9-26-2011

Hola hola everyone!

Mi listas para la semana....

AWKARDS, INCOMODOS, Y CHISTOSOS

• ladies nursing in public. everywhere.  I especially feel bad for the elders!
• the other day we were in a lesson with a really ´catholic´lady (that meaning they have always had the catholic tradition but never have gone to church... but they would never in their lives think that it would be possible for something else to be true.  basically that is everyone here! haha) and the first thing she says is ´pero no obligaciones... porque nosotros somos catolicos!´ and we were like oh.. ok then. haha.  So we talked a little bit about the first lesson and usually we extend the ´would you´baptismal commitment which is basically if the Lord answers your prayers and you feel that this is right, would you be baptized.  So we weren´t thinking we should do that because she didn´t really receive the lesson so well and we knew we wouldn´t be going back to her, but my companion looked and me and kinda gave me ´the look´... so I totally took that as a sign that I should give the commitment.  So I start saying it ´a medida que el Senor contesta...´ and I see out of the corner of my eye my companion shaking her head like ´don´t do it don´t do it!!´ so halfway through I totally switch it around and try and change it to say something like if the Lord answers your prayers and you feel like this is good, would you be interested in learning more and having us come back? or something like that... hahaha.  Anyway... it totally did not work and made no sense, and she was so confused, and I had to try so hard to not laugh.  I tried to save it... but it just didn´t work!  So many great things happen while teaching...
• another time we were giving a first lesson and my comp was in the middle of a sentence and then out of nowhere this dog walks up and it´s face and eye is all bloody and it was all scraggly and missing hair and stuff (seriously.. so freaky looking) and in the middle of her sentence she goes right into ´oh su perro!!!´hahahah.  I think you had to be there, but seriously the whole situation was so funny.  I kept laughing and had to try and disguise it as coughing because I felt bad, but seriously the dog was so freaky looking and ugly and my companion and everything... it was just so great.

AWESOMES

• so every night I have been hearing these groups of drums in random places and I kept wondering what it was... I was picturing like some type of ritual like people dancing around a fire or something, hahah.  Finally I asked someone and he told me that all of the schools have groups and they compete, and it is like a big thing here. How sick is that!!  He told me that they practice every night from 8 pm til 4 in the morning... for real!  I thought I was dedicated in high school!! I mean.. maybe I heard him wrong, but I swear that´s what he said, and I wouldn´t be surprised because we seriously hear them all night.  But it´s so awesome... they are full on drumlines.  I haven´t actually seen them yet but I see people carrying their drums around all the time, and they are really torn apart... all my drummer friends in Utah would die if they saw them, haha, but they actually really sound pretty decent and their lines are pretty clean! I talked to another member and all her sisters do percussion... so awesome!! It´s called ´escuela dosamba´ and then they also have ´banda musica´ which is just normal band... and all of them have big competitions between each other every year.  So awesome!!
• ok just a quick experience for the week that actually happened today. We were having lunch with some members and of course as usual I am lost in the conversation and also worrying about getting the food down at the same time (this lady is a really good cook but she just doesn´t cook with foods I like..., today I had to swallow down a salad and this egg thing and other stuff that I had no clue what it was. . . .  I feel so bad... but I really do try to eat it all!).  So another lady was there and she was down I guess something was wrong but I had no idea what was going on.  Anyway... so I shared a scripture, and it was Alma 7:11 and 12 about how Christ suffered pains and afflictions so he would know how we feel.  I had her read it... and as she started she started to cry.  I guess it really touched her and she really needed it at that time.  I have no idea why I chose that scripture... I just saw it and I happened to read it earlier so I knew what scripture it was, and then I just randomly asked her to read it.  Turns out she has cancer! Wow.  When you are doing what´s right, the spirit works with you and guides you!

Ok I hope everyone has a fabulous week and watches conference!  Les amo! CIAO!

-Hermana Hunt

9-19-2011

Hola hola todos!

¿Como estan todos? Life is great here in good old Posadas Argentina!  Hey if anyone has the Liahona for this month, there are some articles from people in my stake here!  One girl.. Valeria, wrote about her testimony of the Book of Mormon and it has her picture and their family´s picture.  They are in my ward, we had lunch with them today.  Anyway... it has been super rainy the past couple days, which means lots of mud.  The other day I didn´t use an umbrella and I only used my raincoat, and I came home completely soaked.  Luckily it hasn´t been super hot though! (it was pretty hot the other day and I was already dying... voy a morir este verano!!)  here are mis listas para la semana!

