6 Days In...

Well hi everyone. This timer counting down my time on the computer is really freaking me out. I don't do well under such pressure.

 

So I'm 6 days into my mission, and what on earth have I learned? Well...

 

1. Spanish is hard. I've learned how to pray, bear my testimony, sing a few hymns and how to have introductory conversations, and that's about it.
2. Doing your hair here is over-rated when you have 30 minutes to get ready in the morning. I'm not sure which hurts more, my ego or everyone else's eyes. It's debatable.
3. I have no time here. Every. Day. It's a struggle. We were told that our missions will be the longest days and the shortest weeks. The longest weeks and the shortest months. The longest months and the shortest years. I've already seen that in action.
4. An Elder told me that the MTC has a higher stress level than an military training camp does. He explained that we are experiencing more stress here than "guys who get thair nails ripped out of them." We told him to stop talking. Luckily, I still have all my nails to paint.
5. I am in the largest incoming group of missionaries that the MTC has seen in about 12 years. They had all of the sisters stand in relief society that had come in that week, and about 3/4 of the sister stood up.
6. One of my favorite parts was on the second day, we were in a meeting, teaching us about how we will be teaching individual people with different and real needs, and out teacher asked us "Do you know what is coming behind you? Do you know what you are at the front of?" talking about all of the missionaries that are about to burst out and flood the earth. it's an incredible feeling to be a part of that.

But, it's also a little scary, and very hard. Let me tell you about it So. On day three, we got to teach our first investogator. In SPANISH! As the time to teaching came closer, our lesson got shorter and shorter. All the other missionaries kept telling us to have faith and God would bless us with the gift of tongues. And when we finally got in there, I blanked on everything that I knew in spanish and let my campanion take the lead. It was the worst feeling that I've ever had. I felt SO out of control as I just sat there. Now, I love words. And I love teaching. And I know I'm good at it, so it's in my comfort zone. But when all of that was taken away from me when I couldn't speak, I didn't have anything. It was probably the most humbling experience I've ever had. Now, at this point, I'm thinking "gift of tongues...WWHHAATT??" because I couldn't say anything. That night, I felt like I was completly helpless. What could I do as a missionary, if I couldn't even talk?

 

The next morning, we got a second chance, with almost no time to plan. My compaion and I went in deciding to teach about prayer and the atonement. I shared 1 nephi 21:16, and then all I could say was "nails, hands, Christ Suffered for us. For me. For you. To be clean." My companion shared a very short limited experience of hers, and I told our investogator Ricarda "This is difficult for me. Life is difficult. But Christ Suffered for us so that we can be clean and be made whole." I realized then that the Atonement covers my Spanish too. Christ knew that this would be hard for me, and how helpless I would feel without my words, and he fixed that too.  My companion and I both cried as we prayed with her at the end. And then in the hall we prayed again, and sobbed. So red and puffy eyed, we hugged each other and I whispered in Spanish "Sister, this is hard." It is hard. It will probably be the hardest thing that I have done in my life so far. But I'll probably never do something so great in my life either. Elder Holland said in a devotional we watched last night "The Atonement wasn't easy for the Savior, so why should this be easy for us?" So true. It's a hard thing. Life is a hard thing. But we were so excited to come. I was so excited to come. AM excited. It's a beautiful thing.

 

I love my Companion Hermana Hopkins. We are kindred spirits. For sure. I love my district. I love this work. I love my Savior.

 

Share the gospel. Every needs to hear it. Everyone deserves it. It's the good news we have.  Missionaries are flooding the earth. Like in the song.

 

"Daugters of promise, lets stand and be heard. We are joining together flooding the earth.

 

I'm out of time. I love you all. Write ALL the missionaries. They needs it at love it.

 

Hermana Montgomery