Week 4 in Florida

Hola mi gente!

Well, this week was kinda long! We did a lot of stuff.

We had a less active contact us! We visited her a couple weeks ago, but she didn't seem like she really wanted us to be there. But then she texted us to tell us she had her baby, and that she wanted him to have a blessing! Then we went  to go see her, and she told us she wanted her son to go back to church. She doesn't really want to go back to church, but at least this is a start! And if she wants her baby to be baptized, she'll have to come to church, and maybe that'll spark something in her. We went to her house later in the week to help her organize some things, because they just remodeled their kitchen. It was fun, and I think just our presence might help her realize she needs to come back to church.

We challenge an investigating couple to be baptized in October, but they said they're going out of town and aren't sure when, but that's they'll leave in October. But they said that if they're ready to be baptized they will be! So that's good. We see them again to tonight, so we'll try to get them to commit better. 

We met with our less- active, who came back to church for the first time 3 weeks ago! He's name's Jorge. We showed him Hastening the Work, and let him know he could help us by just talking to his co-workers and friends, and asking if we could come visit us. He kept saying things like "Oh, I'm too busy" or "I'll try, but no promises." The next day, we got a call from him. He'd already found a person that said we could come over! Then he called us again that evening and had another person! And another person that hadn't given the "green light" for us to come over! And then he came to Sacrament again! I'm telling you guys, if you can just keep missionary work in the back of your mind, and in your prayers, you will have opportunities to be missionaries!!!! IT'S SO GREAT!!!!!! 

There's a family in the ward that's actually less-active right now, because the mom just got done with a hard pregnancy. They're hoping to be back to church by the end of the month, and they really have to be, because they want to be sealed in the temple in November. We went to visit them, and the mom told us about her getting baptized about 18 months ago, and how excited she is to be sealed in the temple. I'm so glad that she has that goal in mind, and that they're whole family does. I love when we can tell people about that restored power, the power to seal families together. I am SO grateful that I have a family who is sealed together, and that I'm living my life so that my future family will be sealed as well. That is one of the blessings we get specifically from the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Don't ever forget what a blessing and privilege that is, to be sealed as a family.
 

We've been teaching this family, who doesn't actually seem interested in the church, but like learning and talking about God. The mom and dad actually believe a lot of the same things, they just don't like organized church, or something like that. We usually teach them on Fridays, but this week we had to move it to Saturday. It was just the mom and kids at home, and it was perfect! She told us that she's been searching for something her whole life to fill the hole she's always felt. She loves her life, her family, and everything, but she still feels that something's missing. I knew there was a reason we were still teaching this family! She says she doesn't like to read, but we told her that if she would read the Book of Mormon, she'd be able to figure out how to fill that hole. I hope she reads!!! There are many people in the world like her, that know that something is missing, and want to find it. Those are our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and random people on the street, and it's our job to find them!

Here's the funny part of the week. Since there are 11 missionaries in my ward, we don't actually get fed by the ward. Whenever we're talking about going to someone's house I always joke that we should go at dinner time so that they feed us. But we never have done that, because it's weird. So! Last Saturday evening, all our plans and backup plans were used up, and we were thinking of somewhere else to go. I thought of  the Moreno Family. They've been investigating for a little over a month, and they really just need the blessings of the Gospel! They're already so wonderful, cute, and so loving, and the Gospel can give them so much more! Anyway, Hna. Russell agreed and we went over there. Right after we pulled up, the mom pulled up with all the kids. We helped bring in the groceries, and found the dad, uncle, and a friend with 5 pizzas and chicken wings. It was perfect! They asked us if we wanted to eat, and so we did! I had already had dinner, so we didn't eat much. But it was just great to visit with them, ask them about their reading, and remind them that we were coming back the next day for a real lesson. We taught their friend about the Book of Mormon, and the daughter, Joslynn (11), asked us questions about what she read about. She asked for a real BofM, because all she had was the children's book. When we came back the next day, she told us she had already started reading it! Not much, but she was going to read more. And she was going to bring it to school to read! She's SO amazing! She's better at reading than her parents and uncle!

Well, that's pretty much my week. Esta obra es tan maravillosa! Veo milagros cada dia. Se que con Dios, todo es possible. Esta es Su obra, soy Su trabajadora. El promete que si estoy diligente, humildad, y paciente, voy tener bendiciones. Ya he visto esta bendiciones. Y puedo ver como este tiempo puede bendicir el resto de mi vida. 

Gracias por todo!

 Les quiero muchisimo!

Con amor siempre,

Hermana Despain

We had a donut party last week! It was Sis. Kenagy's 9 month mark, so we all got together and ate donuts! (probably not the greatest idea...)

These are the English elders in our area, Elders Crowley and Miller. We always see them on bikes while we're driving passed them. They're such troopers!

This is us with Elder Ator, one of our ZL's. He's going home tomorrow! He learned Spanish for his last two transfers, 10 weeks! Just in the field! And he's really good! The Power of God, guys. It's good stuff!

Week 3 in Florida

I'm not sure how much longer I'll actually be a trainee, we've been going through the training program pretty quick, we just started doing stuff for week 5! But that does NOT mean that I'm ready to take charge or anything. I still don't understand half the people when they're speaking Spanish! Hna. Russell is gonna have us only speak Spanish for the week, so I think that'll help a lot. I'm excited!

