrived and they totally thought I was going to speak Spanish and leave early from the MTC because I would already know it haha.  They were so WRONG haha.



This Sunday was actually a little sad because one of the districts from my zone was leaving.  It was time for them to get out into the mission field. So we had to say goodbye to them.  They all bore their testimonies and it was very emotional.  Even though we have only known them for about 2 weeks, it was still hard to say goodbye! When a district leaves as a zone we sing God be with you till we meet again in spanish.   I can't even think about saying goodbye to my district when its that time to go.  We are all so incredibly close.  There will be lots of crying when that day comes which is only like 4 weeks away, crazy! So now that a district has left we will be getting a new district this week and they are all elders.  So now we will have over 30 elders in our zone and only 4 Hermanas! Within the next couple of weeks we should be getting more Hermanas though! Fast Sundays are a little different at the MTC, we have a Mission conference which is kind of like a stake conference and then we still have sacrament meeting (fast and testimony meeting) with our zone.  We still went on a temple walk which was nice and we had a devotional which was good.  Devotionals here are all so amazing! And then we could watch a movie.  My district decided we wanted to watch the Joseph Smith movie.  It was awesome, I love that movie.  The ending is so powerful!


This week I have also been studying the Book of Mormon more in depth.  I have read it several times but since being here at the MTC I have realized what an amazing effect that book has on me and how it can effect others.   I know that it is the word of God.  I can't wait to share that message with others! Hermana Read and I studied Alma 26 together and that is seriously such a powerful chapter.  Everyone should read it if they have a chance, its amazing!

Well my time is about up here! I love you all very much! My Spanish is coming slowly but surely.  I know I will get it eventually! Thanks for everything! You all are the best!

Hermana Garces