Last Week of MTC Coming Up!

Dearest Familia!!

I love you guys so much. And I absolutely LOVED getting the update on these past few weeks. Wow, you guys know how to have fun. I was extremely happy when I read that you decided to go to Lagoon on the day that it was the worst weather. Haha, that sooo sounds like all of you you guys :) Second, Dallas and KC, CONGRATULATIONS!! Those pictures are beautiful! (KC you are gorgeous) and Dallas, you pulled of the engagement, which include chasing down the ring. Hahaha. I am so excited for you guys!

Saying goodbye to the CCM

Well, this is my last week here at the MTC. I am halfway super nervous about being away from comfort, SOME English speakers and this fenced in area, but the other half of me couldn’t be more excited! Since I’ve been in the CCM the whole time, THIS is what feels like my mission, but I can’t wait to actually truly be out in the field. Teaching lessons to your teacher everyday is great, but there’s something about talking to a REAL investigator that I love. Wow, I can’t believe it’s so soon! We leave early early Tuesday morning (I think 3 or 4), drive to the airport, our flight is at 8 and when we get to Ecuador our Mission President will pick us up at the airport and I’m assuming take us to the Mission Home. I think we get to write when we get there so I’ll let you know I made it safe. ALSO, I heard that maybe we could have the opportunity to call home. I think the problem is that we would have to find a pay phone and I feel like there aren’t many of those around these days. So.. I don’t know how likely it is, but if you get a call from a number you don’t know, it might be a good idea to answer it :) I have no idea what time it would be but I’m so very sorry if I wake you up. 

Me and Hermana Roderiguez

So yes, like I told you last email, this week everything changed. Another group of Latinos came in, we got new companions, new districts and new teachers. We went from American companions and teachers who could speak english to all Spanish, all the time. Wow, there’s quite a lot in this brain of mine. My companion is named Hermana Roderiguez and she is from Venezuela. And.. she doesn’t speak any English. She also is one of the fastest Spanish speakers I have talked to so that makes for an interesting time. I would say at least half of the time I don’t understand her because I think talking slowing isn’t something she knows how to do :) Yes, I figured that would be the case, but I have been amazed at how much I have learned in this week from being forced to speak in Spanish whether its about how we want to teach our lesson or what time we want to get up and shower. The Latinas here are very sweet and it’s been cool to figure out how we can work together. Hermana Roderiguez has a great testimony, but we also have VERY different personalities, but I have really grown to love her and recognize her acts of service throughout the day. It’s been good for me this week to learn how to work with all different types of people, and I realize, here we go, because I will have many different types of companions.

This week has been full of being completely lost and confused, and then time when I think to myself, wow, I’m actually starting to get this. It’s hard for me to understand my companion, but I usually can get what the teachers are saying most of the time. We practice Spanish in the Lunch line, bathroom, go over conjugations while we’re running, I usually bring my English-Spanish dictionary with me wherever I go so I can look up words, and our companions are really good at helping us practice grammar and different tenses. 

An example of a major part of the week.. one night Hermana Roderiguez and I knelt down to pray before our companion study. It was her turn to pray so she started saying the prayer, and I could understand a few words, but between her speed and having her head down, words here and there was about it. Awhile into the prayer I thought she had just paused in the middle to think.. after about 10 seconds I opened one eye, and apparently she had already said Amen, because she was just sitting there looking at me with a very confused look on her face. Haha we had a pretty good laugh about that and then continued with our planning.

While that describes a lot of my week, there were also moments where I was amazed what the Spirit can do and how it can help me understand Spanish. Last night we were talking about prayer in one of our classes and how we can teach it to our investigators. Our teacher had us pair up with our companion for a role play and instead of us being one of the investigators like usual, we were both ourselves. My companion was supposed to ask me questions, find a need, and then teach me how prayer can help me in that situation. As we talked about our experience at the CCM and she shared how prayer is such an important part of my life, I could completely understand her. She told me how impressed she is with our (North Americans’) Spanish and promised me that the Lord called me to this exact mission because he knows I can do it. She pulled out a scripture that said angels will surround you, and it reminded me of the closing prayer Brother Bezzant gave at church the last week. I was so amazed at how clear her words were and how much I could feel the Spirit in that moment. Also, one of our favorite things to do is teach each other our language. Many times after a meal we come back to our classroom and teach each other scriptures in the opposite language. She’s hoping to learn English and I am happy to teach her and speak it for a few minutes each day :)

I again have a great district. I was talking to an elder from my district and when he found out that I am from Utah, he said... "Most of the people I know have to travel at least 12 hours to get to a temple and I know you have many in Utah. The Lord loves you and you are very blessed." Another time I was talking to the people in my district and they were all telling me about times when they’ve been robbed at gunpoint around their town. It had happened at least more than once to everyone. They told me that I live in the Celestial kingdom and they all want to visit there one day. I’ve been so humbled this week to see how blessed I am and how happy these other missionaries are that have almost nothing. I have really loved getting to know them and hear about their lives. (But also mom, don’t worry, they told me I’ll be completely safe as a missionary:) )

I don’t know exactly when I will get to talk to you next, but I love you, love you, love you. I’m so grateful for what I’m learning about the gospel, the hard experiences, and the spiritual experiences I have here that are preparing me to share this with others. Have a fantastic week!!

Hermana Yorgason