We have 7 progressing investigators right now, and we have plans to give them all a baptism date this week! We've asked them all to be baptized, and they all said they will think about it, and that they need to learn more. Which is perfect. There's a brother & sister, an older couple, and a family that we want to be able to be baptized next month! I'm really excited to ask them all, and to keep teaching them all, and for them all to be baptized, and then go to the temple, and live happily ever after!!!! We realized when we were planning all this, that if we aren't exactly obedient, something could go wrong, and someone might now accept the date to be baptized, or might stop progressing, or something else. It's so important to be obedient!

Obedience brings blessing, but EXACT obedience brings miracles. It works in your lives too! I promise! It's such a great responsibility to know that if we mess up, it's not just our lives that are affected. In all honestly, my choices right now can affect generations, for my family, and for others'. So I'm trying my best to be a little better everyday.

For the family that is progressing, we taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel. Hna. Russell shared the First Vision, and after I asked them how they all felt. It was the mom, her brother who lives with them, and her 11-year-old daughter. The uncle said "I think it's true....No. I know it's true." And then the daughter said "Yeah, you just know it's true because of the way you feel." And then the mom said "You said that with so much power that it was as if you were there!" AHHHH!!!!!! That was so awesome!!!! Usually people are just like "oh, wow. That sounds incredible." Or " I guess that could be true." They are going to be baptized for sure! I don't know when, but someday! I've already seen the blessings in their lives from reading the Book of Mormon, and taking the lessons. I love it!

This weekend was Stake Conference. It was such a great missionary opportunity, because there are 2 meetings that people can go to. We have a less-active couple that joined the church in Mexico, but when they moved here (20 years ago) they stopped going. They haven't been back to church because the wife works Sundays, and the husband doesn't care too much. But we told them about the Saturday meeting, and then they came!!!!!!!!!!!!! We talked to them after, and the husband said he had some questions for us! We stopped by Sunday night, and they weren't home, so we still don't know what the questions are. But we'll find out soon! They looked so happy to be back! I think that helping a less-active is just the same as a convert. Less-actives, a lot of the time, may not have had a real testimony of the Gospel to begin with, or it was weak. When you can help them come back, it brings back the testimony they had, and then some! 

The mission is starting a new thing called "To the Rescue". Our focus for the rest of the year is to get less-actives to come back. I don't know about all of you, but I know that Hood River ward had a lot of less-actives, that most people don't even know about! If you could ask the missionaries in your wards who are the less actives, and then go out with the missionaries to meet them, I know there would be a huge difference. They are just as lost, if not more, than the people who have never heard about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they deserve our love and attention too. I'm really excited to get started with this, I think it'll really help my ward here.

Well, I think that might be about it. No puedo pensar que mas. Esta obra es muy importante. La conferencia de estaca tenia muchas cosas sobre la obra de misional. Por favor, ora para tener oportunidades para ser misioneros. Se que bendiciran sus vidas. Nuestro proposito como misioneros es para invitar. Es muy sensillo. Habla sobre sus vidas en la iglesia. Invita personas a las actividades en la iglesia. Pero lo que mas importante, tiene la luz de Cristo en sus ojos. Las demas pueden ver las. 

If you didn't get all that, or if my Spanish is not correct (which is very likely), I'll just sum up: Our purpose as missionaries is to invite. That's pretty easy. Of course out in the real world, there are worries about losing friends or being judged. But if you can just ask people if they want to know more, if they would come to a ward activity, or something, they can say no, and nothing about your relationship has to change. If you can keep the Light of Christ in your eyes, other will see it. Every member a missionary is a real thing, don't ever forget that. We all have the responsibility to share the truths, love, and happiness that we enjoy every day. Some day, after this life, do you want someone to come up to you and ask "why did you never tell me about all this?" I sure don't want that. I know that it's scary, but I also know that your confidence is only as strong as your faith in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. Hna. Russell always tells me, He's not going to let you say or do something that's going to ruin their salvation. And that's true. He loves when we help Him in His work, and He will be there will us 100% of the time. Have faith, and sige adalante (continue forward).

Les quiero muchisimo! Thank you for your prayers and emails!

Hermana Despain

P.S. I don't have anyone's address, because I told everyone to write to me first. So if you want me to write to you, you have to write me! Also, if you do it soon I won't have a million letters to write, and there is a good chance I will be able to write you back the same week I get your letter!

This is us with our Sister Training Leaders, Sis. Davis and Sis. Kenagy. They are so awesome!!! I love them a lot.

Week 2 in Florida

I'm not totally sure what to write this week! I think I'm kinda getting used to everything, so it's hard to pick out the super cool things that you guys would want to hear about.