 AWKWARDS, INCOMODOS, Y CHISTOSOS

·         so to great people here we do the 2 kisses on the cheek thing ya know (with the women only, not the men).  What is awkward is when you miss just a little bit.... seriously... it happens.

·         when you are sitting in a lesson and the lady starts talking.  30 minutes later, you realize she is still talking (not even exaggerating), and you realize that you have NO idea what she is saying.  Finally my companion has to cut her off and tell her we have to leave.  This happened like 3 times in one day... hahaha.  One of the ladies was talking about her experience with the dead and how she saw her dead aunt and she had a body and stuff...... who knows.  Something like that.  I don´t think we will be going back to her house, haha

·         like I just said, the people here know how to TALK. WOW!  You can ask them a question and they will go on forever until you cut them off.  The other day we told about the first vision and my companion asked ´so what was the question Joseph Smith had for God?´ this guys goes on to say ´well for example.. the Catholics have their virgin Mary, and the mormons have their joseph smith´and all this stuff.. and we just sit there and smile and nod our heads, and 10 minutes later she asks again and says ´uh huh, but so what was Joseph Smith´s question?  Do you remember?´and he starts again saying the same thing... hahaha.  Sometimes the people here just don´t understand us

·         again about the talking.... my favorite thing to do here in Argentina.  During lessons, the people go off talking, (this is after I explain to them I have only been here a week and don´t understand very much) and they will look me right in the eyes and I just sit there and patiently watch them as they talk... and they are very very animated when they talk, and it´s so funny because everything they say is going right over my head, usually I catch maybe one or two words, so I just sit and watch them talk and watch their emotions and I try really hard to give them my full attention and try and figure out what they´re saying but seriously it´s really hard to do that for 20 minutes straight so when they finally finish what they´re saying I just kinda nod my head and smile and saying something like ´wow´ or ´que bueno!´ or something. Hahahah.  I mean this is funny, but what´s really funny is that this seriously happens every day, all the time, like, 24/7.  At least they are entertaining to watch!

·         once again the bathrooms here. Bahaha.  Sometimes we are tracting and I really have to go, so we stop at a member´s house.  I am getting used to using bathrooms that don´t have any sinks or soap, that don´t flush, and that don´t have toilet paper. I think I am going to be in shock to see a regular clean toilet when I get back to the u.s.!

AWESOMES

·         well with investigators this week we don´t have too many awesomes... it was actually a pretty sad week.  Our investigator that was supposed to be baptized ended up not getting baptized because his mom won´t let him yet, and our other investigator that we were working hard with decided she didn´t like church and she wouldn´t keep her committments so we won´t be going back to teach her.  :( we prayed really hard for both of them this week and also fasted for both of them.  BUT all is well :) and what was awesome is that we are trying to really work with the Familia Rotela especially the mom Amelia... this is Matias´ family.. the one who was going to get baptized.  We are trying to help Amelia see that the church really is such a blessing and help her feel more comfortable with us.  Anyway... his week was Matias´ birthday so we brought him a cake and celebrated!  We are pretty sure they didn´t celebrate or do anything, and they don´t have money for a cake, so they were really excited when we brought it over.  Things like this happen all the time here and my comp and I just talk about how spoiled and blessed we have been, and how these people really have nothing.  They live such simple lives... just trying to make it.  What a humbling experience.  One of the pictures I sent is me with the Familia Rotela.. me in the bottom, Fatima and Teresita and then Amelia, and behind them are the 2 boys German and Angel, and then in the back is Favian the dad and Matias in the very back.  They are such an awesome family!!

