Hey family and friends!!
Can you believe that it has been yet another week?! I sure can't! This week went by really fast for me, which is a nice change. I have tried to be a lot more focused in the work and less focused on how much I miss home and the life that I had...a MONTH ago! 17 more to go! It is so crazy how quickly things are happening.
Spanish is coming along pretty good, as always. But I still feel really unprepared as far as speaking fluently. I think that a lot of my learning right now is just going to be how to conjugate words, etc. When I get into the field in Chile, I think I will have to basically start all over again. Apparently Chileans speak a lot differently than here in Mexico. I guess I will learn two different kinds of Spanish! Lucky me :) Haha.
Honestly, not much happened this week. It was just another week at the CCM (Missionary Training Center, in Spanish LOL!) On Wednesday, my poor companion fell on the concrete, while it was pouring down rain, and busted her knee open. I am sending a picture of that day for you! We didn't know that it was going to POUR down rain everyday this week, so we didn't bring umbrellas or anything. So we were running back to the classroom after dinner, and as we were crossing the street, getting sopping wet, she slid across the paint on the road (it is super slick for some reason). So, I carried her on my back all the way to the clinic, in the pouring rain, and we got her bandaged up. And then I carried her all the way back ha! It was a big time workout trying to run with someone on your back through that. But she is good now and her knee is healing.
We have had three earthquakes here since I got to the CCM! None that I could actually feel, but the sensors go off even with the tiniest movement. We don't feel them as we are walking, but we do see light posts shaking after the sirens go off.
What else... the food continually turns to more and more bread. UGH. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but thank heaven for an hour of gym time everyday, or I would be huge by now, I am sure! I found a scale in the clinic when we were bandaging up my companion, and guess what?? I have lost 5 pounds haha! It must be the cockroaches in the beans :P hahahahaha! I am hoping to continue to lose weight at least until I get to Chile, because I have a feeling that I am going to have issues with the carbs there more than here. And, I don't get to choose what I eat there like I get to do here! We shall see how that goes! My last day in the CCM will be the 24th. Or maybe the 23rd? I am supposed to leave the 24th, but everyone has been leaving at like 3 AM, so I am not counting that day. I get to email home the day before I leave, even though I don't have P-Day (preparation day), so make sure to look out for that! I will remind you guys as it gets closer too :)
We got to listen to a live broadcast from the Provo MTC on Sunday (I think?? The days all run together now...). That was super neat! I felt like I was at home seeing Provo, Utah haha. It was a neat experience! I would tell you more about that, but I don't have the notes in front of me and am speed typing to get all of this stuff in while I can. Sorry to skimp on details there! I have been getting letters and postcards from you guys every week at least once, if not twice! It so makes my day! I never thought that that would really be true, but literally we run to the post office lady in hopes that we have mail! And most every time that there is mail, it is all for me. So thank you for taking the time to write to me!
This morning we got to go to the Mexico City Temple. It was all in Spanish, but I knew everything that they were saying, for the most part! I would say I understood 85-90% of it, which is great progress from 2 weeks ago when we went! I loved being able to sit in the Celestial Room and thank my Heavenly Father for the progress that I have made so far, and for everything that He has blessed me and my family with. I have had a little bit of a rough week as far as what my expectations for myself are. I set really high expectations, and then I feel like I am not getting there.
When I was set apart as a missionary, I was blessed that if I would try to only speak Spanish as much as I could in the MTC and moving forward, that I would be blessed with the gift of tongues. I have seen that blessing coming to life in the past few weeks. I feel like I am way ahead of everyone in my district, in that regard. I am in the beginner class, but everything feels like review to me. I have been discouraged that I have not really learned anything new all week, and I want to, oh so badly! I am hoping that as I continue to do my best at speaking Spanish when I can, and reading/translating my Spanish Book of Mormon, that I will get better with Spanish. I have to remind myself that I have only been here for a month! I have 17 months to get fluent! My goal is to be fluent by my birthday. That is about 4 months away, so I am really going to work hard towards that and pray for help along the way. It is an exciting thing to look forward to!
A girl in my district got really sad news from home that her sister is going home from her mission because of anxiety attacks, etc. My friend has had a rough week, and considered going home herself. They are twins, so they are pretty attached. My companion and I have really tried to help her get through this week, and let her cry, vent, etc., just so she wouldn't leave. I love that my district is like a family. Everyone calls me the mom of the group since I am the oldest and am always the one to make people chill out if it gets too crazy during study time :P It is weird to be called the mom of the group, but I would rather that than be called the dead beat! :) I feel so blessed to have these kids in my life right now. We all support each other and are each other's "home away from home". It is really comforting.
I feel so blessed to be here at a time when so much missionary work is happening all over the world! I love hearing from the missionaries in our ward, like Kolby and Jake! It makes me feel better to hear that they are struggling sometimes too, but we are all in or were in the same boat, and we are all working towards one goal - to bring people to Christ! I am so grateful for this chance to serve as a missionary, and to serve along side the Lord for the next 17 months!
I surprise myself everyday by how much I grow spiritually! I am so glad that I decided to come out here and do this. It is not easy at all, and I don't think that it ever will be! I always think about the quote in Mom Mom's guest bedroom that says, "I never said that it would be easy, I only said that it would be worth it!" Christ suffered more than any missionary ever, and yet, he never gave up, never complained, and forgave those who were horribly brutal to him. He is the best example of a missionary by far. I now wear His name right next to mine, and everyday I pray for strength and to know what to do to prepare myself to teach the people in Chile.
I never feel alone out here. Even when I am dying to see my family, talk to my Mom about my day, or just straight up want to give up and go home. I am always reminded that I am on the Lord's mission. It isn't mine. I am helping share the Gospel, but I did nothing for it. He gives me everything that I need to teach, grow stronger, and spread this amazing Gospel to His children on the earth. I was indebted to Him before this mission, and am really indebted now that I am out here! I am blessed more than ever before, and I feel that I do hardly anything to be deserving of that blessing.
I love you guys all so very much! I am sorry to not have a lot of news for you, but the weeks are pretty repetitive at the MTC, since we aren't going out finding people to teach and what not. When I get to Chile, I feel that I will not have enough time to write things down! I hope that you all have a fabulous week, and that you will always remember who you are and how the Lord sees you! Please keep writing. I LOVE hearing what you are all up to! I am so proud of all of you and will talk to you in a week! I LOVE YOU!!!
Con mucho, MUCHO! amor,
Hermana Avery
Stomach Bugs, Crawling Bugs, Earthquakes, Gun Shots, Oh My! (August 27, 2013)
Viva Mexico! (September 10, 2013)
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| If you know me, you will understand how absolutely THRILLED I was to ride my very first Nacho bike! |
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| This was after poor Hermana Page got her knee busted open on Wednesday. We were sopping wet! |
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| I've been trying to come up with creative ways to do my hair since it's so rainy lately. I call this one the Swiss Miss haha! |
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| The girls in my MTC district at the Mexico City Temple this morning. |
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| A close up of we four girls at the Temple today |