Here's one: I had my first exchange! The new thing for sisters is the Sister Training Leaders, and they're basically Zone Leaders, for the sisters. (I think. I'm still getting use to all the lingo in the mission world). So once a transfer, each companionship goes on an exchange with the STL's. Mine are English sisters, and I went to their area, so I got to speak English for a day! It was fun! We had 4 appointments, one of them was dinner! It was SOOOO good! We don't eat with members much because my ward has 11 missionaries (5 Elders, 5 Hermanas. I think I forgot to mention that last week) so it's hard for them to organize it for everyone. I think it's just up to whoever we teach, and which members love who most. JK, they love us all equally, I think.... Anyway! Most of the appointments were less actives, and one of them, the dinner appointment, was especially hard. It's a mom and her daughter. The mom is 87, the daughter is 62. The mom wants to go back to church, but it's hard for them to go and sit for sacrament meeting. The daughter has had a lot of hard things in life (divorce, her son died). I asked her if she still prays, and she said no, because she doesn't believe that He's listening. That just broke my heart. I hope you all know that every time you pray, addressing the Father and closing in the name of Jesus Christ, HE HEARS YOUR PRAYER!!!! No matter how dumb you think it is, no matter how long, where you are, kneeling, standing, laying down, sitting. HE HEARS IT!!! I don't know how else you get everyone to know that without reaching through this computer and shaking you! Which, of course, I'm not actually allowed to to (no touching!). If you don't feel His presence when you pray, pray harder. I have found here that when I really try, and I'm paying attention, and really praying, I can feel His love for me. EVERY TIME!!!

Back in Spanish world, we've been reaching out to more less actives, and getting many different responses. But it's all going well, for now. We have a couple that said they'll come to church, and so we remind them most days that they said that. We'll see how it goes.

Speaking of church, we had 2 investigators come!!! Both were a total surprise because they had both told us earlier that they weren't going to make it. But they did! They only stayed for Sacrament, and one of them was really embarrassed because he wore jeans. But we talked to him last night, and he said he'll come back, next time in different clothes. 

Here's a fun bit: Hna. Russell talks in her sleep. Hardcore. It's quite entertaining. The other night I sat up to fix my blanket, and I looked over and she was sitting up, and started talking. I told her to go to sleep a few times, and eventually she woke up. But when I asked her about it in the morning, she didn't remember anything. She wants me to voice record it some night. It's pretty awesome. 

She's a great trainer. I'm really glad I got put with her. She makes me do things I don't want to do. We get along very well. I think we push each other. She's very good at pointing out when I say something wrong, but in a way that's loving, and understanding. She's pretty crazy, but I really do love her. I think that before this training stuff is over in 8 more weeks (our training got cut from 12 to 10 weeks because of a catch-up transfer) we're going to have some pretty fun adventures!

Familia y amigos. Yo se que este evangelio es el mismo evangelio que Jesucristo su mismo establecio en la tierra en Jerusalem, y entonces en las Americas. Se que con Dios todas las cosas son posible. Esta obra es de Dios, Jesucristo, y el Espiritu Santo, y necacitamos los tres para hacerlo. Gracias por todo, y por favor sean misioneros en sus vidas como mi y las demas. Recibiran bediciones de Dios.

Les quiero, muchisimo!!!

Hermana Despain

This is my trainer!! Don't we look so cute together :D

Our recent convert, Jose made this for our lesson last week! We had also just rode through some rain on our way there. So that's fun!

We saw this AMAZING rainbow on our way to church! It when over the whole sky, with both ends on the ground! But we didn't find any gold :(

This is how I look pretty much everyday. Just if you all were wondering. 

Week 1 in Florida

Hola familia, amigos, y mi gente!

I'M ACTUALLY A MISSIONARY!!! I love this so much! It's really hot, and humid, and it rains like crazy, and there are no miles left on our car, so we've been riding bikes mostly, but IT'S JUST SO GREAT!!!! And at least we can have a car later. I'm really grateful for that! Sorry for you missionaries who have to deal without it. But honestly, you meet more people on bikes or walking. The other day, I got to give a Book of Mormon to a guy who I'm pretty sure could have been in a gang of some sort. But he said he'd read and call us! But he speaks English, so we'd have to send the English Elders to him (darn). My area is called Tampa 5A. There are 5 areas in Tampa for Spanish speakers, I'm thinking for English missionaries too, but I actually don't know anything about the English stuff. 

Hermana Newbill from the CCM is in my ward, and my district! So we see each other a few times a week! Elder Spach from my CCM branch is also in my district, so when we all get together it's like we're back in Mexico! It's pretty fun.

Mostly we meet with less actives, there are a lot here! But we have 4 progressing investigators, and a few normal investigators that we haven't had a chance to  meet with much yet. But I have high hopes for them! Cubans are really hard to understand, like I was expecting, but I think I can understand them a little more than I thought I would. My trainer, Hma. Russell, says I'm way better at Spanish than she was when she first got in the field, 5 months ago. And now she's fairly fluent, and understands mostly everything! So my goal is to be independent in Spanish by Christmas. I think that's a pretty good goal. 

Here's my favorite story from the week: There's a less-active that Hma. Russell and her old companion had been trying to get to church for a while. He hasn't been in probably 2 years. We saw him one day while we were biking, and he told us that he and his wife are looking for a house, and he really doesn't have time to go to church. We told him he should just take an hour and come, and he said he'd try. He speaks English, so Hma. Russell had me call him on Saturday. I asked him to come, and he told me that he wouldn't have time. I told him that I would really love for him to come and to take the Sacrament. He changed his tone a little, and said he would do his best.

At church, we didn't see him or anyone else we invited. Then we walked out of the chapel and I thought I saw him. I asked Hma. Russell, and she said it was him!!! We were SO excited! We talked to him for a few minutes, he asked for a new Book of Mormon, and then he had to go. But that's not all!!!

