One more week down! Crazy, I swear. It's been over a month since we've been here, and this next week is supposed to be our next "full" week here in the CCM (MTC in Spanish baha). However, visas are coming slow, of course. SO...We shall see. I may actually be reassigned, or I may end up staying an extra couple weeks here. But anywho, this week has been a whirlwind of emotions. A mission was once explained to me as "a daily rollercoaster, and a weekly carnival". Every day there is a high point, and every day there is a low point. And then the weeks are just days that are full of rollercoasters--a carnival!
Funny story...So Dene', mi hermana, sent me a DearElder.com letter, and she was explaining this incident of Jackson (2 years old, and Love of My Life #3) annnnd...Well...Boogers. Bahaha. Well, the night I received the letter, I obviously fell asleep thinking about mi familia. Because I woke up about 2:30 in the morning busting up LAUGHING. In my sleep. I had been dreaming of Dene' and the booger incident. Whoa, weirdest thing ever. The next morning, all of the other 5 hermanas were all, "Hermana Lybbert! What the HECK were you dreaming about?! You were full-on laughing in your sleep." Me: "Uhhh yeah, I know haha. I woke myself up. Again." (: Haha it was hilarious. I tend to be the one ALWAYS talking in my sleep, typically teaching lessons in Spanish, but it was nice to change it up a little bit for the hermanas. Laughter. Ganando. (:
Anyone ever watch The Testaments? If not, you should. It's super awesome, annnd when you have a companion who is quoting Napoleon Dynamite in the middle of it? Even better! There's that part where the poorer kid, who is an incredible artisan, "runs into" the pretty rich girl in the kingdom. She had teased him once about making something beautiful, rather than scary animals. Sooo he did! And then there's the awkward moment where he hands her this small, wooden carving of a humble woman...Hermana McBride leans over to me, "It took me three hours to do the shading on your upper lip.."
HAHAHAHAHA.
Whoaaa, I could NOT focus or stop laughing for the next 20 minutes haha. Love her so much. Truly, I've been unbelievably blessed with the best companion ever. Heavenly Father knows that I have issues dealing with girls. So what'd He do? Started this mission off right. The perfect compañera. I would share what I wrote in my journal about her, buuut that's a lot haha. But just know that she's not just a compañera. She's become a sister, a confidant, the one I can trust. I love my entire district, and all ten of us have become a hilarious family. (: But Hna. McBride is definitely my favorite. We had to go on "splits" the other day when teaching a random lesson, because there were only two investigators. So of the 6 hermanas, our teacher chose to split up every companionship. We came back, and I asked her how it went. Although we both did fine in the lessons, our thoughts echoed each other's: "Uhhh...I REALLY missed you. We've learned how we teach, and we teach well with one another...I need that." I love this gal to death, and I'm a little bitter. In our district, 7 are going to Córdoba, Argentina, while us 3 are headed to Mendoza, Argentina...Of all the companionships, Hermana McBride and I are the only ones who are spliting up to go to completely different missions. Saddening, but...**Shrug** Deal with it, I suppose. (:
GUESS WHAT! I gave my first talk in church!...In Spanish. Whaaat. Insanity. I spoke on la Expiación (the Atonement), which is a topic near and dear to my heart. So it wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be to get up and bear testimony merely of my experiences and how we can use the Atonement in our lives. It was glorious. The only downside? Well our stake presidency likes to do something a little "fun" with the talks in church. Every week, all missionaries in our zone write a talk on whatever that topic is for the week. Then, come Sunday, the Stake President gets up, opens sacrament meeting, and RANDOMLY announces one hermana and one elder to share their talk. Gah. Sooo yeah. But it went well, so no worries! :D
I just have a couple things I wanted to share from this last Sunday's devotional, which was the BYU Men's Chorus. LOVED it. And I saw a friend from Cali in the choir, but I never got to say hi. Anywho! Three things:
1) God does not expect perfection, but He is pleased with progression.
2) The Atonement was not only infinite, but it was also intimate. A gift for ALL people, individually.
3) Diligence always overrides intelligence. Work hard, and you will be blessed.
Alright, well, just know that all is well. I won't say that all things are perfect and glorious, because it truly is difficult and frustrating at times. Sometimes, as missionaries still learning how to do all this and how to teach and use the Spirit in our lessons effectively...We feel as though we are doing NOTHING right. But we are. We are trying. Sometimes, it feels as though an investigator is going NO where. Then somehow, things always turn out as they should. Not always good, not always bad, and NEVER what we expect...But as they should. Life is this way. There are simply some days where all you write in your journal at the end of the day is: "I'm exhausted. I'm tired. I'm frustrated...All I truly need right now is to pray and go to sleep."...But it is so worth it, every day. Every night, after my prayers, I sit there and lean against the wall and try to put a name to how I'm feeling right then. It could range from so many different emotions and feelings, but ultimately...Every night, you know what I always decide is the most fitting? Satisfied.
I know where I'm at, and I know I'm meant to be here NOW. Occasionally I think of what I might be doing now if I weren't serving a mission. Driving home for Spring Break, starting either Spring semester, starting a new summer job, moving back down to California for work and spend all my days with Kelsey... (; But you know what? Nothing sounds quite as satisfying as being here and awaiting the anticipation of leaving for the mission field.
ALRIGHT! This is long enough, methinks. (: I love you all! Español is coming along extremely well, and it is so...Well...Satisfying! Haha. Funny fact for the day. We made long-term and short-term goals for Spanish a couple weeks ago, and you know what I put for my end of the mission goal? Be mistaken for a native Argentine. :D Tee hee. We shall see. (; Okay, I'm off to go get some laundry done and write letters to Dene' and Trista. Should probably start another one for my family haha. Oh! And if Candice Snyder reads any of my blogs...GIRL...I NEED your address! I've got other friends who I need to send a quick letter out to, but not you! Okay friends...I'm outies. Amores para ustedes. (:
-Hermana Lybbert
PS- My schedule may be completely changing next week, by the way. SO my P-day will likely be on Wednesday! Aren't y'all so excited? Two updates in a week. And then...TRAVEL PLANS. Whoots! :D Amores!
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