·         the other awesome thing this week was all of the chats my comp and I had.  During our companion study we always start talking about something we can do better and end up just going off about life and the atonement and the gospel and our testimonies and all of the things we are so so grateful for.  I am really learning a lot about myself and learning to improve myself and really give my will to the Lord and become everything I can become.  I am really starting to understand what exactly that means and how to do it, and even though it is so hard, I just know that it is so right.  So my comp. and I are working hard to improve ourselves and be better missionaries.  Already in just these 2 and 1/2 short months I have learned so much about myself, life, and the gospel and really what our potential is and what our purpose is here in this life, and I know it is preparing me for when I get home from my mission and live the rest of my life in the gospel.  This gospel is sooo so real.  I think we all have doubts sometimes, about little things... but I have been thinking about that and how really everything is about faith. Sometimes we don´t have the desire to do something and we just have to step forward in faith and keep doing what´s right until we gain the desire, and gain the testimony.  And then we experience a happiness that we didn´t even know existed. 

Anyway... life is great here on the mish! I am loving it.  It´s hard... definitely.  It tests me in areas I wouldn´t think.  But it´s so good and so worth it!  My comp is awesome!  And even though I get a full-day workout running after her all day because she walks so dang fast, we get along really well! haha. (no seriously though... I mean, I know I´m not a fast walker, but I walk fast with her, and sometimes I still have to run to keep up with her! I guess it´s good for me!).  Everything is going well and I am so so happy and grateful to be here!  Hope all is well at home!  Keep in touch everyone! 

--Hermana Hunt 

P.s. 2 random things... Alex Casey who I went to high school with is one of my zone leaders!  and then my companion´s companion in the MTC Hermana Jones is in Buenos Aires North and she is training Rachel Hill right now!  Small world!!

 P.s.s. Happy Birthday to Prez!! Make sure you all give her hugs and kisses for me :)

 P.s.s.s. I forgot to bring my address again!  But it´s the Argentina one that I have sent before only there is a ´435 Entre Rios´ in there as well

 Ciaociao!

Welcome to Argentina! 9-12-2011

Whewwww.... I made it!  Here I am in the lovely city of Posadas, Argentina!  My area is called Lavalle and my companion is Callie Payne from Lehi... she is awesome!  She is my ´entrenador´¨... my trainer, and we have lots of fun together and work hard!  After a 4ish hour flight to Atlanta, a 10 hour flight to Buenos Aires, a 1 hour drive to another airport, a 1 and 1/2 hour flight to Resistencia, and a 5 hour busride to my area, I am finally here!! (if you want to add that up that´s over 20 hours of travel, plus the layovers and waiting etc... it took us about 2 days to get there) So let me tell you all about Argentina and my area!  It is so awesome!  Ok this is how I´m gonna do it... first a list of facts about my area, and then my usual awkwards and awesomes of the week! There are a lot.  If you make it to the end of this letter, felicidades :). Bueno... primer..