 When we got home for the night, we had a voicemail. It was him!! (His name's Jorge, BTW). He called because he was setting up a mormon.org profile and he needed is membership number. He also asked if we could autograph his BofM so that he could always remember the missionaries that brought him back to church. We called him back, and talked to him. He said he was so grateful, and that he felt like he had come back home. It was amazing!! Even though I haven't been with him through all this, I'm just as excited as anyone! I think when a less-active comes back to church it's just as good as a new member joining! I can't wait to see more people come back, and see a few people start coming!

I LOVE THIS WORK!!! It's hard stuff, I'm so exhausted at the end of the day, and 6:30 comes way to early. But I know that I'm doing all of this for the Lord. Este es Su obra, y estoy muy agradacida por la oportunidad de ser un parte de este obra. Yo se que sin Dios, Jesucristo, y el Espiritu Santo, nada de este puede ser funcional. Esta iglesia, este evangelio, es la iglesia que Jesucristo establecio en Su dia, en Jerusalen. Yo se que tambien, El establecio Su evangelio en las Americas, y que el Libro de Mormon es un testimonio de este.

I hope everyone is doing well! I love getting your emails, and I read all of them, even if I don't respond. BTW, you can send letters and packages straight to my apartment! 

Hermana Chrysta Despain

8102 N. Sheldon Rd. #807

Tampa, FL 33615

Please please please!!! Make sure you are all being missionaries. And if the missionaries in your wards ask for help, remember that it's the Lord's work, and it's really Him asking for help. Whenever you can, help the missionaries. I know that they fully appreciate it! And if you help someone else's missionary, maybe someone else will help yours (aka, ME). 

Also! I don't have a camera cord, and I'm hoping to fix that in the near future. But for now, I can't send pictures home. Sorry! 

Gracias por todo! Hurrah por Israel!

Les quiero!!

Hermana Despain

Week 5

I LEAVE HERE IN 3 DAYS!!!!! I am SOOOO excited to get into the field. I’m nowhere near ready as far as the language goes, but I’m ready to try to bless the lives of the people of Florida. I really love this place, and I’m going to miss is so much, as well as all of the amazing people I’ve met. But most of them will be going to school in Utah in a couple years, so we’ll just have to get together then. It’s going to be great!!!!

There are so many people here that there have been a couple meals where we literally ate all the food. It was kinda crazy, and one of the hermanas in my casa was home sick, so we were going to bring her food. But we couldn’t because by the time we were done eating, all they had left was bread. So we brought that, and it was good enough, since she didn’t really want to eat food anyway.

The first generation of Americanos left this week. It was so crazy to see them go, and then for us to be the "seniors" on campus. It’s hard to help the new missionaries though, because a lot has changed in the 5 and a half weeks that I’ve been here. We know the basics, but everyone has different schedules, and now when people get here they get green packets of information and we have no idea what’s in them. But that’s all part of the adventure! We also realized a few weeks ago that we don’t get dork dots!! I totally forgot that Provo does that, and when we realized it, I was a little disappointed. But I got over it pretty quick :)

Last Tuesday was the first world wide broadcast of the MTC devotional from Provo!!!! It was broadcast to 8 of the 17 MTCs, and we got to be one of them!!!! Elder Scott spoke about prayer, and how powerful it is. I think sometimes we forget that when we are praying, we are speaking to our Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s not something to take lightly! Take your time, tell Him the things of your heart. He hears every prayer, and He answers every prayer, whether you realize it or not. When you don’t feel like you’ve gotten an answer, sometimes that means He is showing His trust for you in allowing you to make your own decision. I think that is incredible! That He would trust me enough to make decisions, it makes me very happy :) Although, when that happens, usually I just want Him to tell me what to do.

Who remembers Elder Holland’s talk from last October? About Peter and the Apostles after Christ’s crucifixion? That talk was from a devotional he gave to missionaries in the Provo MTC back in January 2011. It was a very memorable devotional, and we watched it last Sunday. He quotes the end of the Book of Matthew in the New Testament. The Apostles don’t know what to do after Christ has left the earth, and so they just go back to fishing. The Savior comes back, meets them on shore, and asks Peter "Do you love me?" three times, and each time that Peter says "Yea, Lord. Thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus tells him to feed His sheep. If we love Jesus Christ then we need to feed His sheep. Which is exactly why I am here. Quiero Jesucristo muchisimo. Asique, voy enseñar los hijos de Dios en Florida. Que es porque estoy aquì. Que es porque yo vivo en la manera hago. Porque Jesucristo es mi Salvador, y Èl pide a mi, y ustedes, que necesito hacer que Èl quiere para mi hacer.

If you need help figuring out how to be good member missionaries, look up Elder Bednar’s talk called "Ask in Faith". Hermano Arnold showed us a clip of it in class a few days ago, and it was very good in helping us all to be member missionaries.

Este obra es de Dios. Estoy muy agradacido por la oportunidad de ser un parte de esta obra. Hay missionaros en todo de mundo, y soy solomente una. Pero yo sè que soy llamò de Dios, y soy un parte de este obra. Ustedes estan un parte de este obra, y Èl tiene un plan para todos de Sus hijos. Siempre recuerden este. El Señor tiene mucho amor por yo, and por ustedes. Piden a Èl si no sienten este amor. Yo sè que el amor de Dios siempre està con ustedes.

I forgot to tell  you that I got to go to the temple again today! How could I forget that!?!

