This week went by so fast, I can hardly believe it's emailing time again already! I hope next week goes a little slower, just so I feel like I've actually spent some time in the CCM!
It's already pretty warm here, we were at about 25C and sunny all day! I still haven't figured out how to convert into Fahrenheit, but someone tried to explain something along the lines of double and add 30? Oh well, I just know it's hot! In Hermosillo though, it's already high 30s/low 40s so I guess this will potentially help me to adjust better? But I may just be a puddle by the time I come home.
I loved being able to call home and talk to everyone on Mother's Day! It was a little emotional (A leader in the room just gave me an entire tissue box), but all in all it was nice. I honestly haven't really felt "trunky" since coming out. But I do feel pretty excited when I get to see a familiar face. It's nice having Elder Fitz. over here at West, and I ran into Elder O. today at the main campus. I can't wait for Sister Smith to be out here though :D It's wonderful to see so many people from back home joining in the best cause in the world :)
This week has been amazing. We had a devotional on Tuesday night with Elder L.Tom Perry! I joined the MTC choir, so we got to sing Nearer My God to Thee. It was a very pretty rendition with a nice high soprano part :) But the experience was amazing, I think I could get used to having Tuesday night Devotionals!
The main focus was on companionship, how it's important and how without unity you aren't going to be able to accomplish much. He gave us a list of 5 essential principles as we are preparing to teach.
They are:
1. Ask, Seek and Knock Spiritually
And then he concluded with the thought that "The responsibility is now fallen to us, may we not faulter."
We also got a new district in our zone this week. 6 elders who are all going to be serving in Mexico City West! They're all very excited to be here, and eager to learn Spanish! The district that was in our Zone when we reported though is flying out to Argentina Monday morning. It's a district with only 4 elders, but they have done a lot for our district through sharing their testimonies, and essentially becoming our CCM family. In total we have 3 districts in our Zone, and we use the bottom two apartments in a building for our classrooms. We have the living room of one apartment. The departing district has the living room of the neighbouring apartment, and then the new district is using a bedroom in the other apartment. It's a little confining to say the least, but it works and I really have grown to love our makeshift campus!
After going to the temple today, most of our Zone went over to the main campus for lunch. There we were told that we essential have the "Missionary Garden of Eden", and as Hermana H. and I were walking to our classroom apartment, we realized how true that is! Out by our creek/fountain is a small grassy area with trees, benches, picnic tables, and lawn chairs. And it is usually filled with missionaries studying, teaching investigators, having class, or sometimes even just enjoying being outside for a few moments. We tend not to have many of those though, we were talking with our bus driver as he drove us back from the temple, and asked what he was going to do since he was almost off. He sat their for a second and said "I don't really know!" It was pretty entertaining for all of us to hear, as that just isn't really an aspect of our lives anymore. But I love it!
(one view of the creek that runs through CCM)
I gave TALL a full try for 2 days work this week, and then spoke to my teachers about how little I felt I had learnt and comprehended, and they said that I could just do all of the workbook work and they felt that would be acceptable. I spend as much time as I possibly can doing that and studying! I find each day I actually just crave having more time to be able to further study deeper into the gospel and whatever ideas or questions I have. One of our teachers, Hermano D., had a big discussion with our district at the beginning of this week about properly asking questions in the gospel. He spoke to us about Faith as his current study topic, and how he was trying to understand it better. I know most people just think, well Alma 32:21, but that actually doesn't define faith, it just says what it is not, and what coincides with it! He further went in to encourage us to just think of questions, and that instead of using whatever answer it is that comes to mind, to actually ponder on it and study it out. Otherwise, it's like the Spirit is a full pitcher trying to poor into an upside down cup. As we turn to the scriptures, and really pray and seek to understand more, our cups turn upright and we are able to truly learn. In reality though, in this life, we can never have a perfect understanding of anything in this gospel. We can get the gist of everything, but we have a lifetime of learning to do! So, my challenge for all of you is to try that. You'll be surprised how incredibly eye opening it is!
