I love it here and I am so excited that I am no longer the newbie missionary. More missionaries came yesterday and it's great to say welcome and bienvenidos to them and to see the bright neon orange stickers on their name tag and no longer on mine. Everyone said to get through to Sunday and here I am and it's Thursday already!!!!! TIme flies. I love it here. It's been great and my companion is great!
My companion is Hermana Marshall from Logan, UT she went to Utah State, her minor is also Spanish. We are on the exact same Spanish level which is great because I was nervous that I would be companions with someone better than me or not as good as me. It worked out perfectly.
Our roommates are awesome. Two just left this week. :( so sad. One was from Dominican Republic going to Fort Lauderdale-Hermana Escorbores, Florida spanish speaking and the other is from New York...an asian/latina girl who is going to Canada spanish speaking-Hermana Camejo...(hilarious girl!!!!). The other two girls, one is from Mexico City going to Idaho, Pocatello spanish speaking-Hermana Garcia (gorgeous) and her companion is from Ecuador going to the same place-Hermana Jijon (adorable). It's been a cool experience living with girls who speak spanish fluently. They try to help Hermana Marshall and me and it's been so fun speaking with them and trying to understand them and dancing with them and laughing with them. It has been such a neat experience that I consider myself lucky because I could've just had other American roommates trying to learn Spanish too. I just feel really blessed.
I got a few letters already. My mailbox is #122. It's been great hearing from friends. I think the best mail though was a package from my former Hall Advisor from Wyview. She had all of my amazing Bldg. 17 girls write me notes on 3x5 cards and she packaged them all up and sent them off to me. My companion gave me a great idea to read one a day. It's been so sweet. I just want to thank all my girls for being awesome. I am glad I got the opportunity to get to know them and be their RA.
I see a lot of people I know here at the MTC. Whether they are teachers, or work in the copy center, the bookstore, and the cafeteria. I see people on my way to the field for gym time. I see people in the temple like from freshmen year. It's been great catching up and seeing familiar faces.
On Sundays we have temple walks and we took great pictures. I am going to send them home so they can be scanned and put on my blog. Every Sunday we are supposed to have a 3-5 minute talk prepared according to an assigned topic and be prepared to give it. The branch presidency will call on anyone for the 2 talks every sacrament meeting. It's great to be all nervous and scared but totally ready to rely on the spirit-huge testimony builder.
On Tuesdays we have devotionals. This last Tuesday it was Elder Richard G. Scott an apostle!!! It was AMAZING to hear from him. He talked all about hearing the promptings of the Spirit and relying on the Spirit to teach people what they need to know. It was an incredible talk and I felt his love and God's love for me so strongly. It was so neat when everyone in the room stood and sang "Called to Serve" It was awesome.
On Thursdays I have preparation day (p-day). I already decided that I love it. I love wearing jeans. And I love going to the temple. And I love taking a nap. And I love writing e-mails and letters. It's been great....though I love every other day of the week too! :)
I was teaching an "investigator" turns out she's our other teacher-Hermana Christensen. It was such a cool experience relying on the Spirit and teaching her in Spanish with my companion. We are a great team. We both felt the Spirit strongly. AND honestly it's incredible how sentences were coming out of my mouth that quickly and that they were understood by others in the room. It's great. I am learning more and more about Spanish and about the gospel. We taught her four times and I asked her if she would be willing to get baptized...it was awesome...she said yes. :)
I had a really cool experience the other day (the days all blend in together...I feel like I barely get to sleep when the next day starts right up again)...anyway Tuesday night the Branch President asked me to give the closing prayer in our meeting. The guy who did the opening prayer gave it in English and then the lesson was in English so I knew that I had to give the prayer in English...can I just tell you that it was actually kind of hard for me?! I always pray in Spanish now...personal prayers, companionship prayers, prayers in class, prayers for food...it's weird. I didn't really think about it until then. Obviously, I was able to do it...but it was just different...it was an awesome feeling.
My time is running out. There's so much I want to say. I have to take notes throughout the week to help me on my p-days to remember what to write to you. I love you all. Thank you soooo much for your support and love for me. Please don't forget that God loves you and is mindful of you and your sorrows, pains, and joys. Pray to Him and He will answer and help you. :) I know this personally from many incredible experiences.
Con amor,
Hermana Johnson
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