It was really cool to get to go our first week and then our last week. I think I understood more that was being said, and more of what I was saying. The temple workers were a bit more prepared for us too, and that helped a lot! I have loved being able to go to the temple, and I don`t think I`ll be able to go anymore for 17 months. So you all need to go for me! Take part in the blessings that are there! If you can`t go in, just walk around. Take pictures, read your scriptures, write in your journal, or just breathe in the temple air. The Temple is the House of God. It`s the closest we can get to Him while we`re here on this earth. Just as I am very excited to see you all again, I can`t wait until I can be with my Heavenly Father again, and you ALL better be there with me! NO EMPTY CHAIRS!!!!

 

Thanks for the prayers and letters! It`ll be easier and faster to communicate in a few days, which means you guys don`t have much room for excuses to not write me letters!

 

Les amo!

Gracias por todo!!!

Les amo, muchisimo!!!!

Hermana Despain

This is my district, and Hma. Mackay today. I love all these people SO much!

This is my district with Hma. Anderson and Haywood`s district. We all got here the same time, and we spend a lot of time together. Hma. Mackay teaches them in the evening, so we all got a picture together.

Week 4

YOU GUYS!!!!! I only have 17 months left! This is going by too fast! There`s too much to do in the next 17 months, and I don`t know if I`m going to be able to do everything I want to do!

Well, I`m pretty ready to get into the field. I LOVE being here in Mexico, but I`m to the point that I`ve memorized the schedule and it`s getting a little of the same. But there are also other times that I want to stay here longer, because I am NOT ready for the field. There`s so much to learn about being a missionary, how to speak Spanish, and there`s always more to learn from the scriptures.

I think I forgot to tell you this, but there was a camera crew here a few weeks ago just filming the campus and missionaries. We heard that it might be for the World Report between sessions of conference in October. So PLEASE watch conference! It might be your only chance to see me for the next 17 months. Also, conference is good to watch anyway, so you should watch it. BUT!!! I`m not sure how accurate the footage will be. In the comedor (cafeteria) they had table cloths on the tables. THAT IS NOT HOW IT IS HERE!!!! There`s so many messes that missionaries make that it would be awful to have table cloths. They were just trying to make it look fancy. I think the rest of it is pretty much how it is. Except when they took that footage, there were maybe 300 people here. So it was pretty chill and organized. Now, there are a lot more people. Probably about 600, and we get 100-200 more missionaries every week! Starting next week, the Americano missionaries will start leaving, so that`ll help. It makes me very grateful that I was only of the first groups to come here, so that I could ease into the craziness. In the comedor, I`m pretty sure I run into an elder at least 2 times every meal, just because there`s so many people, and not really enough room for us all to be there at the same time. I`ll try to get some pictures next week so you can imagine this better.

With that, Pres. Pratt told us on Tuesday that the MTCs in Peru and Argentina have filled up! So this MTC is getting about 25 missionaries that were suppose to go to those MTCs. It`s just another reminder of how awesome it is to be a part of this work and this time! I love it! Even if it is crazy!

Because of the switch around, and because this place is still in the process of getting organized, they moved all the districts around to different classrooms. I really don`t know why. But we had to move buildings, and it was kinda nuts, because the district that was moving out of that classroom was still moving out, and the district moving into our classroom was trying to move in. We got it all worked out, we just had to not get our stuff mixed up. We were really worried that we might lose our teachers with our classroom. But the next morning, Hma. Mackay and Hmo. Garcia walked in like any other day. We were so relieved!!!

We also had an earthquake alarm. When there`s an earthquake in some city up north, the alarm goes off here because there`s a chance it could come to us. We were outside studying when it went off. We went to one of the meeting points and waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened. One of the MTC leaders came over and told us it was all good, and we went back to studying. The end.  I was kinda hoping for an earthquake, because I really don`t remember ever feeling one. Maybe there will be a small one before I leave.

Pres. Pratt had a devotional about the history of the temples in South America. Because being the President here, he worked with legal stuff for the church, which involved a lot of getting land for the church to build temples and other buildings. So he`s been a part of a lot of the temples "south of the border". One of the temples took 8 years from locating the land to dedication because the legal stuff took years to figure out. He told us to make sure that after the mission that we make sure the temple is a part of our lives. It`s a great goal to be married in the temple so that your family can be sealed for eternity, but it needs to remain a temple marriage, in that you go back, and make it part of your life. I know that`s easier said than done for most of us, but I know that it is really important. The temple is the goal in this life, and we should keep returning. If you haven`t been through yet, do everything you can to get there. If you haven`t been in a while, make the sacrifices to go, it will be worth it. Como un representante de Jesucristo, yo prometo que el Señor darà bendiciones en sus vidas cuando ustedes van a el templo. El Templo es la Casa de Dios. Jesucristo he esta en todos de los templos. El Espiritù de Èl esta en todos de templos. 

Thank you for all of your prayers and emails! Just to let your guys know, I don`t actually have people addresses, so I can`t send you letters until you send me one. But at this point, don`t send letters to Mexico, because I can`t promise that I will get them!

Les amo, muchisimo!!!

Hermana Despain

This is a statue that is here from when this was the Benemeritu de los Americanos

This is me at the temple a couple weeks ago. We get to go again next week!

This is my branch with President Christensen, our branch president, and his wife.

Hermana Callejas drew my distrito on the board one time. I thought it was cute.