[Alma 32:21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.]
Hermana H. and I taught our new investigator "Sam" the first discussion this week, and it was by far the most spiritual and best Spanish lesson we have ever had! It was incredible. I mean, I know our grammar was terrible, and I still was speaking a combination of three languages, but it's the first time we have ever gotten through so much of a lesson. I know the gift of tongues is real. How long have I been here? I never could have imagined that I would have learned so much in such a very short time.
I can't wait to see what the next 17 ish months hold!
Hermana Crawford
2. Teach from the Scriptures
3. Teach by the Spirit
4. Help the Learner to assume responsibility
5. NEVER end your teaching session without bearing your testimony of Jesus Christ.
3. Teach by the Spirit
4. Help the Learner to assume responsibility
5. NEVER end your teaching session without bearing your testimony of Jesus Christ.
And then he concluded with the thought that "The responsibility is now fallen to us, may we not faulter."
We also got a new district in our zone this week. 6 elders who are all going to be serving in Mexico City West! They're all very excited to be here, and eager to learn Spanish! The district that was in our Zone when we reported though is flying out to Argentina Monday morning. It's a district with only 4 elders, but they have done a lot for our district through sharing their testimonies, and essentially becoming our CCM family. In total we have 3 districts in our Zone, and we use the bottom two apartments in a building for our classrooms. We have the living room of one apartment. The departing district has the living room of the neighbouring apartment, and then the new district is using a bedroom in the other apartment. It's a little confining to say the least, but it works and I really have grown to love our makeshift campus!
After going to the temple today, most of our Zone went over to the main campus for lunch. There we were told that we essential have the "Missionary Garden of Eden", and as Hermana H. and I were walking to our classroom apartment, we realized how true that is! Out by our creek/fountain is a small grassy area with trees, benches, picnic tables, and lawn chairs. And it is usually filled with missionaries studying, teaching investigators, having class, or sometimes even just enjoying being outside for a few moments. We tend not to have many of those though, we were talking with our bus driver as he drove us back from the temple, and asked what he was going to do since he was almost off. He sat their for a second and said "I don't really know!" It was pretty entertaining for all of us to hear, as that just isn't really an aspect of our lives anymore. But I love it!
I gave TALL a full try for 2 days work this week, and then spoke to my teachers about how little I felt I had learnt and comprehended, and they said that I could just do all of the workbook work and they felt that would be acceptable. I spend as much time as I possibly can doing that and studying! I find each day I actually just crave having more time to be able to further study deeper into the gospel and whatever ideas or questions I have. One of our teachers, Hermano D., had a big discussion with our district at the beginning of this week about properly asking questions in the gospel. He spoke to us about Faith as his current study topic, and how he was trying to understand it better. I know most people just think, well Alma 32:21, but that actually doesn't define faith, it just says what it is not, and what coincides with it! He further went in to encourage us to just think of questions, and that instead of using whatever answer it is that comes to mind, to actually ponder on it and study it out. Otherwise, it's like the Spirit is a full pitcher trying to poor into an upside down cup. As we turn to the scriptures, and really pray and seek to understand more, our cups turn upright and we are able to truly learn. In reality though, in this life, we can never have a perfect understanding of anything in this gospel. We can get the gist of everything, but we have a lifetime of learning to do! So, my challenge for all of you is to try that. You'll be surprised how incredibly eye opening it is!
[Alma 32:21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.]
Hermana H. and I taught our new investigator "Sam" the first discussion this week, and it was by far the most spiritual and best Spanish lesson we have ever had! It was incredible. I mean, I know our grammar was terrible, and I still was speaking a combination of three languages, but it's the first time we have ever gotten through so much of a lesson. I know the gift of tongues is real. How long have I been here? I never could have imagined that I would have learned so much in such a very short time.
I can't wait to see what the next 17 ish months hold!
Hermana Crawford
Check out this link to Elder Perry's bio: https://www.lds.org/church/leader/l-tom-perry and several of his latest Conference talks.
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