• The city I´m in is called Posadas and the area is Lavalle.  We live somewhat near downtown ish but we tract mostly in residency areas
• some of the streets here are paved and some are halfway paved with rocks, and then most are just dirt!  The dirt here is red... so all of my shoes have turned red already, haha.  It is awesome
• This area is really poor.  I have actually seen probably only 1 or 2 houses that are near the ´nice-ness´of our apartment.  Most of the houses are made with cement or some with brick and whatever else, but the insides are really low in quality.  Many of the insides are kind of homemade I guess you could say... the walls are made with pieces of wood or scraps that they could find, and everything is really really messy and dirty.  Most of them have flushing toilets but usually you can´t flush the toilet paper so you have to put it in a trash can
• our ward has about 40ish people in it I think... it´s so weird being in a chapel and only like 1/4th of it is full! Don´t worry though... we will change that :)
• so... our apartment.  It is awesome. :) we have a working kitchen sink and bathroom sink, and they both have one temperature-cold.  Luckily our shower does get warm/hot sometimes!  But as you can see in the picture we have no shower curtain or anything... it is so great.  When I first saw our bathroom I thought it was under construction or something haha! But nope... it´s normal!  Our toilet seat is made out of plastic... and not like the normal toilet seat kind of plastic, but like the kind of plastic that shampoo bottles are made out of, haha.  Our beds are decent, my mattress is probably like 4 inches tall but it does me justice :) aaaaand the stove and oven both work!  They are gas though so we just have to light it with a lighter every time.  We do laundry outside in the sink and buckets out there and then hang it up on the clothes line.  It´s really poor and pretty ghetto here but in a different way than I thought!  I hardly ever see homeless people, and they have all the same technology as we do but not many people can afford it (most people don´t have computers and usually they only have one phone... sometimes more.  Most everyone has a tv though of course haha). 
• a lot of places here are really dumpy... most of the homes just have tons of junk all over the place, and nothing is ever clean, but at the same time it is really pretty here.  Posadas is in the providence Misiones so it is considered kind of the jungle.  My area is all residencies and the houses are all close together in communities but there are still tons of trees around and it is really beautiful!  I haven´t taken any pictures of the area yet because we never bring cameras around with us in case we get robbed... but I will take some and send them!
• the people here are very interesting... some are so humble and sweet but many are very prideful.  Well, not any more than Americans, hahaha.  But everyone is christian, either Catholic or Evangelist... and most have a strong belief in Christ but they never go to church haha.  They are usually pretty smart in their religion but they are still a very simple people... not very educated.  Most of them have lived here all their lives and all of their kids will probably live here all their lives because they don´t really have a huge opportunity to advance.  Most of them just own kioscos or little shops in their homes where they sell food and random things from their windows
• alll of the houses have fences so instead of knocking on doors we clap in front of the fence... so awesome!  Also all of the windows have like fence things over them so most people just open their window and talk to us through their fences, haha.  They´re very hesitant to talk to us or invite us in at first but once we introduce ourselves they are very willing to invite us in and everything
• there are a million dogs here. everywhere.  every home has at like one or two dogs, but most have more... sometimes 5, 10, or 100 I swear haha and every dog barks then you come up to the fence, so we are always basically shouting over the dogs to talk to the people inside hahah it´s so great
• since they speak castellano here and not spanish, haha, it is really hard to understand.  Well actually it´s not just because of them but because they are natives so they speak really fast and they mumble everything!  But I am starting to learn to understand them!  I actually don´t really have a hard time speaking it´s just understanding their responses, and it´s getting better every day!

ok... awkwards and awesomes real quick!

AWKWARDS INCOMODOS Y CHISTOSOS

• the bathrooms here! ohhh... so many great experiences :). first of all, we tract for like 7 or 8 hours at a time and of course we need water but we never have any bathrooms to use because the stores don´t have bathrooms and it´s kind of weird to ask people to use their bathrooms.  Either way, when you do ask.. their bathrooms are super super dirty!  What´s especially great is when you wake up early in the morning and use the bathroom and forget that you can´t put the toilet paper in the toilet so you have to pull it out.... yeah.............. I might have done that one time... hahaha
• awkward situations happen everytime we talk to someone, because I say something and then they say something back and I don´t understand so I just look at my companion, hahaha.  Don´t worry though... I am learning to understand more each day!
• walking home at night and walking down the ´calle de prostitutas´... if you can´t figure out what that means you can google translate it.  So great. :)
• we were at a member´s house and their dog freaked out and attacked my companion. twice. Luckily she had her backpack to defend her!  But seriously.. I am surprised I have already made it almost a week without getting bitten by a dog!
• another great dog story... right as we pulled into our area in the taxi the first thing I see is 4 dogs in the middle of the road, 2 of which may or may not have been mating.  Bienvenidos a Pasados to me right?! hahaha
• yesterday in reunion sacramental they had me lead the music... first of all, they have a piano but no one can play except me, and I couldn´t play those hymns on spot so I just lead instead.  So I started singing, and I swear I was the only one singing! I could hardly hear anyone, and eventually it got better and people were singing so I started singing alto and it totally fell apart! Hahahah.  Apparently everyone pays attention to the leader.  Also, nobody here can sing.  It is so sad but so hilarious.  I have to keep myself from laughing everytime we sing with people!