These native elders would ask us to share our testimonies in Spanish every time we saw them. They were so great! They said we were very good, and that they knew we were going to be amazing missionaries, even if we thought our Spanish was horrible.

These were some hermanas that were so cute! They would give us hugs and kisses every time we saw them.

This is my district!!! Elder Peacock, Elder Gregson, Hma Mackay, me, Hma Newbill, Hma Marley, Elder Munson, Elder Dennis and Hmo Garcia

This is us freaking out in the meeting during the earthquake alarm. Hma Haywood and Anderson live in our house with us and are in our branch. The other hermanas were just in the circle with us. 

Week 3

Hola Familia y Amigos!

I'm half way done with the MTC!!!!

This week has been pretty chill, I think that must mean I'm getting used to everything. I'm not really sure how much better my Spanish is getting, but I'm going to assume that it's getting better. I don't really know how to see my progress. I have definitely noticed that I understand more than I use to, and that's exciting!

We watch devotionals on Tuesdays that have been sent to us from Provo. From watching those, I feel like this MTC is a lot more relaxed. Pres. Pratt is very chill but also quick to crack a joke. I've become very grateful that I had to wait 2 months longer than I wanted to leave on my mission. If I had left in May like I wanted, I wouldn't be here now, with these missionaries, and these teachers. I love it so much! My teachers are amazing. Hma. Mackay reminds me of Jeffrey R. Holland, in that she's not afraid to call us to repentance, but she's also very loving and has a lot of wisdom to share. She calls us "hermanitas", and I definitely see her as my big sister. The other day she looked at me, so I smiled, and then she just grabbed my face in her hands and squished my face. She said she's wanted to do that for a long time... But it was sweet :)

We have 2 "investigators" right now: Ramona and Miriam. Ramona is wonderful, and just soaks everything up. I love teaching her. She doesn't know how to read, but we gave her the Book of Mormon before she knew that. We found out later that she would wake up at 4 AM and just look at the first page, 1 Nephi Chapter 1. One day she told us that she could read a word. The word was Dios. That was her testimony that the Book is from God. A few days later she could read the whole first verse. Remember, these "investigators" we teach are actually investigators that our teachers had on their missions. So even though this didn't actually happen with us and Ramona, it happened with Hma. Mackay and an investigator she had on her mission in Texas.
Miriam is a little different. She's hard to get to know because she doesn't open up very well. And she doesn't believe that Christ suffered for her pains, sorrow, sicknesses, and her sins. We teach her again tonight, and we want to get to know her better, and learn what she needs in her life, which will ultimately lead to the Atonement of Christ, because that is what everyone needs.
We learned a lot this week about the Book of Mormon. Last week I told you guys too look up the devotional by Jeffrey R. Holland, but I found out that MTC devotionals are only for MTCs and you guys can't watch it. BUT!! There's another way to learn why I'm here, and what I'm doing here: READ THE BOOK OF MORMON! That book is the reason I'm here. It's the reason you're sitting at a computer right now reading this email from me. It's the reason I live my life the way I do, and the reason I'm the person that I am. That Book has changed my life, and I've seen it change other peoples' lives. Yo se que eso libro es de Dios, y que José Smith tranducio el Libro de Mormon por el poder de Dios. Yo se que porque eso libro esta en la tierra hoy, tenemos el poder de Dios (el sacerdocico), y tenemos un profeta hoy, Thomas S. Monson, y que tenemos apóstoles de Dios. Yo se que este iglesia, la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias es la un y solomente verdadera iglesia en la tierra hoy. Yo se estes cosas porque yo he veo la mano de Dios en mi vida. Yo he vea como el evangelio han cambia otros vidas. Si ustedes quieren saber si esta iglesia es la verdadero, leerá en el Libro de Mormon, y orará a Dios saber la verdadero. Even if you already know the church is true, and that The Book of Mormon is true, do it again! Conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a constant process.

On another note, I think I forgot to tell you all about the mosquitoes here. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!!!! And I don't like them. We make it a game to kill them. I've gotten pretty good at catching them, and shaking them to kill them. That way I don't get too many guts on me. Our branch President said it's ok to kill them during church too. But one of my teachers, Hma. Callejas, won't let us kill them. She says their creatures of God, and if we kill them they won't get to live until the resurrection, which I guess is true... But when there's a million of them, I think it should be ok to kill most of them.

Also, they're doing some construction near my casa, to build a new post office. But they keep turning off the water, usually around the time in the afternoon when we get home from the gym. It's not so cool...

Last thing, I got a priesthood blessing this week, yesterday to be exact. I don't know what it is, but I have some kind of sickness. The doctor is my Branch President, and he said to get as much rest as I could. Hma. Mackay sent us home, because I felt like I might pass out, but I didn't. I'm not telling you this to make you worry, I'm feeling better now, and I'm sure I'll be good to go soon. I'm telling you this because I got a blessing from one the 18 year old boys in my district. Actually, all of them were there, and any of them would have given me a blessing, but I only needed one blessing. I used to be a little worried about 18 year old boys doing God's work, and bringing the Gospel to people all over the world. But now I'm not at all worried about it. In the past 3 1/2 weeks, I have watched those boys turning into men of God, and I am so excited to see what they will do with that power and responsibility. Of course they're not perfect, neither am I, but they do hold the Power of God, and they know what to do with it. Those boys are my brothers in the Gospel and I love them very much.

