First thoughts of the CCM: What am I doing here? It was a whirl wind of events from riding on a rickety, old bus through a 3rd world country, getting unexpectedly stabbed in the arm with a needle (they made me get a tetanus shot), and changing my life.
I just wanted to give a shout out first to my little Baby Belle who is 15 and driving! Dang, so much has already happened since I left. Congrats on passing the AP Geography test (I didn't) and passing her drivers permit test on the 2nd try (don't worry it took me 2 trys, too)! I am so happy for you. I am just tearing up over reading everyone's' emails and I love you all!
Ok, so Mexico...honestly most of the time it doesn't feel like a foreign country right now. The CCM is way bigger than I expected. It was converted to an MTC only 18 months ago, but it use to be an LDS high school. There is a huge influx of missionaries though so they are already trying to expand. Basically, everyone is white here and it's a nice facility with it's own clean water well so... just the bus ride was a little sketchy...
I'm not going to lie, it's so hard here. Like I am content and happy, but that first few days before Sunday were not so easy to endure. Everything is scheduled out like crazy, but I have a pretty awesome distrito. Ah, this is hard speaking only in ingles! Mi compañera es Hermana Bills from Utah. Well, lets be honest. Nearly everyone is from Utah. Only two Elders from my district aren´t from Utah, but they are going to Salt Lake on their missions! Oh, and two Elders are going to Seattle and Elder Cates is from our stake...who knew?!
The hardest thing was our first investigator on our 2nd day here. Sure, fine, I will teach someone, but to teach them fully in Spanish...lets just say that's been the hardest moment so far. Hermana Bills and I had to comfort each other that night because it was like taking a beating. We were like "Where are our moms?" Just one of those times when I needed to talk to my mom.
But, good news. Our teacher, Hermano Garza, taught us to not worry about Spanish. We are here to learn the gospel, have a testimony of all its principles, then learn Spanish. Its just difficult to have faith that I can teach a lesson in Spanish mind you, without worrying about the Spanish part. But I am so grateful that I took Spanish in High School. That plus the gift of tongues has allowed me to understand at least 80% of what everyone is saying to me. I understand way more than I thought. Our teachers only speak to us in Spanish. My compañera and I speak a pretty descent Spanglish to each other. We are on about the same level of español which has been so great. She is way outgoing and keeps my spirits up. Actually, my whole district is hilarious. It take a lot of will power to focus sometimes. But we have taught 3 lessons since then, with another one tonight and they are going much better. No, my Spanish is not perfecto, far from, but we had the spirit there so strong and it was one of the most incredible things I have every witnessed. The gift of tongues is real. The espiritu santo is very real and totally awesome. We committed him to baptism last night so things are lookin better.
That weather though....so I though Mexico in July was going to burn me alive, but I am so glad I brought some cardigans and some warmer stuff. For the most part it's pleasant, but it has rained. Not Utah rain, like really down pour rain every afternoon and night (except for one day). For those of you going to the CCM in the summer: bring rain coats and umbrellas. But like I said most of the time it's nice like when we go outside for gym time.
Speaking of gym time, our district is already like family. We do mostly everything together, including playing volleyball and messing around at the gym. The hermanas are amazing and we do do everything with them. Everyone is soooooo nice here. Like indescribably nice. A way to describe the CCM or MTC is spiritual military training with caring instructors. Haha for real!
Ah, I don't have lots of time, but I just wanted to tell you what I learned spiritually this past week. We watched a devotional by Elder Holland on Sunday. You know how that man can speak with power and authority... He got in our faces, more than just a little bit. He told us that it's not about us. We are disciples of Christ. When He was on the Earth people rejected Him. He was spit upon, whipped, betrayed and cursed at. As disciples of Christ, we will have to pay a price. We have to experience just a little bit of what He went through to understand the Atonement and to be able to bring others unto Him. It was a harsh, but loving talk. I don't know how that's possible, but it was. It just gives me such comfort in the fact that there is a whole army of missionaries out here, at other MTCs and in the field that are willing to go through these hardships for our Savior. It is truly so incredible.
I want to do like monthly challenges for any of you who are up to it. I encourage you to do it as a family. First off read 2 Timothy 2:1-3. I know that the church is true and the Book of Mormon is true because I have prayed about them and have gotten an answer. Something that I have not done until now is pray about the truth of other aspects of the gospel like tithing, the Plan of Salvation and the Word of Wisdom. I encourage all of you to pray about things to gain a personal testimony of all of them.
I love you all so much. It's crazy how you realize how much you love someone when there is distance put between you. I am so grateful for your support, and I am praying for you.
Con Amor,
Hermana Stoddard
FYI: Apparently the name Stoddard is super hard for Hispanics/Spanish speakers. My teacher is like "Will you read Hermana Stoooooah....I don't know." He is an RM that went to this high school. He is so funny and very inspirational. We told him that he speaks English with an accent and he said "I don't know what you guys talking about. I speak Englsih" (said in a Nacho Libre accent) Haha so hilarious!
Oh, and one of the pics is Mitchell and me going to see Tony on his mission in Anaheim 3 days before I left. I love my cousins!!! I love my family!!!
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