AWESOMES

• only 2 quick stories because I don´t have any more time but we have a baptism this week (hopefully).  His name is Matias and he is 14 and he is golden! He is so awesome... he is so willing to follow the commandments and he is just such an awesome kid.  So that is the awesome part. Here is the sad part... his mom is totally against the church and she is saying no, and he needs both of his parents´permission (his dad wants to be baptized too but he and his wife aren´t married so he can´t).  So we are praying and fasting this week that she will have a change of heart... we would really appreciate all of your prayers for him!
• second story... so on Saturday we were having a charla (aka chat or lesson) with a lady named Estela.  She has 2 little boys and they are the cutest things ever!  And he ´husband´(nobody here is married) and her have a really bad relationship.  Anyway... the missionaries have been working with her for over a month but she still hasn´t read or attended church, and she has a lot of doubts about the book of mormon.  Usually during the lessons I kind of just stay quiet and my comp will look at me when she knows I know how to say something, or randomly I will give my testimony.  So we had been talking to her for awhile and my comp was basically telling her why it´s so important to go to church and to read to recieve an answer if it´s true or not and she was still really uneasy and didn´t want to go to church.  Anyway, we were getting ready to wrap up and I felt like I should say something.  So I bore my testimony to her and just told her that there are a lot of religions out there, we know, and we know that we are young, and I know that it is a sacrifice to go to church, but it´s ¨vale la pena¨... worth the pain.  I told her that my comp and I are here in Argentina, way far away from the US, for a year and half, because of this church, and that even though I am young this is something that I am sure of, and that I can´t even say how much it has blessed my life and how much it means to me.  Anyway... I didn´t really know where it all came from and I probably didn´t make a whole lot of sense haha but she understood it and felt different afterwords.  She said the closing prayer and it was really sincere, and I felt the spirit really strongly.  The next day... she came to church! :) and she really liked it.  I can´t say much in Spanish right now to people and I definitely can´t understand much, but what I can always do is follow the spirit and give my testimony, and sometimes that is what it takes.

Ok familia no more time but all is well and honestly I absolutely love it here!  It´s poor and simple but I love it... I love living this way and not worrying about anything else but the work of the Lord.  It has been very humbling so far and very strengthening.  Thanks for all your support! Love you all!

Hermana Hunt

8-26-2011

Oops! This didn't post last week.

Hola hola hola!

Como estan todos? Todo esta muy bien aqui! Tengo solo una semana hasta salgo el CCM y voy a ARGENTINA! Wooo! Estoy TAN animada! Un poco temo.... pero mas animada! Ok... briefly here are the highlights of the week:

 

AWKARDS, INCOMODOS, CHISTES, and AWESOMES (yes all in one this week!)

• hosting! we got to host this wednesday because we are now the oldest district in our zone... so fun!
• missing class. hahaha. yes... I think between that last week and a half we have missed 5 or 6 classes? from hosting, having to get shots, and my companion was sick again (don't worry she's feeling better now!)
• the wonderful sewing ladies here. hahaha. while I was hosting they called me on the intercom like 6 times... apparently it was an emergency and I needed to go to the sewing room ASAP before they left for the day.  So I went, and the lady was very concerned because I wanted them to sew inserts into some of my v-neck shirts. A few of my shirts had buttons or snaps down the front and my instructions were the have the buttons open and to sew an insert in so I wouldn't have to wear an undershirt. Well... the lady was very concerned and she didn't feel good about sewing in the insert with all of the buttons undone because 'that is just very revealing and it's just almost screaming to look in that area' (her words)... she said she would feel much better sewing them with a few of the buttons closed and she had to make sure that was ok with me. Bahahahaha. So we went with a happy medium and sewed them with some of the buttons closed.  Before I left she also ironed the ruffles on one of my shirts and she went on to show me how much better and nicer and 'sister missionary' my shirt looked when the ruffles were ironed instead of bunchy.  My hermanas and I had a good laugh about her.... yes yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to do, look promiscuous on my mission. :)
• visas! we had our visa meeting this week and signed our paper in front of the Argentine consul... he flew in from LA. He was so awesome! He told us all about Argentina. Ahh I am so excited!!
• Our teacher Hermano Young... hahaha he is so hilarious!! I wish you could all meet him.  He is kind of sarcastic and just hilarious.  An elder in our district always asks questions that are way off topic and he is really smart but he speaks really slow so it takes him forever to ask.  Us hermanas talk and laugh about it all the time when we can tell that our teachers get a little impatient. The other day he said he had a question and Hermano Young goes 'ok as long as it's not muy extrana (very strange)' us hermanas all looked at each other and cracked up.  Stuff like that happens all the time! It is the best
• during one of our lessons this week we were teaching another missionary in our district. His investigator name is 'Tim' and we were asking him if he had a girlfriend. He said she just broke up with him so we were like 'oh we're sorry! is there anything we can do for you?' and he went on to say 'no... no creo. ustedes no pueden ir a citas, si?' which means no I don't think so... you guys can't go on dates can you? We cracked up and got super embarrassed... and couldn't stop laughing the whole rest of the time
• muddy buddies! yes you better believe it I made muddy buddies here in the mtc.  Mom gracias for the ingredients.. don't worry the butter wasn't completely liquid when I got it. :)  We had a good time ditching gym and making muddy buddies.
• the temple!! Today was our last temple trip for the next 16 months :( :( there's no temple in my mission and the Buenos Aires temple is under construction right now.  Super sad. But it was one of the best temple experiences I have had.  I have been praying this week that I would be able to really learn a lot and remember a lot from the temple today.  It was incredible!  I learned SO much and I know the spirit was teaching me the whole time.  I love that feeling when you know the spirit is teaching you... when your mind just wanders and you think of all these new thoughts and learn so much and it just rings true throughout you... so incredible!
• ok one last thought for the week... I have been thinking a lot this week about pride and humility.  It is so incredible how much humility has to do with life.  When we are prideful... or we have even an ounce of pride, we are hindered from any progression we can make.  We HAVE to be humble in order to do all of  the most important things in this life.  In order to pray, in order to learn, in order to repent, in order to recieve the spirit and follow the spirit, in order to have charity and serve others, etc.  It is SO important to be humble in order to return to our Heavenly Father.  Just like the hymn (and scripture in D&C) says... Be thou humble and the Lord they God shall lead thee by the hand
• ok ok I lied... a few more thought from our incredible fireside the other night.  "Total dedication is complete victory" --Ghandi. And a thought about missionary work... "Love is the way.  Obedience is the price.  Faith is the power.  And Christ is the reason."