Yo se que este es la obra de Dios. Soy muy agradacido por la opotunidad ser una parte de esta obra. (sorry, my Spanish has a ways to go!)

Thank you for everything, especially for the prayers. I could not do any of this without all the support you all give me.

I love you all very much, and I miss you a lot. But I'm very grateful to have such wonderful people in my live to miss :)
Te amo!!

Hermana Despain

Week 2

Hey hey hey!!!!

I’m still alive! So that’s good. This place is just more and more amazing everyday! They’re adding new things every day, like water dispensers, and hot water in the sinks in our home. A couple days ago there was a camera crew and so we had table cloths on our tables for dinner, and it was much more organized. We think that they were filming for the World Report in between sessions of conference, maybe for October! So make sure to watch if I’m in it! But that day I wasn’t feeling very good, I think I have some kind of pollution sickness. My head was killing me, and I felt like I was going to cough up my lungs. I’m feeling much better now, and when I was teaching lessons I didn’t notice as much, so that helped! 

We get about 100 new people a week from los Estados Unidos, and maybe about that many Latinos every 2 weeks. It’s getting harder to know everyone, but I’m glad I can say I was here early enough to be able to know most of the people at the CCM.

When we got here, each of us got a debit card, and we get 120 pesos every Monday (the Elders only get 100, hehe!) There’s a little tienda on campus where we can buy soap stuff, and also book stuff. I bought the 4 missionary books in Spanish! (True to the Faith, Our Search for Happiness, Our Heritage, and Jesus the Christ). There’s lots of other stuff that I want, so I’m trying to save up so that I can get what I want before I leave. It’s so cheap here! Those books were about $145, which is like $14 in US dollars? I don’t remember the conversion, but I know it’s a good deal!

The food is awesome!!! They mostly do Mexican foods like empañadas, tortillas with everything, and tamales. All of the desserts are made from gelatin, which is much cheaper than jello, and tastes healthier. Whenever they have chocolate or ice cream, it’s a good day! We even had Costco pizza the other day, I think because all the Latinos left that day for their missions, so they could give the Americanos their real food.

BUGS HERE ARE WEIRD!!!!! We just call them Mexican bugs. The crickets are scary! They kinda look like silverfish, and they can jump like 2 feet. There was one in our room one night and me and Hma. Marley freaked out. Hma. Newbill was in the shower and she came out because she thought we were dying! But we didn’t. I smashed it with a shoe, and Hma. Marley got TP to put it in the trash.  

IF YOU WANT TO SEND ME MAIL!!!!! It’s best to use the pouch from Salt Lake. It usually gets here in about a week. If you need to send me something in a package, use DHL, and not the USPS, it gets here faster. Also! If you send something to the pouch, it leaves Salt Lake early Monday morning, so try to get it there by then, or else I won’t get it for another week.

It’s funny how people are learning Spanish here, some kids are starting to forget words in English!  I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but hopefully soon! We just got new Latinas in our house, and we decided to start having Casa Oraciòn (house prayer). It’s fun to get to know them a little better, and speak Spanish with them. I definitely understand it better!

I really learned this week how important the First Vision is. That is what sets this church apart from all the others. Because Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ almost 200 years ago, we have the fullness of Christ’s Gospel on the earth again! That is why we teach that in the first lesson, because if people believe that that happened, then everything else in this church is TRUE!!! Yo se que Josè Smith veò Padre Celestial y Jesucristo. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es la verdadera. Yo se que tenemos una profeta hoy, y su nombre es Thomas S. Monson. Yo se que el Señor guia este iglesia hoy, por medio de su profeta. Este es mi testimonio, y es muy importante para mi. (Hopefully that makes a little bit of sense...)

We watch a devotional on Sunday from Elder Holland. It was given back on February 28, 2012. If you need something to do, and want to know why I’m serving and what I’m doing, WATCH THAT DEVOTIONAL. Or just watch it anyway. Ese hombre es una apostla de Dios. Me amo èl con toda de mi corizon. 

Here’s a fun fact: Pres. Pratt, the CCM president, is the Great-Great Grandson of Parley P. Pratt!!!

One last thing: Charity is a verb! That is what missionaries are, CHARITY! Put your name into Moroni 7:43-48 instead of the word charity, and you will know how to live life!!!

I love you all a lot, and I’m very grateful for your prayers. Thanks for your support, I don’t know if I could do this without you!! Please keep me updated on your lives, I love hearing about everything. 

urrah for Israel, Brothers and Sisters. Don’t ever forget who you are, where you came from, and where we are going.

Hermana Despain

P.S. This place is nothing like Provo from what I’ve heard. I’ve heard Provo feels like a prison, from the food and from not being outside much. That is not the case here!! We study outside, our classrooms are normal high school classroom size, and the food is great!!! I’m a little worried about gaining weight... But we also have a great gym with good equipment and lots of activities for a good workout.

Until next week!!

Hermana Despain

 This is an emergency meeting point. They`re all over campus, and we saw a couple in the city too. I think it`s a Mexican thing...

This is my cuarto!!! (room) My bed is on the bottom far side. We have closets to the right and a bathroom that you can`t see.

Pictures of campus. It`s so beautiful here!

This is how we do laundry here! We have washers and dryers, but they`re a little bit sketch. I wash some things in the sink, and we hang most things up to dry. It`s fun!!!!

