Dear My Wonderful Family!! (And any friends who might read this)
Uno Semana!! One week guys! Wow, it has felt like one of the longest weeks of my life, but I am also so, so happy. This missionary life is pretty special.
So first of all, this feels like Christmas right now! I have literally been waiting outside of the computer room for so long, and the moment it opened, I ran in and snatched a computer. All the missionaries here keep warning us that writing family for the first week is so stressful because there's so much you want to say, new keyboards, and loading on pictures is hard to figure out, so I'm just going to try and tell you as much as I can in the time that I have. My fingers are flying. I opened my inbox and have 67 new emails.. Don't know how that happens!?? So I can only promise my family a letter and then we'll see what happens from there. But thank you sooo so much everyone for writing me. It honestly helps me feel like I'm not totally forgotten.
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| All the hermanas getting on the plane in Salt Lake |
Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning... Last week on Tuesday we said goodbye at the airport, and wow it was a hard thought knowing I'm not gonna see you guys for a year and a half, but once I got over to the gate, I found so many missionaries and was overcome by the spirit of being a part of that group. There were so many cute sisters that I started talking to and it was great to know we were all in the exact same position. Well, we got on the plane to Atlanta and I'm pretty sure we all filled up half of it. Apparently as we were getting on, a few people asked if we could sing a hymn, so about half way through the flight we all sang Called to Serve. Nothing like I'd ever done before, but it was cool to sing with all the missionaries, and I think that's when it started to hit me that I was starting this great adventure. Most of the Sisters and Elders were going to Peru, so we split up in Atlanta and joined a few other people going to Columbia. My second cool experience was on that flight... I think like 5 hours long. I was sitting by one of the Elders in my district and then another girl who was just flying to Columbia. I later found out that she spent half the year there with her dad and the other half in the US with her mom. Well, towards the end of the flight I started talking to her and she told me all about her life. She's Luke's age, 17, is going to college soon and she started to tell me that she just feels like she needs a change. She asked what I was doing and I explained to her what a mission is, what I get to do, and she was totally surprised that that is even a thing. Well, she started asking questions and we got into a really good conversation about what we believe. We showed her the Articles of Faith, a few scriptures, and I told her a few experiences about how I know that it is true. She was eating it up. I think she asked the Elder and I questions all the way until Columbia. We gave her our emails and told her that the missionaries would be happy to answer any questions. It wasn't much, I just bore a simple testimony, but it was so cool that the first missionary work I got to do was not even in my mission yet. AND in English!!
We got to Columbia late and it was quite the proccess to find all of our luggage, figure out where we were going and find the people we were supposed to meet up with. There's 9 in my district and we all crammed in a van, with our luggage and drove about 10 minutes to the CCM... the place I'll call home the next 6 weeks :) We had a good sleep that night, and then were put to work right away the next morning. I can honestly say, the first two days here were the longest days I have ever had. So many meetings, books, spanish, different food, crazy schedule. So mom, when you say you guys were hoping time was going faster for me... Ha, I guess time was not fast for you guys OR me, but I can already tell that time is picking up and it's going to go a lot faster. But man, those first few days I was sure thinking that my mission was going to be a Loooong 18 months.
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My first companions! I love them!
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It's a little weird getting adjusted to being with someone all the time.. but I feel like I was dealt the best companions out there. I'm in a tri companionship, (I think the only one of the MTC) and I absolutly love them both. All three of our personalities mesh so well and I think we really push each other and encourage each other to be better. We've set so many goals and I've loved having two sweet and understanding companions by my side. We've been memorizing a scripture mastery in spanish everyday, we try and talk to the Latins as much as we can, and from a fireside on the first day, we decided to be 200% obedient here, because we need all the help we can get! Even if that means bringing our journals in the bathroom while someone else is showering, or finishing our room prayer in the dark because its past 10:30. Its a little more difficult to coordinate 3 people's schedules, but being in a trio has been such a blessing. We're definitely taking your advice mom and laughing our way through things. That has made our getting lost, or horrible spanish a lot easier to bare.
So besides my two companions, I have a district of 9, and there are 7 hermanas and 2 elders. I don't think that happens too much, but wahoo for girl power. I've honestly loved that because we've all gotten really close and it makes it easier to just totally focus on the gospel, studying, and working together to learn how in the world to teach. And do it in Spanish. All the girls in my district sleep in one room and I think we're all from Utah, Idaho, Arizona or California.
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| All the girls in my district…. |
I also now what people mean when they say they feel like they're trying to drink from a fire hydrant. Oh boy. High school was hard, college was hard, but this is a whole different kind of hard. Probably because I WANT to learn everything I can, and have so much motivation to do as much as I can do in these next 6 weeks at the CCM. I guess I never really realized what it takes to learn a language, but it is sure hard. I think out of anything I've stuggled with here, it's definitely been that. Most of the other people came here with more Spanish than I did, so I already felt a little behind, but I'm grateful for patient teachers and companions. In personal scripture study this week, I opened up to Ether 12:27 and was reminded once again that THIS is a time where I have definitely been given a weakness so I can turn to the Lord. It's kind of crazy to me that there will be one day where I can speak it. As most people know, I'm sort of a perfectionist and love to work hard and get the hang of things, but I'm trying my best to remain patient with myself. But I do feel like this is school on sterioids. I sure appreciate night time now and I don't think I've ever slept so well in my life!! We can teach lessons, pray and I even bore my testimony in spanish on Sunday (very simple!), but I know it will come.
This might be a surprise, but one of the things I actually really like about it here is the food! Sorry to all my brothers, I think you guys would be jealous, but we usually get a big piece of steak and some chicken, rice or potatoes, amazing soup, fruit, juice and ice cream bars for lunch. Like we found out before I left, lunch is the biggest meal of the day here, so that is quite enjoyable! We also have a lot of hot dogs here. Ha, not my favorite thing, but I'm learning to like them. One day we had them for dinner and then again for breakfast. Guess they gotta use the leftovers :) For breakfast everyday I have hot chocolate, some really good homemade bread with jam, juice, fruit, and then there's usually some other thing. Dinner is also pretty good, so don't worry, I'm not starving over here:)
And obviously, since I'm letting myself enjoy the food, I also try and work hard during our workout hour, and that has become one of the things I love! Like I said, my district is really close, so we usually all workout together. Most of them are runners so we run for like 20 minutes, and then abs, push ups, wall sits, or some days "yoga" :) A few of the girls here played sports in college so we actually do some real workouts. It's also a fun time to talk, bond, and laugh with the hermanas around me.
I've had soo many cool experiences here, mixed in with a few hard ones, but one of my favorite was going to the temple this morning. As I sat in the celestial room I realized that I may be on the other side of the world, but the Spirit is just the same. The other thing that really stands out was in a class on Saturday. It was one of those times when I was missing my family a little more than normal.. And my teacher told us that just like your family probabaly misses you and wishes you were home right now, God also is so excited for you to return home to Him. In that moment I realized how important it is that people know how much they are loved by their Heavenly Father. Although being away is so hard, I realized that these 18 months are going to be so worth it, because there are people who don't know that. It was a really cool experience that helped me focus on what I came out here to do.
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| Temple trip today with my companions |
Well I love you guys. I miss you sooo so much, I love you, but I've been so blessed to be able to focus on being a missionary and realize that this is what I WANT to do!
Have a great week! Cant wait to hear from you again!!
Love, Hermana Yorgason