Ok everyone have a fabulous week!  Next week I'll send my new address for Argentina.  Thanks for all of your support!! Love you all!!

 

Love Hermana Hunt

 

P.s. Elder Rose in my zone wants me to say hello for him.... so there ya go, hello from my favorite Elder Rose, haha

P.p.s. Lori if you're reading this... thanks so much for the dearelder!  I probably am not going to have time to write so I wanted to write ya a quick note here.  But it was so good to here from you!  And yes I am expecting a couple of pizzas this week over the fence k? Haha jk... but I'm so glad to hear that you and Brent are doing well!  You still had one of my very favorite weddings :) I'm so glad I got to get to know you 2!  Hope all is well, keep in touch! :)

 

PAZ! CIAO!

9-02-2011

Well well well!  T-minus 3-ish days and I will be in Argentina!! Wow how the time has flown... I can't believe it's really here!  Well here are just a few quick experiences from my last week here en el CCM and the next time you will all hear from me I'll be 16 hours of flight and 10 hours of driving time away!

 

AWKWARDS INCOMODOS Y CHISTES

• saying bye to people here... especially our male teachers who can't give us hugs. Hahaha. It's always like "*handshake* well.. thanks for everything. The last 2 months of being with you every minute of every day were fun! K bye!"   With the Elders it's like "*hugs* keep in touch man!  Yeah write me!  See you after the mish! Good luck with everything!" etc.... oh it's so fun being an Hermana sometimes :)
• pictures with our teachers, district, and other missionaries.  They would be cute and totally normal if there wasn't a foot of space in between us and them in every picture... haha!
• there is this redhead elder here who makes it a point to talk to me and my comp. every time he sees us.  He literally follows us and makes a comment that is totally unecessary.  For example today the cafeteria is totally crowded and I'm making my way over to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich because I don't want to wait in line, and I see him so I immediately turn my head the other way to avoid contact, and he follows me and calls out 'what are you looking for sister?' and ok I feel bad because I might have had a little bit of a tone in my voice but really... what am I looking for?? what else would be doing wandering around the cafeteria?  So I reply 'um... food!' and he goes 'looks like you might have to wait in line for awhile today!' by this time I am like 10 feet away because I never stopped walking and I just call back 'no I'm just making a sandwich' without looking back at him.  These kind of instances happen literally every day.  The other day my comp and I were looking for a computer lab for TALL time (where we study language on the computers) and he is clear down the hall from us and sees us and starts walking towards us as we're walking away and says 'do you want help sisters? what are you looking for?' hahaha really? what does it look like we're looking for? and how exactly do you plan on helping us? he said something like 'there are more labs on the other side'.  We both look at each other thinking 'yeah... we know.... we've been here for 8 weeks and we use those labs everyday.' hahaha. Ok I guess I'm not portraying it well enough but I wish you could all see it... it is really funny we just laugh at it all the time.  I'm sure he is a very kind young man... :)  I think he's just a little desperate to talk to some girls sometimes so he goes about doing it in a very... creepy way..  Anyway.....