Week 1 (plus some...)

HELLLLLOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

It has been a very long time since I got to email you, my P-day is on Thursdays, and I haven’t emailed since last Tuesday. I hope no one was freaking out!

This place is so amazing! I don’t think my description is going to do it any justice. The CCM (Centro de Capacitaciòn Misional) is SO SMART!!!! It use to be a prep school (or a high school) that was a boarding school for those kids who didn’t live in Mexico City. There are dorms and houses that the students lived in. It covers 90 acres!!! Which makes it the largest MTC geographically, and by the end of the summer it will be the 2nd largest MTC by population. Last January, a lot of general authorities (I think there were about 9, including Elder Holland) came here to Mexico and had a live broadcast for the whole country to  announce that the school would be closed at the end of the school year and reopened as an MTC. I’m sure it was very hard for the people to give up this beautiful place, but I’m very glad they did!

The Hermanas live in the houses: 5 bedrooms, with 2 bunkbeds, so about 20 hermanas in each house. In my house, there are about half and half of Americanas and Latinas. The Latinos are only here at the MTC for 12 days, while the Americanos are here for about 6 weeks. It is so fun to live with the Latinas because we can practice our Spanish with them, and they can learn a little English. All of the Latinas are serving in Mexico, or other Spanish speaking countries, and a lot of the Americanos are serving in other countries also.

I have 2 companions!! Hermana Newbill from Olympia, WA is going to be serving in Tampa with me! And Hermana Marley from Idaho (near Pocotello) is going to be serving in Honduras. They are so great! I love them to death! I really can’t imagine having better companions, but I’m sure there will be other great ones someday. Hma. Newbill is 20, and she went to BYU, and Hma. Marley is 21 and went to Utah State. Both are amazing women and I’m learning a lot from them.

Well, learning began on Wednesday, and hasn't stopped. At this MTC, each class has a teacher from Provo and a native teacher. My class has Hma. McKay and Hmo. Garcia. They are so great!!! Hma. McKay served in Arizona and got home a couple years ago. Hmo. Garcia served in Tijuana and got back about 6 months ago. He’s 20 because Mexico is one of the countries that has a military thing, so they had to serve missions earlier than 19. He’s really shy, and Hma. McKay is really loud and excited, so they balance each other out really well. I love them both so much!

The third day, we started teaching an "investigator", who’s really one of the teachers pretending to be one of the investigators they had on their mission. My companions and I are teaching Amanda Herrea. We’ve taught her 4 times, and tonight will be the last time. On the 2nd lesson, we really wanted her to pray. The lesson before, she just refused, so we didn’t push it too much. But we really wanted her to pray! When we asked her again in the 2nd lesson, I had an impression that we should each take turns praying, and she would be the last one to pray. She agreed to that, so we all knelt down, each of us said a simple prayer, and then it was Amanda’s turn. She said the most beautiful prayer I’ve ever heard (BTW, this was ALL in Spanish). She said she was glad we met with her, and that she wanted help from us, that she was glad she could talk to Him (God), and that she wanted to change her life. After that lesson I knew that this is what I want to do. I’m so excited to help real investigators build relationships with their Heavenly Father. He wants to have a relationship with each of us, but WE have to be the ones who start it. We have to make an effort, and He WILL return it. I have felt that in my life, especially here.

We got to go to the temple today. It was all in Spanish again, but that was even better. It built my testimony of temples, because it’s all the same in a different country or a different language. Of course we all needed a lot of help because we didn’t understand everything that was being said, but that’s ok! I am so glad we got to go. We might get to go one more time, but it closes the first 2 weeks of August, so we can’t go then.

I’m not gonna lie, this is already the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I’ve already learned that as long as I just forget myself and focus on the work, it’s not hard, I don’t miss you all as much, and I helps me more than I can imagine.

If there’s any advice I can give to anyone and everyone right now it is that we have a Father in Heaven, and He wants to have a relationship with each of us. Just like my mom and dad want me to stay in touch with them and do what they expect of me, Heavenly Father wants the same thing! We need to build our relationship with Him by praying, reading His words in the scriptures (especially the Book of Mormon), and by keeping our baptismal and temple covenants. If anyone needs help with this, ask me, your bishop, my parents, or your Heavenly Father. I know that any of those people can and will help!

Oh! I forgot. Almost every day there is a big thunder storm right before dinner that lasts quite a while. Sometimes it passes by us, but some days, like today, it’s right on top of us! The second day my companion and I saw the lightning right in front of us as we were walking home! It was pretty awesome, and also very scary.

I love this place so much. I love the people! The Latinos are so welcoming to us, and love to hear us try to speak Spanish with them!  I love it! This gospel is so true, it blesses anyone who wants to be blessed by it. I can’t imagine life without it. Thank you all for all your support and prayers, it really means a lot!

Hermana Despain

PS the food here is AMAZING!!!!!! I'll describe it more next week. Also, I don't know how the snail mail works here, so maybe don`t worry about that.

Thanks!!

There`s me with the welcome sign

me with my companions after a huge storm!

my hand after that storm ( I slipped a little and grabbed a nearby drinking fountain, and it kinda cut my hand. But it`s all good!)

pictures of the city on our way to the temple

me and my companions at the Mexico City Temple!

the Elders in my branch on the bus. They`re pretty cool guys!