AWESOMES

• we got to host this week and last week since we're so old here at the MTC now :) and I got to host my friend Rachelle McGrath from my ward this last year!  It was perfect I walked up right as she walked up and we were so excited.  It was definitely fun getting to see her and take her around to get her room and books and everything on her first day!
• guess who came for our devotional this week! Yes... none other than Jeffrey R. Holland. Holy. Moly.  First of all... we have been here for 2 months, and no one from the 12 had spoken yet.  So it was about time!  He came on our very last devotional... perfect timing!  The other cool thing is that during lunch that day President Brown (the mtc president) came around and gave random people 3x5 cards and asked them to think of a good question to ask our speaker tonight and turn them in to his secretary.  So we got one, and one of the hermanas came up with a question, so I re-worded it and wrote it down and handed it in.  Elder Holland only chose I think 5 out of the 47 he received to respond to.. and guess who's he chose first! Yep. Ours. :) So cool.  After he spoke there was a duet, a girl sang and another girl did the song in sign language, and then they both did sign language while the one girl still sang.  It was SO incredible.  The spirit was so strong.  That whole night was so incredible... I have never felt the spirit so strongly before like I did that night.  I felt so happy, but so at peace.  I know what I'm doing is right and I know that this is Christ's church.  It was such an incredible joyous peaceful feeling that couldn't come from something false.  One of the best nights by far.  Incredible. :) A few things Elder Holland shared in his talk were these things:  The best ways to invite the spirit into your life (in his experience) are "diving, delving, and pouring into the words--the scriptures. Immersing yourself"... earnest and honest prayer... learning how to REALLY pray, and making sure that you don't lose it.  In other words making sure that you don't do anything that will invite it to leave.   He said the best advice he has received in his life are" 1) to go on a mission.  2) to marry as directly and honestly as you can... not on a time table but to the right person.  But also not to drift towards eternity.. to be proactive and to find it.  He said 'most of the blessing you will want in life will come through marriage". and 3) get as much education as you can.  And then he said that the greatest gift you can give the Savior is your HEART.   After the devotional we always have a district meeting and talk about our thoughts... Brother McDonald in our branch presidency shared this story about Jeffrey R. Holland.  He said when he was first called into the 12 he said in an interview that he always held the 12 in such high esteem and then he got called to be one and said 'I'm not that man'.. how he wasn't up to par with them.  He said he then had 2 options... he could either drop the expectation he had of them, or he could 'change the man'.  Often we are put in places where we never thought we would be, yet we don't feel like we are as good as those we have seen in that position before.  We can either drop our expectation, or become that person.  Obviously, we need to 'change the man'.  It is possible to be as perfect as you want!

 

Ok... well that short thought turned into a rather long thought... sorry about that, haha.  But I will leave you all with that!  Soon I will be in Argentina... actually sharing the restored gospel with real people!  I am so excited to have this incredible calling, to stand in Christ's place and do what he would do.  It is a high bar to reach but it is possible and I'm working towards it constantly.  It's not easy, pero es vale la pena!  Sé que este Evangelo is verdadero, y es real.  Estoy TAN animada ir a Argentina en tres dias... sé que es donde necesito estar exactamente.  Cada dia encontro mas razónes por que este Evangelio es verdadero.  Mi testimonio es estando fortalecido cada dia, y estoy tan agredecida por este increíble oportunidad servir una misión.  No hay otra lugar en el mundo debo estar.  Muchos gracias por todos de su apoyo... estoy tan agradecida por todos de ustedes y les amo todo muchíssimo!  Hasta la proxima semana... en Argentina!!   :) CIAO!

 

Con amor,  Hermana Hunt